How to Add Apps on your Vizio Smart TV (without V button)

In this digital era, our televisions have grown into smart, versatile devices that offer more than just basic broadcast channels. Vizio, a well-known brand in the world of smart televisions, offers viewers a flawless and immersive entertainment experience. Vizio Smart TVs are popular in many places due to their high quality and low pricing. But Vizio TVs lack the support of the Android operating system which means users cannot access the Play Store to download apps.

However, there are some workarounds you can use to add or install apps on your Vizio TV. So, if you have doubts about how to add apps on Vizio TVs, then you will get to know the solution here.

Smart TVs have come a long way from what they used to be back then. Now the majority of your Smart TVs have every feature that you could think of. The latest Android TV OS version, WiFi, Bluetooth, Dolby Audio and Vision, and even the option to cast from other devices as well. Also, these TVs come with a suite of TV-optimized apps that you can use to watch whatever you’d like. The same we get to see in Vizio Smart TVs.

There are a large variety of TV-specific Android apps that come pre-installed on Vizio TVs. However, there might be some apps that you’d want to use on your Vizio TV but you can’t, because the TV doesn’t have an App Store or it might not have that specific app that you need. So, here’s a guide that will show you how to add apps to your Vizio Smart TVs.

There are manys ways that you can follow to install apps on your Vizio Smart TV without the V button. Vizio Smartcast TV remote does not have the V button instead, it has a Home button that you can use for the same Function.

Method 1: Add Apps on any Vizio Smart TV (released in 2016 or later)

Vizio recently released a new home screen user interface for TVs released in 2016 or later. The new home screen makes it easy to install or add apps on Vizio TV. The update has already been rolled out to numerous TVs. Here’s a guide on how to add new apps to your Vizio TV using the new home screen.

1. Turn on your Vizio TV.
2. Press the Home button on your Vizio Smart TV Remote.
3. Press the Left key on the remote to open the left navigation bar on your TV.
   
4. Now use the Down key to navigate to the Apps option, then press the OK key.
5. You can now easily find any apps that you want to add to your Vizio TV.
   
6. Select the app that you want to add, then simply select the “+ Homescreen” button to add it.
   
7. You can also search the app by its name.
8. That’s it.

We have compiled the list of apps and channels available on the Vizio Smart TV, make sure to check it out for more details.

Method 2: Install Apps using the Vizio Internet Apps (Plus) platform

1. Make sure your Vizio TV is connected to the Internet.
2. Now, on your TV remote press the ‘Home’ button twice. (The home button has the letter V on it or the Home icon.)
3. You will now see a screen that will show you the apps that have been installed on your TV. It will have tabs such as My Apps, Featured, Latest, All Apps, and Categories.
4. Now browse through the Featured, Latest, App Apps, and Categories tabs to look for the App that you wish to install on your TV. You can also search for the app you want.
5. Once you’ve found the app that you wish to install, select it and hold the OK button on your TV remote till the new app shows up in the My Apps tab.

And this is how you install apps on Vizio TVs with or without V button using the Vizio Internet Apps Store.

Method 3: Use Apps on Vizio TVs using Screencast

As we mentioned earlier Vizio TVs come with a limited number of apps, so it is possible that you may not find some apps that you want to use on your TV. So how to use those apps on your TV. The best and simple solution to use these apps is by using Screencast.

Since most of the Vizio TVs have the Screencast option, it is quite easy to cast an app from your mobile screen to your TV. So, let’s see how to screencast onto a Vizio TV.

1. Make sure that your Vizio TV and your mobile device are on the same Wi-Fi network. It is required to be on the same network so that your mobile device will be able to easily detect your TV’s wireless display.
   
2. Open up the app that you would like to cast. For example, if it’s the YouTube app, open it and tap on the Connect to device icon.
3. It will now search for wireless displays on the same network, once your TV shows up, select it and you can now screencast to your Vizio TV.

Screencasting from a Laptop to Vizio TV

You can make use of your Windows 10 laptop to screencast its display onto the TV. here is how you can do it. Like Mobile devices, your computer should also be connected to the same WiFi as your Vizio TV.

1. Open Google Chrome browser on your laptop and select the three-dot menu towards the upper right of the browser. You can make use of other Browser which has the same features as Google Chrome.
   
2. Select the Cast option from the Menu. It will now look for your wireless display. Once done you can choose to either share your web browser’s screen or the whole system along with the audio as well.
   
3. As for the mobile cast, your laptop and your Vizio TV should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
   

Screen sharing on Vizio TVs using iPhones/iPads

The Vizio TVs also come with Airplay 2, Apple’s version of screen mirroring. So let’s take a look at how screencasting works on an iPhone to use apps on Vizio TVs.

1. Open up the streaming app on iPhone or iPad and look for the Apple Airplay icon.
2. Tap on the icon and your device will start looking for your wireless TV. Make sure that both your devices are on the same network.
3. You will now be able to stream content right away from your device to the TV. In the same way, you can also stream your music and even share your photos on the big screen.

Method 4: Using Chromecast or Roku streaming players

Using any streaming player that can be attached to your TV is also useful for Streaming through Chromecast or Roku player/ Just make sure that both devices are connected to the same wireless network.

Apart from that, you can also make use of the Vizio SmartCast App on Android and iOS to see what Apps are installed on the TV and use your app to directly play content onto the TV. However, not all Vizio TVs have all the options to use and cast apps mentioned here. So in that case, you can use the different methods mentioned here to add apps on Vizio TVs. You can check the next section to find out your TV compatibility for installing apps or screen casting.

Method 5: Download Apps from Play Store Using Browser on Vizio TV

While Vizio Smart TVs don’t have a Play Store, you can download apps for Vizio TV through the Google Play Store using a browser. Here’s how to use the Play Store to download an app on your Vizio smart TV.

1. Launch a browser on any device, such as your computer. Make sure it has internet connectivity.
2. Type Google Play Store in Google and hit enter to open it.
3. On the Play Store, pick the app you wish to download and navigate to its information page.
4. Tap on the Install button, and a window will appear requesting you to sign in with your Google account.
5. Select the Google account to which your Vizio TV is linked.
6. Next, select the name of your Vizio smart TV and then click Install.
7. Now, a notification will appear verifying that the app will be installed on your television. Tap OK.
8. Turn on your TV to validate that the app has been downloaded and installed.

Method 5: Using a USB

Apps can be installed on a Vizio Smart TV via USB by getting the appropriate APK file and transferring it to the television. Below are the steps to install apps from a USB:

1. First of all, acquire a USB thumb drive that has been effectively formatted to the volume format ‘FAT32’ or ‘FAT’.
2. Download your preferred APK.
3. Plug the USB drive into the Vizio TV’s USB port.
4. A dialog box should appear asking you to open a file on your USB; choose ‘My Files’.
5. Select your APK and start the app from here.

Conclusion

Looking at how some Vizio TVs will let you install apps and while some don’t, make sure to check your Vizio TV model before you begin to install apps or screencast. If you can’t able to use apps by any method, then it’s probably time for you to get a new TV. But while you make that new purchase make sure to check if the TV supports app installations or has a dedicated app store in it. You won’t have to worry about screencast as all TVs come with that option right out of the box itself.

Also Check:

• How to Share Photos and Videos with Vizio TV using Viziogram
• Vizio TV Channels List (Streaming Apps) – The Complete List
• How to Watch Local TV Channels on Vizio TV
• How to Program Universal Remote to Vizio TV
• How to Change Input Source on Vizio TV without remote
• List of Universal Remote Codes for Vizio TVs
• How to Take Screenshot on Android TV [Definitive Guide]