How to Install the Shadow Kodi Addon [September 2023]

Last Updated on August 28, 2023 by Tim Wells

In this article, we’ll look at the Shadow Kodi addon, review it and let you know what kind of content you can watch with it. Then, we’ll cover how to install it on your NVIDIA Shield, Chromecast, FireStick, and Android TV Box.

Since the Shadow addon isn’t available in Team Kodi’s official repository, you might be wondering whether it’s safe or legal.

We’ll address these questions and more as we examine this popular live-streaming addon.

This guide offers a step-by-step tutorial with screenshots to help you through the installation process.

All screenshots are from a Chromecast with Google TV. However, the process is identical on other devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick, NVIDIA Shield TV, Windows PC, and smart televisions running Android TV and Google TV.


What is the Shadow Kodi Addon?

The Shadow Kodi addon is an on-demand streaming addon that focuses on providing high-quality movies and TV shows. Part of the Magnetic Repo, Shadow has gained popularity recently. Other addons in the Magnetic repository include the Nightwing addon and Mad Titan Sports V2.0.

The Shadow Kodi addon requires a premium account from premium hosting services like Real Debrid, Premiumize, or All-Debrid.

Shadow Kodi addon: main menu

Main categories include:

  • Movie World
  • TV World
  • Trakt World
  • Trakt
  • Search
  • My RD History

Each category has numerous subcategories to make content discovery easier. Shadow also offers additional features like Trakt support, integrated subtitles, and customizable menus.


Is the Shadow Addon Safe?

Before installing the Shadow Kodi addon, it’s a good idea to scan their repository URL to make sure there are no suspicious files or malware.

You can do that for free with a service called VirusTotal.

This screenshot of the scan results shows that VirusTotal did not find anything suspicious in the Magnetic repository URL.

VirusTotal scan of the Magnetic Repo URL

However, you should still protect yourself when streaming content from unverified third-party add-ons like Shadow.

When you enable addons from “Unknown Sources,” Kodi warns users that these third-party add-ons will be given access to personal data stored on the device.

Therefore, I recommend using a VPN to protect your online activity from being tracked by your Internet Service Provider.

What Your ISP isn’t telling you…

Your ISP knows more about you than you think!

Your IP address is your online fingerprint. It logs everything you do online and is visible to your Internet Service Provider, the apps & addons you use, and even the government.

Currently, your IP Address 18.233.223.189 in Ashburn is visible to everyone.

Kodi Builds & Addons offer unlimited free streaming content, but there are risks.
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After installing a VPN, you can follow the steps to install the Shadow Kodi addon through their repository.


How to Install the Shadow Kodi Addon

In this tutorial, we will start with a clean installation of Kodi 20 Nexus and install the Shadow Kodi addon.

Since this is a clean install of Kodi, I haven’t installed any other addons on this particular device or even set up my media library. 

Even if this is the only thing you want to use Kodi for, follow these instructions, and you’ll be up and running with Shadow in only a few minutes.

Step 1: Enable Addons from Unknown Sources

With every new installation, Team Kodi includes its official repository. It contains hundreds of different addons to change the look & feel and add new video sources, backgrounds, or utilities like checking the Kodi log files.

It’s enough to give you a good start.

Unfortunately, many popular addons aren’t in the official Kodi repository. We first need to enable addons from unknown sources to install addons from other repositories.

First, go to the System\Settings menu. You can get there from the gear icon on the left-hand menu or the Add-ons tab. 

Click on Settings, as shown below.

Kodi Settings menu: System highlighted

Then, on the Settings/System menu, scroll down to the Add-ons section.

Kodi Settings menu: Unknown Sources option

I’m in the Standard menu settings, as seen in the image below. But even the Basic level of settings will allow you to enable Unknown Sources, so you don’t need to change anything.

A menu box will appear as soon as you click on the Unknown Sources toggle switch.

Kodi warns you that any addons will inherit the same permissions as Kodi

Kodi add-ons inherit the same rights and permissions as Kodi itself. This includes access to your device’s files and network connections. 

Even if you don’t store personal data on your Kodi box, never install an add-on you don’t trust.

Once you click Yes on that message box, the toggle switch turns white. Then you’re able to install Shadow, or any other unofficial Kodi addon.

Installing addons from unknown sources is enabled

Step 2: Add The Magnetic Repo File Source

Installing the Shadow Kodi addon is a three-part process. 

First, we need to add the location of the Magnetic repository file before we can install the Shadow addon.

Go to the Settings/System menu and click on the File Manager icon.

Kodi System\Settings menu: File Manager highlighted

Most of the time, we use the File Manager screen to point Kodi to the locations of our media library. This time, we will tell it where the repository file is located.

Click on Add Source to continue.

Click Add Source

Highlight <None> and click on it to add a custom source.

Click to add a custom file source

This screen lets you input a specific file path on your device or a network. We will use the URL for their official website.

