Last Updated on November 27, 2023 by Tim Wells
Are you a Spectrum customer with an Amazon FireStick or Fire TV? If so, you’ve probably gotten frustrated trying to install the Spectrum app on your FireStick.
Chances are you’ve even read one or two tutorials online that promise to show you how to download and install it.
They didn’t work, did they?
The Spectrum app gives you around 50,000 on-demand movies, TV shows, and about 250 live TV channels.
The catch is that Amazon devices do not support the Spectrum TV app. Similar to apps like SkyTV Go, you can sideload it, but the app will detect that it’s running on an unsupported device and return an error message like this.
So, what exactly is the Spectrum app, and what devices will it work on?
In this article, I’m going to answer both of those questions. I’ll also show you how to sideload the Spectrum TV app on your FireStick if they decide to update it to work on the FireStick. Finally, I’ll give a brief overview of the app itself.
Let’s get started.
What Devices Does the Spectrum TV App Work On?
When it launched, the Spectrum app was only compatible with Roku boxes (excluding the first generation). Currently, it is available to several devices, and apart from the FireStick, there are native apps for:
- Apple TV (OS 12 or higher)
- Apple: iPad®, iPad® mini, iPhone® and iPod Touch® running iOS 12 or higher
- Amazon: Kindle Fire (except first-generation) and Kindle Fire HDX
- Android: All tablets and phones running Android 5.0 or higher
- Xbox One: All versions of Xbox One
- Samsung Smart TV: Model years 2012 or higher
- Roku: Roku 1, 2, 3 or 4 streaming player, Roku Express, Roku Express +, Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere +, Roku Ultra streaming players or Roku Streaming Stick (excluding first and second-generation Roku devices)
- Google Chromecast: All Google Chromecast devices
- Xumo Stream Box: Plugs into most smart TVs. Spectrum Internet® is required.
- Xumo TVs (also known as XClass TVs)
No Amazon Fire TV OS devices are currently compatible with the Spectrum TV app, which they say plainly on their official support page.
Why isn’t Spectrum TV available on FireTV devices?
There isn’t an official answer from either spectrum or amazon.
However, based on the services that spectrum and Fire TV provides, it’s not difficult to guess that direct competition is the main reason preventing a colaboration. Since they are both competing for the revenue generated from viewers, Amazon likely chose to block a competitor from taking profits away from its own FireTV services.
It’s apparently hurtful for the customers, but we are unlikely to see them coexist unless the competition ends.
How to Sideload the Spectrum TV App on FireStick [For Reference Only]
In this section, I’ll cover how to install the Spectrum TV app on a FireStick or Fire TV device.
As mentioned above, this process will install the app, but you’ll still get the “device not supported” error message when you open it. There is no workaround for this, unfortunately.
To start, open the Downloader app and search for “spectrum apkmirror.”
The Downloader app is my go-to app for downloading and sideloading APK files on my FireSticks and Android TV devices. You can check out my tutorial for the Downloader app if you’re unfamiliar with it.
The built-in web browser is one of the best features of the Downloader app. When you click Go, it will either navigate to a web page directly or pull up search results from Google.
In this case, it’s searching for the listing for the Spectrum TV app on APKMirror, a popular site for getting APK files.
Find the entry that says Spectrum TV APKs on APKMirror.com and click it to continue.
This takes you directly to the app detail page on APKMirror.com.
Scroll down until you see a list of the latest APK files.
PKMirror will usually have several versions of every APK file available to download.
In most cases, you’ll want to install the latest version. However, sometimes an older version would be more compatible with your system.
Click the download icon on the right-hand side of the screen to continue.
The Downloader app will start the installation as soon as the download finishes.
Click Install to continue.
After a few seconds, the Spectrum TV app is installed on your FireStick, and you get the message box telling you it’s ready to launch.
You can launch it directly from that message box or your App Library on your FireStick’s main menu.
However, since we sideloaded it, the icon for the Spectrum TV app doesn’t appear.
In my case, I had several sideloaded apps on this FireStick, so I had to guess which blank icon was the right one.
Unfortunately, whether you open the Spectrum TV app from your App Library or directly from the message box, you’ll get the “device unsupported” error message as soon as you open it.
Overview of the Spectrum TV App
Live TV and On-Demand Content
The main feature of this app is that it gives you access to local channels, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and ESPN, where you can watch live news and sports. You can pick a default channel that displays as the home screen when you sign in.
A TV guide pops up on the screen to help you navigate through the channels, and it shows helpful tips to assist you as a new user.
If you get bored with live TV, there is an on-demand library where you can catch up on the latest TV shows and movies.
DVR
Along with giving access to multiple live channels, the Spectrum app has a DVR function that lets you pause, rewind, or fast-forward the live TV. It is a convenient feature that can record content when you are away for you to enjoy later.
Tags
If you have favorite channels, you can tag them, which adds them to the favorites list. Doing this means you won’t have to scroll through the roughly 250 stations to get to your preferred options.
Channel Search
Spectrum added a channel search function to make getting to your favorite program easier. Of course, there is the channel number search, but you can filter by category or network.
If you need more than this, you can search by title, sports team, or actor to narrow down the results when unsure what the channels are showing.
Parental Controls
Some content might be inappropriate for your young ones, and it is necessary to lock them out.
For this, the Spectrum app features parental controls, a group of settings that give you control over what your child can access. You can block extremely violent, explicit, or race/sexual preference/religion-biased content.
FAQs
Is the content on the Spectrum TV app free?
Although the Spectrum TV app is free, you must be a customer to enjoy the services. Being a customer has some fees and rates, so there is a cost.
Can I view the Spectrum app without a cable?
Yes, you can, but this will attract data charges if you cannot access a wireless network. Also, channels are limited when viewing on the go.
Does FireStick have the Spectrum app?
No. Unfortunately, the Spectrum TV app will not work on any Amazon FireStick or Fire TV device. You can sideload the app, but it will display an error message when you open it.
After a brief hiatus from the industry he's back at the helm of AndroidTVNews.com to bring Android TV and TV boxes to the forefront of the streaming world.
When he's not writing, he spends as much time as he can with his beautiful wife and his bulldog.
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