Android TV has an integrated Play Store to install apps and games. But, the web browser for Android TV is always limited. If you want to surf the internet on your Android TV, check out the list of best web browsers for Android TV.
With the compact remote, you won’t get the best browsing experience on Android TV. This is the main reason why the Android TV doesn’t have any built-in web browser. However, in the Play Store, there are four web browsers available for Android TV. Also, you can sideload any of the Android smartphone’s web browsers on your TV.
Web Browsers for Android TV
| Browser Name | Key Feature | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Puffin TV Browser | Best for remote navigation | https://www.puffin.com/ |
| TV Bro | Voice Search is available | https://github.com/truefedex/tv-bro |
| TVWeb Browser for TV | Best for streaming needs | – |
| TV Web Browser | Customization in Search Engines | – |
| Chrome | Best for smartphone and TV syncing | https://www.google.com/intl/en_in/chrome/ |
| Brave | Built-in ad-blocker | https://brave.com/ |
| Firefox | Light-weight browser | https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ |
| Vivaldi | Best for multi-tab users | https://vivaldi.com/ |
| Silk Browser | Alexa Voice commands | https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-com-Amazon-Silk-Web-Browser/dp/B01M35MQV4 |
| Opera | Offline page access | https://www.opera.com/ |
| Microsoft Edge | Best for PC and TV syncing | https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge |
| DuckDuckGo Browser | Best privacy browser | https://duckduckgo.com/ |
| Samsung Internet Browser | Best for Samsung smartphone users | https://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/app/samsung-internet |
| Kiwi Browser | Resembles Safari browser | https://kiwibrowser.com/ |
Best Web Browser for Android TV via Play Store
In the Android TV’s Play Store, you can find four web browsers. You can choose any of the four browsers for your surfing needs.
Puffin TV Browser
You can opt for Puffin TV Browser, as it is optimized to work on Android TV. With native Android TV support, it works faster than any other web browser. It supports streaming videos, music, and surfing the web. Puffin TV Browser aims to provide a better browsing experience on Android TVs like Sony and Panasonic. It features the fastest JavaScript engine and works on high-end Android TVs. Puffin TV Browser provides incredible page loading along with rendering speed.
TV Bro
TV Bro is developed in such a way as to work with the TV remote. So, you can use it for browsing on Android TV. It is an optimized browser to have extended features. For instance, it supports bookmarks and tabs. You can use your voice to search for anything on the web. Similarly, its users will get the support of switching user agents. Other notable features of TV Bro include a built-in download manager, shortcuts, and browsing history.
TVWeb Browser for TV
TVWeb Browser for TV can be used to watch entertainment, music, videos, news, media, games, and lots more on Android TV. The browser is not meant for surfing purposes. If you want to stream any video from the website, you can use the browser. TVWeb Browser includes a bookmark feature, shows browsing history, and user switching.
TV Web Browser
TV Web Browser is the best browser for Android TV in terms of UI. With the browser, you can change the search engine, block ads using the built-in tool, and remotely connect to other devices. The best thing about the browser is the integrated IPTV player. You can watch IPTV videos on your Android TV with ease.
Recently, the Web Browser for Android TV app is removed from the Play Store.
Best Browser for Android TV via Sideloading
Since most of the web browser apps aren’t compatible with Android remote, we have listed some best browsers that can be over the sideloading process. For sideloading the web browser’s apk files on your Android TV, you can install Downloader on Android TV. The Downloader app is officially available on the Play Store.
Note: We recommend downloading Android TV Remote Control apps on Android smartphones to use the phones as remote controllers. With this tool, you can navigate and access content without any limits. It lets you switch between the d-pad and the touch-pad easily.
Chrome
Although Android phones come pre-installed with Chrome, it isn’t the case with Android TVs. Chrome isn’t available for Android TV officially, and hence it needs to be sideloaded from third-party sites. The interface of Chrome is almost the same and looks like its mobile version. However, you will be limited with the features and access them on Android TV.
