Kodi is a straightforward media player that is simple to use. However, because it is used by millions of people all over the world, we must assume it is a simple tool. What I can say for sure is that Kodi isn’t esoteric. To be honest, when I first started using Kodi, it seemed incomprehensible and a little overwhelming to me. That’s probably due to the fact that it has a unique layout for a media player as well as some unique features. But it only took me a few minutes to realise that Kodi is much easier to use than it appears at first glance.
Understanding and watching movies or shows on Kodi does not require any special technical knowledge or a learning curve. It was created with people like me in mind. However, I agree that if I had had some assistance when I first started using Kodi, I would have been able to get around it a lot faster. Many of my readers have asked if I could create a guide to help Kodi newbies get through the “getting acquainted” phase faster. So here it is, the Kodi beginner’s guide. I’ll walk you through the most fundamental principles of Kodi in this guide. Here, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about Kodi so you can start watching your favourite shows in no time.
Contents
What is Kodi and how do I use it?
Kodi addons and builds provide limitless streaming content, but if you’re caught streaming free movies, TV shows, or sports, you could face legal consequences. While streaming online with Kodi, users are strongly advised to use a VPN. A good Kodi VPN hides your identity and protects you from government surveillance, geo-restricted content, and ISP throttling (all of which help you stream without buffering).
ExpressVPN, the fastest and most secure VPN, is what I use. It’s simple to set up on any device, including the Amazon FireStick. On its annual plans, you get three months free and save 49%. It’s also backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can always request a refund if you are not satisfied.
Click HERE to get 3-months of ExpressVPN for free and save 49%.
Learn how to set up and use a VPN on Kodi.
What exactly is Kodi?
Let me give you the most basic definition of Kodi:
Kodi is an open-source media player.
A media player is a piece of software that allows you to play media on your computer or mobile device. Anything that is video, audio, or image is referred to as media. However, most media players, including Kodi, are used primarily to play videos and audio files. VLC is a well-known media player that is widely used for both video and audio playback.
Kodi allows you to watch video content such as movies and TV shows as well as listen to audio content such as music.
In many ways, Kodi is similar to VLC, but there are a few key differences. While VLC is more commonly used to play media stored locally on the device, Kodi is designed to stream content over the internet. Kodi can also be used to play local media, but that isn’t why it’s so popular.
Kodi is a free and open-source media player. It was first released as XBMC (Xbox Media Center) and as an Xbox-only application in 2002. This tool was later renamed Kodi and became available on a variety of devices and operating systems. Kodi is currently available for Android, iOS, Windows PCs, Macs, Windows mobile devices, Linux, Amazon FireStick, Raspberry Pi, Android Boxes, and other platforms.
It took some effort and a learning curve to set up Kodi on Xbox when it was still known as XBMC. Kodi is now much easier to install on almost all platforms and comes with user-friendly, simple-to-use applications for the majority of devices.
As an online media player, Kodi is more popular. It allows you to watch your favourite shows for free. It allows you to watch movies, television shows, live television, sports, news, documentaries, and much more. Kodi, on the other hand, couldn’t handle everything on its own. It necessitates the use of specific plugins to accomplish this. These addons are more commonly referred to as “Kodi addons.”
Later on, we’ll learn more about Kodi addons. First, I’ll demonstrate how to set up Kodi on various devices. After all, you must have Kodi installed and operational before proceeding to the next step. Keep in mind that “addons are the most important aspect of Kodi” for the time being.
How to Setup Kodi on a Variety of Devices
Kodi is compatible with a wide range of devices. The scope of this guide prevents me from going into detail about how to install Kodi on each device. As a result, I’ll give you a quick rundown of how to install Kodi on the most commonly used platforms. I’ll point you to the places where you can get Kodi and go over the installation procedures briefly. The platforms we’ll look at are as follows:
- Amazon Fire TV & FireStick
- Android phones and tablets
- PC (Windows)
- Mac OS X is a computer operating system that
- Apple’s mobile operating system
- Android TV Boxes and Android Smart TVs
Kodi 18.9 Leia is the most recent official version released. 17.6 Kodi Some users continue to use Krypton, especially those who haven’t upgraded to Kodi Leia. Leia, on the other hand, is no longer available through any official means.
1. Amazon Fire TV and FireStick
The Amazon FireStick is a popular media device that connects to your television via HDMI. This Android-based device transforms any TV into a Smart TV in seconds. Except for a few minor physical differences, the FireStick and Fire TV are nearly identical. As a result, both can be installed using the same method.
Kodi is not yet available on the Amazon Store. To install Kodi on FireStick, we must manually download the APK file (from a trusted source). Read our step-by-step guide to installing Kodi on your FireStick. This guide will walk you through the simple installation process step by step. If you prefer, you can follow our instructions to install Kodi 17.6 instead.
