What’s better than using Sideload Launcher – Android TV by Chainfire? Well, try it on a big screen, on your PC or Mac, with BlueStacks to see the difference.
Sideload Launcher is the little helper Android TV forgets to include. On devices like the ADT-1 or Nexus Player, lots of regular phone apps will run if they are sideloaded, but they do not show up on the TV homescreen. This launcher just opens a plain app list, the same kind of grid a phone would show, so users can click into those hidden apps without digging through settings or using weird workarounds. No clutter, no smart recommendations, no fancy theming, just icons and names that open. It feels almost boring, which is sort of the point.
On a PC with BlueStacks, it is handy when testing TV-style setups or sorting through sideloads. Navigation is straightforward with keyboard or a controller, the grid loads fast, and it does not get in the way. It will not magically make an app TV-friendly though, if an app is not built for a remote or gamepad, that is still on the app. Think of it as a door, not a fix. People who like to try apps that are not marked as Android TV compatible will get the most out of it, especially when they want a quick way to launch everything they installed. On non-TV builds it is basically unnecessary, but on Android TV it fills a very specific gap that the default launcher leaves open.
Big screen. Bigger performance. Use BlueStacks on your PC or Mac to run your favorite apps.