Type in the following URL and click OK:

http://magnetic.website/repo
Enter the URL for the Magnetic Kodi repository

Next, create a name for this media source. This can be anything you want, so I named mine ‘Magnetic.’

Enter a name for your custom file source.

Click OK to continue.

Click OK to continue

Once you type in the URL location and source name, click OK to finish this step.

Step 3: Install The Magnetic Repository from Zip File

In the previous section, we told Kodi where to find the Magnetic repository file. 

Now let’s go ahead and install it.

Go back to the System menu and click on the Add-ons icon.

Kodi System\Settings menu: Add-ons highlighted

Next, click Install From Zip File.

Click Install from Zip File

A popup window will appear, reminding you that any add-ons installed from a zip file will not auto-update. This means you will need to manually update them from time to time.

Click Yes to close that popup box.

The next window shows all of the standard Kodi locations and any custom file locations you’ve specified on that particular device.

For example, if you have a network file share, it will be listed here.

Scroll down until you see the source name you entered in the previous section.

Scroll down and click on the Magnetic repo file source

Click on it to continue.

Then click on the repository.Magnetic zip file

Click on the Magnetic repository zip file

Don’t worry if the version number appears slightly different than you see below. Kodi will automatically pull the latest version for you.

Kodi will take you back to the main Add-ons menu.

After a few seconds, you’ll get a message box that the Magnetic Repo has been installed.

Message box saying the Magnetic Repo has been installed

Step 4: Install the Shadow Addon from the Repository

The final step is to install the Shadow addon after the repository is installed.

Click Install From Repository to continue.

Click Install from Repository

As I mentioned, I’m installing the Shadow addon to a clean install of Kodi 20 Nexus. The only repositories I have on this device are the official Kodi repository and the one we just installed.

You may have a lot more repositories on your system.

Scroll down until you see The Magnetic Repo and click on it.

Click on the Magnetic Repo

This next menu shows different categories of addons. Shadow is in the Video Add-ons section, so click on it to continue.

Click on Video Addons

Scroll down until you see Shadow, and click on it to continue.

Click on the Shadow Addon

This brings you to the addon detail page, which looks like app detail pages in the Google Play Store or Aptoide TV. It shows you more details, like any different available versions of the addon and any dependencies that will be installed along with the addon.

Click Install to continue.

Click Install to continue

Depending on your particular Kodi installation, additional add-ons may be required. 

Click OK to install those as well. 

After a few seconds, you’ll see a popup message that the Shadow addon has been installed.

Messagebox saying that Shadow has been successfully installed

To watch content on the Shadow addon, go to the Add-ons tab on the left-side menu and click on the Shadow icon.

Click the icon to launch Shadow

FAQ

How to use Shadow Kodi addon?

To use the Shadow Kodi addon, you first need to install it from its repository. Once installed, you can navigate its sections that include Movies, TV Shows, and more. Click on any category to see the content available. Select a title, and Shadow will scrape sources from the internet. Choose a source and start streaming.

How to integrate Real Debrid, Premiumize, or All Debrid with Shadow?

In the Shadow Kodi addon, go to the addon settings, and find the section for Real Debrid, Premiumize, or All Debrid. You should find an option to “Authorize” or “Reauthorize” the service. Select that option and follow the prompts to enter your account information.

How to enable one-click playback on Shadow?

To enable one-click playback on Shadow, you must first have a premium account such as Real-Debrid, Premiumize, or All Debrid. Once you have authorized your premium account in Shadow’s settings, sources from these services will generally enable one-click playback.

Movies sub-menu of the Shadow Kodi addon

How to fix Shadow not working or buffering issues?

If Shadow is not working or buffering, try clearing your Kodi cache, updating the addon, checking your internet connection, or reinstalling the addon. If these steps don’t help, it’s possible the addon’s server is experiencing issues and you may need to wait for the developers to fix them.

What are the best alternatives to Shadow?

Some popular alternatives to the Shadow Kodi addon include Exodus Redux, Venom, The Crew, and Seren. These addons offer a similar mix of movies, TV shows, and more.

Is Shadow safe and legal to use?

As an unofficial Kodi addon, Shadow itself is not illegal, but it scrapes content from various sources on the internet, some of which may offer copyrighted material. Users should be aware of the copyright laws in their country and use a VPN to protect their privacy. Always stream content legally.

How to update Shadow to the latest version?

To update Shadow to the latest version, go to ‘Add-ons’ from your Kodi home screen, then ‘My Add-ons’. Find Shadow in the list, click on it, and select ‘Update’. If an update is available, it will be installed.

How to enable subtitles on Shadow?

To enable subtitles in the Shadow addon, go to the addon settings, find the subtitles section, and enable it. You may need to install and set up a service like OpenSubtitles to provide the subtitles. You can also set your preferred language for subtitles in the same settings area.

Tim Wells