You can also check out our other tutorial on how to jailbreak an Amazon FireStick.
2. Android Smartphones and Tablets
This one is simple. Not only is Kodi popular, but it is also recommended by Google. On Android mobiles and tablets, unlike Amazon FireStick or Fire TV, you don’t have to sideload (or manually install) Kodi. The Kodi app is available on the Google Play Store.
Only the most reliable and secure apps are accepted into the Play Store. Because Kodi is present, we can rest assured that it is verified and safe.
Here’s how to get Kodi on your Android device:
- Go to the Google Play Store.
- Look for Kodi on the internet.
- Install Kodi by following the on-screen instructions.
It’s that simple!
3. Windows PC
Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 and older have different installation processes. We’ll go over both of them in the following paragraphs.
3.1 Microsoft Windows 10
You can get the official version of Kodi from the Microsoft Store if you have Windows 10. Here’s how to go about it:
- Type in ‘Kodi’ into the ‘Cortana’ search box (without quotes)
- The Kodi icon will appear as a ‘Trusted Microsoft App’ in the ‘Start’ search results. Select the Kodi icon from the drop-down menu.
- The Microsoft Store will be opened for you. Select ‘Get’ or ‘Download’ from the drop-down menu.
- Allow Microsoft Store to take care of the rest.
- You’ll have Kodi installed on your Windows 10 PC in a matter of minutes.
3.2 Windows 8.1 and Previous Versions
You can still download Kodi from the official website https://kodi.tv if you’re using Windows 8.1 or a previous version of Windows.
When you get to the home page, click ‘DOWNLOAD’ in the top-right corner (or go directly to https://kodi.tv/download).
Scroll down until you see the logos of the devices/platforms that are supported.
To begin, click the Windows logo.
On the next window, make sure the Recommended tab is selected.
If you have a 64-bit computer, select INSTALLER (64 BIT). If you have a 32-bit computer, select INSTALLER (32 BIT).
Mac OS
Although Kodi is not available on Apple’s App Store, there is a macOS version available on Kodi’s official website. For Kodi to work, you’ll need Mac OS 10.8 X or higher running on an Intel processor. To install Kodi Leia on Mac, follow the steps below:
In Safari, navigate to https://kodi.tv/download (Safari will auto-mount the DMG file). Scroll down to the ‘MacOS’ logo and click it.
On the pop-up window, make sure the ‘Recommended’ tab is selected. INSTALLER should be selected (64-BIT)
Follow the on-screen instructions to install the app on your Mac computer.
5. Apple’s iOS (iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch)
According to the official website, you must jailbreak your iOS device in order to install Kodi. However, third-party app stores such as TweakBox host the iOS version of the app.
On your iOS, go to https://www.tweakboxapp.com in any browser (Safari is recommended) and click the Download button to download the TweakBox app store.
To install TweakBox, follow the on-screen instructions. During the installation process, you will be asked to grant the app certain permissions.
Now open TweakBox and go to the top of the screen to the ‘Apps’ tab. Look for Kodi in the app list and click on the Kodi icon. Follow the onscreen instructions to install Kodi on iOS once more.
6. Android TV Boxes & Smart TVs
Google Play Store is supported by Android Smart TVs and TV Boxes. Installing Kodi Krypton is simple because it is an official entry in the Google Play Store.
Turn on the television (if you are using Android TV Box, make sure it is connected to the TV)
When the home screen appears, click the Play Store (or Google Play) icon.
Look for the Kodi app.
In a few minutes, you’ll have Kodi installed if you follow the on-screen instructions.
What are Kodi Addons and How Do I Use It?
I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that addons are the most important aspect of Kodi. If anything, I think I’m exaggerating.
Kodi’s massive success in recent years has been based on its ability to support a wide range of addons. Kodi is, without a doubt, a powerful media player with numerous features. The addons, on the other hand, are the heart of the game.
What good is Kodi as a media player if it can’t play any media? Addons serve as a link between Kodi, the media player, and online media sources. In simple terms, add-ons act as a bridge between Kodi and the vast amount of media available on the internet. To watch movies or shows on a DVD player, you’ll need DVDs. What a DVD is to a DVD player, an addon is to Kodi.
Kodi can play videos and music stored locally on the device. However, any media player is capable of doing so. Kodi’s true potential lies in its add-on integration.
So, once you’ve got Kodi installed, you’ll need addons to start watching your favourite shows, movies, or whatever else you want to watch.