Brave
Brave is one of the popular web browsers for smartphones. Though the Brave browser is not available, you can get the Brave browser on Android TV using the sideloading method. In the Brave browser, you will get features like an ad-blocker, malware protection, powerful Tor mode, and so on. The highlighting feature in the Brave app is Brave Search, where you can search privately without any tracking issues.
Firefox
Android TV users can try Firefox, as it is one of the simplest browsers and will consume low memory. Like Chrome, it has no native support for Android TV. However, Firefox extension support is available for Android TV, and you can use it to browse the web. Firefox gives the best YouTube browsing on Android TV in terms of speed as it takes low buffering time. You can choose between different browser extensions available on Firefox to surf the web from Android TV.
Vivaldi
Vivaldi is one of the best browsers for productivity. Tab management is the most-talked feature in the browser. Here, you can list tabs in two levels. This feature is not available in any of the web browsers. Similar to a smartphone’s notification panel, you can set up different customization on the Toolbar settings. There are plenty of shortcuts available in the browser. If you want, you can even customize them.
Amazon Silk Browser
Amazon Silk Browser is one of the best browsers for Android TV. Silk Browser is the default browser for Fire TV Sticks and Fire Smart TVs. As the browser is developed by Amazon, Silk Browser is not available on the Google Play Store. You have to get the APK file from any of the trusted websites to install it on your Android TV. You can control the Silk Browser by using Alexa’s voice commands. Amazon Silk Browser is recommended mainly for streaming. The browser is not user-friendly on the surfing side.
Opera
Opera is one of the safest web browsers and it supports some features on Android TV. With its unavailability of the official app, Opera needs to be installed from a third-party source. However, using an Android remote controller app, you can access its features like speed dial, offline pages, etc. The most noteworthy feature of Opera is its support for an ad-free web browsing experience. So, Opera on Android TV will load pages at a faster rate.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge browser is popular among PC users. In Windows PC, the Edge browser is the pre-installed browser. If you want to sync your PC and Android TV, you can go for the Edge browser. It is one of the fewest browsers that comes with a built-in ad blocker. With the new update, you can access your Favorites and Reading list easily. The Edge browser also has a dark mode for overnight users.
DuckDuckGo Browser
If you are looking for privacy while browsing the web, DuckDuckGo Browser is the best choice for you. Again, it lacks official support for Android TV but provides limited features upon installing third-party sites. It is one of the best browsers to take control of your privacy on the web. DuckDuckGo will block trackers from stealing your information and never let them track you.
Samsung Internet Browser
If you have a Samsung smartphone, Samsung Internet Browser is the best choice for your Android TV. You can install the Samsung Internet Browser on smartphones and Samsung watches. By sideloading the Samsung browser on your TV, you can sync your smartphone, smartwatch, and your smart TV. Advanced features like Video Assistant, the ability to add extensions, Privacy mode, and Secret Downloading are available on the browser. The browser also has a dark mode for night owls.
Kiwi Browser
Kiwi Browser is a Safari-themed browser. The UI of the Kiwi browser resembles the Safari browser. For instance, you can have the address bar at the bottom, install extensions for smartphones, and swipe controls available in the Kiwi browser. The browser is available in more than 60 languages.
For Nvidia Shield TV
If you have the Nvidia Shield TV Box, you can browse the internet by pairing the device with your PC. This is limited to Nvidia Shield TV boxes alone. In the box, you have the pre-installed app called GameStream. On your PC, install the Microsoft Remote Desktop app from the Microsoft Store. Set up the remote app on your PC and pair it with your Android TV. Now, you will get your PC screen on your Android TV. You can use the remote to control your PC screen. With this, you can surf the internet on your Android TV.
We have listed browsers for Android TV with and without native support. In some way or the other, most browsers aren’t meeting up our requirements. So, we personally felt that Puffin TV Browser performance is far better than anything. Otherwise, you can choose any apps from the above list if you don’t bother streaming content from the browser. If you aren’t satisfied, you can get Android TV with a built-in Chromecast and cast a browsing screen from a phone or PC to a TV.
FAQ
Does Google TV have a browser?
Google TV has the Chrome browser as a pre-installed one. You can use the Chrome browser on your Google TV to surf the internet.