How to install a browser on Xiaomi Mi TV 4S

Owners of Xiaomi Mi TV 4S TVs running Android TV often face a limitation: the official Google Play Market store for TVs has almost no full-fledged web browsers. The standard ecosystem is sharpened for the consumption of media content through pre-installed applications, and web surfing fades into the background. However, the need to open a news site, watch videos from a non-core resource or simply use the web version of the service arises regularly.

Fortunately, the Android TV architecture allows you to install third-party software products using methods available to anyone. You do not need superuser rights or complex device flashing. Just properly prepare the file manager and find the appropriate APK installation file. In this article, we will discuss all the nuances of the procedure to turn your TV into a full-fledged multimedia station with Internet access.

The challenge is not the installation itself, but the adaptation of the interface created for touch screens of smartphones to control the remote control. Not all browsers are equally convenient for navigation using the buttons Up/down/Left/Right. So choosing the right application is half the success. We will look at the most optimized options that provide stable operation and readable font on large diagonals.

Preparing the TV for the installation of third-party applications

Before you download installation files, you need to change the security settings of the system. By default, Xiaomi Mi TV 4S blocks the installation of programs from sources other than the official Google Play Store. This is a security mechanism that prevents malware from infecting the device, but for our purposes it needs to be temporarily bypassed.

Go to the main menu and select Settings. In the list that opens, look for Security and Restrictions (or simply Security). Inside this menu, you will need to find the option Unknown Sources. Activate the switch opposite this item. The system can issue a warning about potential risks - confirm the action, as we will use the verified resources.

⚠️ Warning: Once you have completed installing all the necessary applications, it is recommended to turn off the Unknown Sources feature again to improve the overall security of your system.

And then you have to make sure you can access the files that you're going to download, and you have to have a file manager installed on your TV, and you often have a standard Explorer on your TV, but if you don't have one, or it's not conveniently located, you'd better install a specialized application like File Commander or X-plore, which not only allows you to see the files you've downloaded, but also has a built-in bootloader.

Also make sure your remote is in good working order and the batteries are charged. Navigating web pages with buttons can take longer than on a computer, so comfort is critical. If you have a wireless mouse or keyboard, plug them into your computer. USB-TV port – this will greatly simplify further actions.

Choosing the Best Browser for Android TV

The TV browser market is not as big as the smartphone browser, but there are many options to choose from. The main problem with most mobile browsers on TV is that there is no cursor control support from the remote. Pages may not scroll, and input fields may not activate, so it is important to choose apps that are designed specifically for Android TV or have a TV mode.

One of the leaders in this niche is Puffin TV Browser, which is a key feature of rendering pages on cloud servers, which allows you to open heavy sites even on the most powerful TVs, it is originally sharpened to control from the remote and has a built-in trackpad. However, it is worth considering that the free version may have limitations on time of use or functionality.

Another popular option is TV Bro. It's an open source browser that's completely free and devoid of ads. It supports file downloads, has an ad blocker built in, and most importantly, is perfectly managed by Xiaomi's standard remote. For basic surfing tasks, it's often the best choice.

Also, users often try to install the familiar Google Chrome. It is worth warning right away: the classic version of Chrome is not designed for TVs. It does not have an interface for the remote, and you can only run it in conjunction with the mouse emulator or connect it to the computer. USB-If you're prepared for this kind of challenge, syncing with your Google account may outweigh the inconvenience.

Method One: Installation with Send Files to TV

The easiest and most reliable way to deliver APK-File on TV - use the Send Files to app TV (SFTTV). This method does not require the presence of USB-You need a flash drive that runs on a local Wi-Fi network, and you need an Android or iOS smartphone that is connected to the same network as the TV.

First, install the Send Files to app. TV Directly to the TV through the Google Play Store. It's official. Then download the same app on your smartphone. Also on your smartphone, download it in advance. APK-file of the selected browser (for example, TV Bro) from a reliable source such as APKPure or 4PDA.

Run the app on your TV and select Receive mode. On your smartphone, launch the app, select Send mode, and find your Xiaomi Mi TV in the list. TV 4S. After you have finished, choose the snatch. APK-The browser file and send it. The file will automatically be uploaded to the TV memory.

When you're done, you'll see a notification on your TV screen, and you can open the file directly from the notification, or you can find it later through the file manager in the Downloads folder. You'll be prompted to install the app, you'll agree, and you'll wait until the process is over. Now, the browser shortcut will appear in the general application list.

Method two: Use USB-storage

If Wi-Fi speeds are poor or you prefer a wired method, use the USB-This is especially useful if you want to install a heavy version of a browser or multiple applications at once. FAT32 or NTFS, Which are supported by Xiaomi.

Copy. APK-You put a browser file on a flash drive using a computer. USB-TV port TV 4S. The system must automatically identify the new device and prompt it to open its contents. If that doesn't happen, go to any file manager and find the external drive that appears in the source list.

Find a browser file and click on it. The standard Android installer will start. During the installation process, the system may request confirmation of installation from unknown sources several times — confirm each request. Once you have completed the installation, do not rush to start the browser immediately.

It's recommended that you go to the application settings after you install it, find the browser you installed, force it to stop, and then start it again, and this helps you to properly work out the access rights and initialize the interface components for the remote. If the browser supports the update through the built-in mechanism, do it immediately after the first start.

Configuring and managing the interface

Once installed, you'll have to adapt, and even specialized browsers can behave differently on different models. In TV Bro, the navigation is done with the arrows of the remote, and the OK button acts as a mouse click. You'll want to use a pop-up keyboard or an external one to type in.

In Puffin TV, it's like a desktop interface with dedicated tabs, and it's convenient to use a trackpad mode that's activated by a special button in the interface, so it turns the center of the remote into a touchpad of a laptop, which allows you to cursor around the screen, and it's especially useful for sites that aren't adapted to control from the remote.

For a comfortable search and password entry, we strongly recommend installing a keyboard app on your smartphone, such as TV Remote Control or the official Google TV app. They allow you to type text from your phone, and it instantly appears in the input field on the TV screen, which saves a lot of time and nerves.

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Use the “Cast” feature in your Chrome browser on your smartphone to send tabs straight to your TV if the browser itself on TV is slow.

Solving Frequent Problems and Errors

During operation, users of Xiaomi Mi TV 4S can face a number of typical problems, one of the most common is that the video is not played inside the browser, which is due to the fact that many sites use codecs or protocols (for example, DRM) that are not supported by the TV version of Android or a specific browser, in which case only a change of browser or using the Cast function will help.

Another problem is fonts. On the big screen, text can look blurry or too small. Most browsers have a display settings or scale section in their settings. Scale up the page to 125% or 150% so that text can be read from 2-3 meters away.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid entering bank card details and other sensitive information in the browser on the TV.Security level and relevance of patches in the TV-browsers are often lower than desktop or mobile versions.

If the browser is slow and crashes all the time, check the memory space. Xiaomi Mi TV 4S has a limited amount of internal memory. Clear the browser cache through the Settings menu → Apps → [your browser] → Clear the cache. Also close other applications running in the background.

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The stability of the browser depends on the availability of free space in memory and the relevance of the version of Android TV on your device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)