Android FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions for Android.

General FAQ

 * See also: Kodi all platforms FAQ for FAQs that apply to all versions of Kodi.

Will this really do 1080p and all that stuff the desktop can do?

 * Yes! This is a full port of Kodi! It is not a thin client or lite version!
 * The reason Android port is to get Kodi working on Android set-top-boxes. Phones and tablets are also supported, but are not the main focus.

There are two versions of Kodi for Android. Which one do I use?

 * The vast majority of users will want to use the [ "ARM" version]. Users who have an Android device with an Intel or AMD CPU will want to use the [ "x86" version].

Installing/getting Kodi for Android

 * can be found here:
 * ARM (most users want this):
 * x86:
 * For nightlies, alphas, betas and experimental builds, see the links on Development builds

Is Kodi for Android different from normal Kodi?

 * The current version of Kodi for Android is based on, and is based on the same code as Kodi for all the other supported platforms.

How do I find out what version of Kodi am I running?

 * Kodi main menu > System > Lower submenu > System info. Note the version and build date.

Video and audio formats Kodi for Android can playback

 * Kodi for Android supports all the same formats that other platforms do (such as desktop OS).
 * Due to the weak processing power of most ARM processors, for smooth playback most Android hardware will require proper hardware decoding. (See below)

Accessing media

 * You can connect to media that's being shared from a computer, HTPC, or NAS device on your local network.
 * You can access media on the internal memory, SD cards or from USB ports (hard drives, USB stick drives, directly or via hubs, etc).

Add-ons and skins

 * Kodi for Android is a full version of Kodi and will be able to use all non-platform specific add-ons and skins.
 * If you are using a touch screen device and the build you are using did not include it, you can manually instal Add-on:Touched for better touch screen support.

Remote controls

 * Some Android set-top-boxes come with a remote and an IR port which Kodi can use.
 * Any Keyboard such as wired, wireless, bluetooth (if supported in your Android ROM). This includes "keymotes" such as a Rii, Boxee remote, most "air mouse" keyboard remotes, and others that appear as a normal USB keyboard to the system.
 * Web interfaces, including add-on interfaces.
 * Kodi smartphone and tablet remote apps.
 * Other IR remotes can be used with IR receivers such as the Flirc.
 * Some Android devices support CEC

Automatically start Kodi

 * You can automatically start Kodi when your Android device boots up using an application such as Startup Manager (free)

Getting more help with Kodi for Android

 * Kodi for Android specific help forum
 * #kodi IRC chat channel on irc.freenode.org.

Where is the Userdata folder

 * The userdata folder is located on external storage/sdcard at the following locations (depending on your device):
 * userdata folder

Where is the Kodi log

 * The Kodi log is located inside the temp folder, i.e.
 * debug log
 * /sdcard/Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi/temp/kodi.log

How can I obtain a Minidump

 * The Kodi minidumps are located inside the temp folder, i.e.
 * /sdcard/Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi/temp/*.dmp

How can I obtain a Crash Log (logcat)

 * A crash log (also called logcat) is mandatory to be able todebug hard crashes on Android
 * Download the SendLog app from the Google Play store. It allows you to send your system log to an email address. Email it to yourself and show us where the error happened. (requires root)
 * Alternatively, you can use your computer. Plug your device, download and unzip the Android SDK and run ddms.bat in the tools folder. There you have it under LogCat.
 * The logfile is kept on a phone for a while, so you don't need to reproduce a crash in order to get the log.
 * Be sure to have hidden folders set to be shown in your file explorer.

How to hide the Android navigation bar

 * As of v13, Kodi supports Android 4.4 (Kitkat)'s immersive mode, allowing for fullscreen automatically.
 * To remove the navbar:
 * You can use "HideBar" (Has a free version, and is open source if you wish to compile yourself)
 * The app "Full!Screen" is free and should also work.
 * A custom Android distribution can be installed to correctly handle the navbar. Replicant, CyanogenMod and some others offer an “extended desktop” mode which hides the navigation bar and, optionally, the status bar too. Also check for firmware on sites such as http://freaktab.com for more firmware options.

Audio sync/delay issues

 * Is some or all of your audio out of sync with the video? Try these tips:
 * Check for firmware updates for your specific Android device.
 * If you have a delay that is consistent regardless of the file, you can manually adjust the delay:
 * Open any video that has audio playing.
 * Bring up the on-screen-display and select the audio options.
 * Select Audio offset and then adjust the audio until the delay is corrected.
 * Back in the OSD audio settings, scroll down and select Set as default for all videos.

Amlogic playback issues (zoomed in, 1/4 screen, no video, etc)

 * As of v15 and later, Kodi will no longer ask to fix incorrect video decoding permissions on Amlogic-based decides that have incorrectly configured firmware. This might cause an issue in some situations, and if this happens to you, first try to manually disable amcodec and only use mediacodec and libstagefright under Settings -> Videos -> Acceleration. If videos still won't play correctly then the device might a firmware/OS update for things to work properly.


 * Why was this changed?
 * Kodi doesn't try to manually fix the permissions anymore. Doing so was a hack that the devs didn't feel comfortable with, and venders need to fix this on the firmware level, not the app level. Some hardware venders are still unwilling to set the necessary permissions because of a misconception on "security", which ironically requires granting apps root-level access, which is far less secure.


 * However, the mediacodec "path" to decoding doesn't require the permissions changes, and mediacodec support has improved both in Kodi and in most firmware (even in some of the flawed ones). So now when amcodec fails it falls back on mediacodec, which normally works. In that sense it is "fixed". Eventually mediacodec will be the single standard, and there won't be a need for amcodec, but the option is still there for some special situations.

Videos play, but are not always smooth

 * There are a number of reasons why this can happen, so it's hard to give general advice for such a description, but here are some things that you can try:
 * Some Android hardware has bugs using the "MediaCodec" hardware decoding method, but plays video fine using "libstagefright". Try turning off "MediaCodec" and leaving "libstageright" on in: Settings -> Videos -> Acceleration. Users of AMLogic hardware can ignore this, as those devices use a third "AmCodec" hardware decoding method.
 * Hardware video decoding might not be enabled at all on your device. Most Android boxes will require hardware video decoding for smooth HD video playback. Check settings under Settings -> Videos -> Acceleration
 * Most Android boxes don't support hardware video decoding of some codecs, such as VC-1 Hi10P, and HEVC(H.265). Consult the compatibility list on Android hardware.
 * Rule out network performance by loading a small test video directly to the internal memory of your Android device.

Downloading Kodi results in a .txt or .zip file instead of a .apk file

 * Some web browsers will rename .apk files for some reason. To fix this you simply need to rename the file back to .apk and it should then work to install Kodi. To rename files you can use a file manager/explorer program.