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How to set up an Android TV device for testing
How to set up an Android TV device for testing
Nikola Jonic avatar
Written by Nikola Jonic
Updated over 4 months ago

What is Android TV?

Android TV is a smart TV platform developed by Google, based on the Android operating system. It offers a wide range of features including access to popular streaming services, internet browsing, gaming, and app installation via the Google Play Store. With an intuitive user interface optimized for TV screens, Android TV seamlessly integrates with Google services like Google Assistant, allowing users to control their TV using voice commands. It's compatible with various hardware manufacturers, making it available on smart TVs, set-top boxes, and streaming media players from different brands.

First-time setup

The setup process is generally easy, and straightforward. It usually includes the:

  1. Welcome screen
    Here you will need to select the language that you want to be displayed on your TV. we suggest always selecting the English language, because this will display information such as date, time, info messages, etc, in English, and this is the language which is mostly used for customer tests.

  2. Country screen
    After selecting the Language, you will land on the Country screen, on this screen, please select the country in which you are currently located.

  3. Initial Setup screen
    This screen consists of a few steps which are related to setting up your Android TV. The first screen will be the "Quickly set up your TV with your Android phone", where if you have an Android phone, you can select "Continue" and you will get steps on how to set up your Android TV from your Android Phone. If you want to set up your Android TV directly on your TV without an Android Phone, you will need to select the "Skip" button, which will continue the Wizard, and you will land on the "Select your Wi-Fi" network step. Here you will need to connect your Android TV to the internet, you can do this by connecting your device to the internet via an Ethernet cable, or by selecting and connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

  4. Google Sign-in screen
    When you successfully connect to the Internet, you will land on the Google Sign-in screen. Here we recommend you to log in to a Google account because you will have access to the Google Play store, which can be used to download the customer apps.

  5. Terms of Service screen
    When logging into your Google account you will land on the "Terms of Service" screen, here please accept the Terms to proceed to the next step - the Google Services screen.

  6. Google Services screen
    On this screen, you can accept services that you want to be used on your Android TV. You can accept services that you want, or turn off services that you do not want. After selecting the services, please click on the "Accept" button to proceed future.

  7. Google Assistant screen
    Google Assistant is a virtual AI-powered assistant developed by Google, capable of providing information, performing tasks, and controlling devices through voice commands. If you want to use it on your Android TV, you can select the "Turn on" option, if you do not want to use it, you can select "No thanks" to proceed future. Keep in mind that after selecting the "No thanks" option, the "Setup Assistant later" can be shown to you, here you can select just "Continue".

  8. Install additional apps screen
    Here, you can select apps that you want to be installed on your Android TV. If you want to install suggested apps, you can select the "Continue" button, and if you want to do this later in the Google Play Store, you can uncheck the "Install all of the following apps" checkbox, and then select the "Continue" button.

  9. Android TV features screen
    This screen will show you some features and functions that are implemented in your Android TV. You can navigate through this screen by pressing the "Right" button on your Remote Control.

  10. Select TV Mode screen
    If you will use your Android TV for personal use at home, you should select the "Home" option.

  11. Chromecast built-in always available screen
    In Android TV, Chromecast functionality allows users to cast content from their mobile devices or computers directly to their TV screens. If you want this feature to be always available, even while the TV is on standby and the screen is off, you can select the "On" option, while if you do not want this you can select the "Off" option. Keep in mind that if you select the "On" option an additional screen "Do you want to continue?" may be prompted, and here you can just select "Yes" to proceed to the final step - Tuner Mode.

  12. Tuner Mode screen
    You will only use your Android TV for testing? In this case please select the "Skip" option. In all other cases, if you want also to program your TV and watch programs, please use one of the given options.

  13. Manufacturer Usage & Diagnostics screen
    If you want to share the details with your Android TV manufacturer, you can select the "Accept" option, while if you don't want to do this, you can select the "Skip" option. After you select an option, you will land on the Home screen.

Congratulations, you have completed the first-time setup of your Android TV. Please keep in mind that this process can be different from the manufacturer or Android TV version.

Installing .apk files

An APK file is the package file format used by the Android operating system for distributing and installing applications. In some cases, customers might provide an app through the .apk file. To learn how to install the .apk files on Android TV, please visit our article: Installing .apk files on Android and Fire TV over ADB

Using a VPN on Android TV

Some customer tests may require VPN usage. For Android TV, you can find VPN apps in the Google Play Store, and about our recommendations for VPNs, you can check our article: Proxy and VPN

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