Is it possible to make Android TV app work on Amazon Fire TV?

Question

Since the Android TV leanback library is apparently compatible with SDK level 17, which is what the Amazon Fire TV uses, I set the minimum SDK level on my Android TV app and installed it using ADB on my Fire TV. It actually works without any problems. However, it doesn't appear in the apps list in Settings, so I can only launch it through ADB. And when I tried to do a Live App Test in the Amazon Developer console, it won't even install.

Are there some settings or something I can change to make it work correctly? It would be a pity to not be able to use the leanback library since it does actually work, and since Amazon hasn't really provided anything equivalent to it.

Answer 1

It is definitely possible. However, there are a few things that you need to take into account.

First of all, the Fire TV does not honor the LEANBACK_LAUNCHER intent filter, so you need to use the standard LAUNCHER one. Moreover, you won't be able to see your application in the home screen before the app is actually published in the Amazon Store.

Other than this, you should not find many differences from, say, developing for the Nexus Player.

Answer 2

Here's a topic from the Fire TV documentation that might be helpful: How Fire TV Development Differs from Android TV Development.