There are hundreds of Kodi addons to choose from. Some are excellent, while the majority are not. Because Kodi is an open-source platform, anyone and everyone can create addons for it. It’s no surprise that there are so many of them. The goal is to discover the best Kodi addons for the content you want to watch. Add-ons are available for the following (and more):
- Content that is available on demand (movies & TV shows)
- Streaming video
- Sports-related content
- music
You must first install an addon on Kodi before you can use it. I’ll show you how to instal addons on Kodi in the next section.
How to Install Kodi Addons
I’d like you to take a look at this list of the most popular Kodi addons. This will provide you with a basic understanding of what these addons do. It will also assist you in selecting addons for your Kodi setup.
The process of choosing and installing add-ons is usually broken down into six steps:
- Make a decision about the type of content you want to watch.
- Select the addon that contains the content.
- Locate the source for the addon you want to instal.
- Kodi can now be used to add the desired source.
- Install the repository from its original location.
- Obtain the addon from the repository and instal it.
Don’t worry if this appears to be a bit overwhelming; it isn’t. It is, in fact, extremely simple. When I first started using Kodi, I found it perplexing as well. However, getting around it took very little time.
We have step-by-step instructions to help you instal and use various add-ons in a matter of minutes. The guides are listed below.
Movies, TV shows, and other on-demand content add-ons:
- Redux of Exodus
- The Mysterious Dragon
- Exodus is a biblical story about a group of
- Venom
Kodi Addons for Live TV:
- Live TV Kodi Addons:
- cCloud TV is a streaming television service.
Add-ons for Sports:
- Devil of Sports
- Sportowa (sporty)
How to Watch Movies, Shows, and Live TV with Kodi Addons
You’ll find an addon in the Video-addons section once it’s been installed. I’ll start by showing you how to locate the addons you’ve installed. I’ll show you how to use them later.
Please note that the Video-addons section only contains addons that stream video content such as movies and shows. However, not all video addons are created equal. Several utility addons are also supported by Kodi. The Program add-ons section is where you’ll find these add-ons. However, you do not need to be concerned about the Program add-ons. Because you’re new to Kodi, you’ll only be interested in learning about the video addons that allow you to watch your favourite content. I’ve been using Kodi for years and haven’t found any addons that aren’t related to video streaming useful.
Obtain access to your video add-ons
If you haven’t already, return to the Kodi home screen by pressing the back button repeatedly.
Now, on the left side, click ‘Add-ons.’
Then, on the left, click ‘Video add-ons’ once more. All of your video streaming addons will appear on the right even if you don’t click video addons and just hover over it.
This is how the installed addons list will look like.
The icons of the addons can be seen when you go to Video add-ons. Simply double-click any addon to activate it.
I’m going to use the Exodus Redux addon as an example for this tutorial.
How to use addons on kodi
Exodus Redux is a pay-as-you-go addon. Following that are the categories in which the various titles have been organized.
When you select a category, you will be presented with a list of titles or subcategories. It differs between addons.
When I open the Exodus Redux addon and click the ‘Movies’ category, I see subcategories like Genres, Year, People, Languages, Certificates, and so on.
Within a subcategory, there may be more subcategories. For example, within the Genres subcategory, you’ll find subcategories like Action, Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, and so on.
The goal is to navigate through the various categories and subcategories until you come across a list of titles, after which you simply click the title you want to play. The addon will begin scraping various servers to find streaming links for you.
After clicking the link, you can begin watching movies or shows on Kodi.
This is pretty much all there is to it.
What are Kodi Builds and How Do I Use Them?
When you first install and run Kodi, you will see the default interface with the default Kodi skin called ‘Estuary.’
You’ll need addons once you’ve installed Kodi to start watching your favourite shows and movies. That’s why you instal different addons one at a time.
What if there was a way to instantly change Kodi’s appearance and install a slew of pre-installed addons? This is where the Kodi add-ons come into play.
In simple terms, a Kodi build adds a new skin to the default Kodi interface, making it more exciting. A build also preinstalls several Kodi addons for various content types, removing the need to manually install them.
To summarise, a Kodi setup consists of the following components:
- Kodi’s appearance is altered.
- It comes with a number of pre-installed addons.
This is how Kodi looks after installing the ‘Titanium Build,’ a popular add-on.
Kodi Builds: How to Install Them
There are numerous Kodi builds available. They aren’t all excellent. Take a look at the top Kodi builds and pick the one that appeals to you the most. You can experiment with various builds at different times.
It takes some effort to instal a build on Kodi, but it is not difficult. For the most popular builds, we have detailed, easy-to-follow installation guides. Check out our installation guides for the following builds and you’ll be able to get the one you want in no time:
- Build with Titanium
- Misfit Mods Lite is a light version of Misfit Mods.
