How To Install Apps On Vizio Smart TV From USB? Complete Guide

Wondering how to install apps on Vizio smart TV from USB?

Installing apps on your smart TV isn’t as hard as it used to be, since nowadays there are plenty of file manager applications that will let you configure external databases.

We will explain the entire procedure in-depth and provide you with an easy guide to follow!

To install applications on a smart Vizio TV, using an external USB drive, first acquire a file manager app (Solid Explorer). Wait for the application’s download and access its interface. Plug the USB drive in one of the slots on your TV and access it from the manager. Select the .apk file and install it on your TV.

The oversimplified guide might not be enough if you’re not a techy person. However, keep reading to receive the proper preparation and a tutorial on exactly how it’s done.

Can You Download More Apps On A Vizio Smart TV?

Downloading apps on a smart Vizio TV is possible and will always be.

The smart platforms that are sold with TVs nowadays have many functions that allow them to download and install applications or accessible public media.

About Transferring Files

When it comes to downloading data from external storage, yes it is also possible.

You will need a certain application (file manager), that will allow you to access the flash drive’s contents and initiate the installation process of the given app.

Installing applications from external storage must be done through a .apk file.

That’s the supported format, otherwise, it won’t be able to execute the file and install the given application.

How To Install Apps On Vizio Smart TV From USB?

Now that you know that you can actually transfer apps from USB to the Vizio TV, let’s guide you through the essentials of creating the .apk directory in your flash drive and then installing it on your TV.

Follow the guide down below to download any .apk compilable app on your Vizio TV from an external USB flash drive storage:

Step #1 Get Compatible Flash Drive

The very first thing that you should take into consideration is how big are the files you’re intending to transfer.

This is why we suggest checking the approximate MBs/GBs of the application you wish to install to the Vizio TV from a flash drive.

Regardless of the size of your files, we highly recommend using at least an 8GBs flash drive since it’s recommended to have extra storage.

Now, it’s important for that flash drive to be completely empty, so let’s proceed further.

Step #2 Wipe The Flashdrive

To avoid creating interference with the database of your flash drive, it is recommended to erase its storage, before uploading the desired .apk file.

Sometimes your TV’s boot preferences might get messed up, especially if there are multiple executable files in the flash drive.

Make sure to plug the flash drive into your computer and access its storage. Right-click > Format, is the fastest way to erase absolutely everything.

Feel free to open the USB storage, save whatever you need, highlight everything and go with Shift + Delete, it also works.

It’s important to make sure that the USB drive is 100% empty before proceeding any further.

Step #3 Download The Desired Application

In order to upload and install the application to a Vizio TV, you must first download the application on your computer and later upload it to the flash drive.

Follow the instructions down below to download the desired application on your computer:

1. Get your computer or laptop and open the browser.
2. Go to the browser settings and enable “Unknown sources” (security precautions).
3. Locate where is the desired application.
4. Download it under .apk file format and save it to your desktop.

Note: Make sure that you have enabled the “Unknown sources” feature from your browser settings.

Otherwise, you might be unable to download the application to your computer, due to browser protection measures.

Step #4 Upload The Application To Your Flash Drive

Once you have downloaded the app you want, it is time to upload it to your flash drive.

Make sure that you have cleared the USB drive’ storage beforehand as we’ve stated during Step #2 to avoid file corruption.

Apply the steps down below to upload the application to your flash drive:

1. Get your flash drive storage and plug it into one of the USB slots on your computer.
2. Open “My Computer” or “My Mac” and access the downloads folder.
3. Open“My Computer” and search for the USB flash drive storage.
4. Drag & drop the .apk app file into the flash drive storage.
5. Wait for the upload to complete.

Tip: If you’re installing a custom app for the first time, we recommend proceeding with ONLY 1 .apk along with nothing else on the USB drive. Having only 1 file on the drive is easier for first-timers.

Once the .apk file (installation prompt) of the application has been uploaded to your flash drive, proceed with the next step to set up your TV.

Step #5 Download File Manager App

To install third-party applications (APK files), you must have a file manager installed on your Vizio TV.

Luckily, this can be done from your smart Vizio TV’s app store with just a single click.

Make sure to open the app store from your home screen and type “Solid Explorer” in the search field.

This is the top-recommended file manager application, you can use for booting and installing .apk files, directly from your flash drive.

Wait for the application to install and once it is done, proceed with the next step to set up your flash drive.

Step #6 Connect Flash Drive And Install App

The next step is to connect your flash drive to the Vizio TV and start installing the application.

To avoid complexities, follow the instructions down below to install the APK file to your smart Vizio TV:

1. Plug the flash drive into one of the USB slots on your TV.
2. Open the Solid Explorer application on your TV.
3. Tap on the menu buttons at the top left.
4. Select “External memory” and select the USB slot where your drive is plugged in.
5. Highlight the .apk file you’ve uploaded and tap on “Install”.
6. Wait for the installation process.

Proceed to the last step in order to access your installed application.

Step #7 Access APK File

Once installed, your third-party application may not be visible and accessible from the home screen.

Here is how to start the application in the steps down below:

1. Open the settings of your Vizio TV and tap on “Applications”.
2. Select “Manage installed applications”.
3. Search for your app that has been installed through the APK file.
4. Highlight the application once found and tap “launch app”.

This is how to install a third-party APK file through a USB flash drive on your smart Vizio TV.

If the application is not starting, that might mean several things. It might not be fully installed, the .apk file might be bad or you haven’t done something the right way.

If not working, jump to Step #1 and start from the beginning with a different .apk app. You might have downloaded a corrupted file so try installing something else.

In Short:

To install applications through a USB flash drive on your Vizio TV, first, upload the desired file and plug the drive into your Vizio TV. Download a suitable file manager, such as Solid Explorer, and initiate the APK installation from there. Access your file by going in Settings > Applications > Manage installed applications > desired file > Launch application.

Read Next: Can You Update An Old Vizio Smart TV?

Bottom Line:

After understanding how to install apps on Vizio smart TV from USB, the rest is easy.

Downloading third-party files always come in handy, since most of the available applications might not be downloadable from the app store.

Now you can easily add as many custom applications as you want but don’t forget to check your TV storage from time to time.