When that process is finished, you’ll see all of your files organized by type (movies, TV shows, music, etc.) within the main window.Īlthough Kodi is available for iOS and tvOS devices like iPhones, iPads, and the Apple TV, it’s a more involved process to install them. Once you’ve helped Kodi find your files, it automatically scans them and grabs related information from various sources on the web.
These can be in your device’s local storage, on a connected hard drive, or on a networked device within your home, like another computer or a NAS drive. You’ll then be greeted with a default home screen that asks you to show Kodi where you keep your different media types.
When you run Kodi, it will automatically ask you to give it permission to access your files if you’re on a mobile device or Android TV.
Simply download the compatible version of the software for your device - either from the Kodi website for PC/Mac/Raspberry Pi/Linux, or the Google Play Store for Android/Android TV - and install it. Setting up Kodi is relatively straightforward for devices like PCs, Macs, Android/Android TV devices, and even the Raspberry Pi. It’s also possible to use Kodi with iOS devices and Apple TV, but see our caveats below. Kodi can be installed on Windows PCs, Macs, Linux-based computers, Raspberry Pi, Android 5.0 or later devices, and Android TV. If an add-on sounds too good to be true, that should be a big red flag. Obviously, Digital Trends can’t offer you any specific legal advice, but our recommendation is to use an abundance of caution when exploring outside of the officially supported Kodi add-ons. The use of these add-ons are a legal gray area at best, and downright illegal at worst.
But given the open-source nature of Kodi, you’ll find plenty of unofficial repositories, with add-ons that promise you free access to first-run Hollywood movies, HBO TV shows, and many other content types that you’d normally have to pay for (or in some cases couldn’t get legally at all). To be clear, we’re strictly talking about the use of add-ons.īy and large, if you stick with the add-ons that Kodi offers through its official add-on repository, you’re unlikely to install one that violates copyright laws. However, not every activity that you can do using Kodi is legal, and this is where folks can get themselves into hot water. The Kodi media center software, on its own, is perfectly legal and you should rest easy if you choose to download and install it on one of your devices. You may have heard some discussion about whether it’s legal to use Kodi or not. Before you venture down this road, make sure you read our section on legality below - it’s easy to get into trouble if you’re not careful. For a lot of folks, it’s these add-ons that are Kodi’s main attraction. With the use of add-ons, you can stream from a wide variety of video and audio content sources on the internet, get weather forecasts, and add features like a live TV DVR. Support for processor-intensive formats like 4K Ultra HD, HDR, and Dolby Atmos will vary depending on the device you’re using.īut Kodi is much more than just a way to play your own media. With support for virtually every video and audio file type, Kodi lets you play (or view) these media files, too.
Once installed, it lets you view your entire media collection organized by type, and everything is presented with a wealth of additional information gathered from the internet, such as album or movie poster art, descriptions, cast information, and related media titles from your library. Originally designed as media center software for PCs exclusively, Kodi is now compatible with devices like tablets, phones, and some smart TVs and set-top boxes. But what exactly is Kodi, how do you use it, how can you get the most out of it, and most importantly, is Kodi legal? Kick back and relax, we’ve got everything you need to know right here, right now. Similar to Plex, Kodi can organize your entire media collection - movies, TV shows, music, photos, and more - and present everything in a clean, well-designed interface, with all of the extra info we’ve become accustomed to. That’s why so many people have turned to popular media software like Kodi.