- Cellar Door Television
- Streamline the Construction Process
- Magic with No Boundaries
- Building a One-Nation Portal
What Is a Kodi Build and How Do I Use It?
Apart from the re organisation of various elements and the redesign of the interface, Kodi with a build is very similar to Kodi without it. That’s great news because it means that getting used to a Kodi build, even if you’re a beginner, won’t take long.
I’m going to use Titanium Build as an example in this guide. With a few minor exceptions, the layouts of all the builds are nearly identical. Even if you have a different build, this example will give you a general idea of how to use it.
This is how Kodi’s home screen looks after installing Titanium Build. As you can see, this skin is far more vibrant and exciting than Kodi’s default skin.
As you can see, the Titanium home-screen has a Menu bar across the middle and a contextual submenu bar beneath it.
When you select an item from the main Menu bar, submenu items related to that item appear beneath it. When I select Movies, for example, I see the related items Search, Trending, New Releases, and so on.
Select other options such as TV Shows, IPTV, and Sports to see how the submenus change.
Remember how I said that pre-installed addons come standard with builds?
In the Menu bar, I’ve selected the ‘Movies’ option. The list of Movie addons can be found at the bottom of the page (Gaia, etc.). These are some of the Titanium Build’s pre-installed addons.
The addons that host TV shows appear at the bottom when I select TV Shows.
Similarly, addons for IPTV (live TV), Sports, Kids Zone, and other categories can be found.
The list of addons displayed on the Titanium home screen is not exhaustive. There may be more addons in a build than can be displayed on the main screen. Here’s what you can do if you want to look into more addons:
Select Main Menu from the menu bar (do not click, just select). When you click, a new set of options will appear.)
Kodi builds: how to use them
Now, in the submenu beneath the main menu, select ‘Video add-ons.’
The complete list of Video add-ons that came pre-installed with the Titanium Build can be found here.
Adding Addons to a Build
Several addons are pre-installed in a build. However, this does not guarantee that it will always have the addon you desire.
If your prefered addon isn’t included in your build, you can manually install it.
Earlier in this guide, I explained how to install addons on Kodi. But that was about adding addons without having to build anything.
You can install addons on top of any of the builds. The good news is that installing with a build isn’t all that different from installing without one. Add the source URL to Kodi, instal the repo from the source, and then install the addon from the repo, as before.
To learn how to install addons over builds, please read our detailed guide.
#Suggested: Get a Kodi VPN
Before you start streaming your favourite movies, TV shows, or sports on Kodi, I strongly advise you to get a good Kodi VPN.
For those who don’t know, a Kodi VPN is a tool that shields your Kodi streaming activities from the prying eyes of the NSA. In other words, it encrypts internet traffic from and to your device, ensuring that the government, internet service providers, hackers, and other third parties are unable to monitor or log your online activities.
You must first instal addons on Kodi before you can watch movies and shows. The majority of these addons are provided by third-party vendors and allow you to stream your favourite content for free.
I don’t recommend that my readers watch copyrighted content from unlicensed sources. But, at the same time, I believe that everyone has a right to privacy, which must be respected both in theory and in practise.
A Kodi VPN encrypts your connection and routes it through a virtual, private server. As a result, anyone attempting to track your online activities will be unable to do so. Because it is fast and secure, I recommend ExpressVPN as a Kodi VPN. It protects your privacy and online identity with impenetrable encryption technology. Kodi users can enjoy complete anonymity with ExpressVPN.
Best vpn for kodi
ExpressVPN is compatible with a variety of Kodi-compatible devices, including Android, FireStick, iOS, Mac, Windows, and others. This VPN will work with Kodi and any other streaming apps you have installed.
So, before you start streaming, follow these three simple steps to protect yourself with a VPN.
Step 1: Sign up for an ExpressVPN account HERE.
Step 2: Download and instal the ExpressVPN app on your device by going HERE.
Step 3: To connect to a VPN server, click the Power icon. That is all there is to it. Your Kodi connection is now secure thanks to the fastest and best VPN for Kodi.
Final Thoughts
As a beginner, this is pretty much all you need to know about Kodi. To be honest, you’ll only need to use the basic Kodi functions that I’ve outlined in this guide for the most part. I’ve been using Kodi for a long time, and I still only use it for the basics. You’ll have taken care of a lot if you know how to instal the addon on the device you’re using and how to set up add-ons. Kodi builds are fantastic because they enhance the interface’s visual appeal and make life easier by including pre-installed addons. It’s beneficial to have a foundation. It’s something I use myself. What I mean is that you can still use Kodi with just addons if you take the builds out of the equation. However, without the addons, there isn’t much you can do. Addons are the most important aspect of Kodi, and I’m probably going to say it for the third time in this guide.
