Kodi is the best streaming media player you can find, and Roku is, without a doubt, the most versatile streaming device.
But, it isn’t possible to add Kodi onto a Roku device directly, so there is no quick way to merge the two for the ultimate streaming experience.
However, there is a solution, and that is what we are going to show you. We will run through how to get Kodi on Roku and how you can best use it for all of your streaming.
First, let’s take a look at Roku and how it works.
What is Roku?
A Roku device is similar to Apple TV and is a set-top box. It can stream services such as Netflix, Amazon Fubo TV, Time Warner Cable and many more.
All you need to do is connect it to your TV and then to your internet connection. After that, set up a Roku account, and you are good to go.
Roku does come with plenty of Free services along with a range of excellent ones, although it does have these at slightly cheaper rates.
But, because many services require a subscription, users have turned to install Kodi on Roku.
As we saw, it isn’t possible to install Kodi on Roku directly, so there is the need to find another means.
Can You Jailbreak a Roku?
It isn’t possible to load Kodi onto Roku because of the third-party add-ons installed into Kodi. Because of this, the need to Jailbreak Roku stick and other devices was found.
If you are concerned, it will void your warranty. There is no need because none of the firmware is touched, and it is a loose term of how to make Kodi work on Roku.
Jailbreaking a Roku is a means of using Windows and Android devices of screen sharing onto your Roku device and thus viewing the content on your TV.
Jailbreaking Roku With Windows
This is the most accessible means of jailbreaking a Roku device and only requires a few simple steps to be completed:
- Open your PC and hit the ‘Start menu.’
- Type ‘Device settings.’
- Select ‘Add device.’
- Choose ‘Roku 3’ as your streaming device.
- You will see a purple screen. This means you are connected, and you can begin screencasting Kodi content to your Roku.
Jailbreak Roku With Android Smart TV
You can install Roku on an Amazon Fire TV (Android Smart TV) by following these easy steps.
- Head to your Roku 3 Home page (Home button)
- Navigate to settings and select ‘System update.’ Make sure you have the latest version.
- In settings, select ‘Screen mirroring’ and enable
- Now, you already have your Roku ready to stream Kodi content
Jailbreak Roku With Android
To do this jailbreak of Roku on Android, you need to download one of the mirroring apps from the Play Store, and these can include any of the following: LocalCast, HTC Connect, Smart View, Quick Connect, Display Mirroring or any others which are suitable.
All you need to do is enable this from settings or use one of the third-party apps which do it for you.
This is how to download Kodi on Roku in the closest way possible.
Because Kodi can’t be installed on Roku operating systems, this screen sharing method is the only way to view Kodi content through your Roku device.
If you are new to the Kodi scene, you will see it is an empty shell, and this is because it is at heart a media player.
So, what can you watch on Kodi for your Roku?
With Kodi, you can access almost anything, from TV shows, movies, sports, anime and lots more besides.
All this is done from the third-party add-ons, and as was mentioned, this is why you need to jailbreak your Roku.
Best Add-on and Build for Kodi
There are vast numbers of Kodi add-ons and Kodi builds which deliver lots of content. But, with all the clampdowns on Kodi, it is becoming harder to find working Kodi add-ons and builds.
The best build for Kodi and Kodi Android is Exodus, and following these simple steps will allow you to get Exodus on Roku and streaming to your TV in no time.
- Launch the Kodi App on your PC or Amazon Fire TV Stick. For FireStick, navigate to the Kodi app by heading to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > Kodi.
- Select Settings (gear icon) at the top-left of your screen.
- Open the “File Manager” and then select and click “Add Source.”
- Here you need to replace the word “None” with the following URL – http://kdil.co/repo/ and then type in “Kodil” inside the name field. After this, select and click on OK.
- Return to the home screen of the Kodi app. Now click on “Add-ons” on the left sidebar. After this, open “Package Installer” toward the top-left of your screen.
- Open “Install from Zip File” and click then click on “Kodil.”
- Select and click “kodil.zip”, which will then install Kodil Repo into the correct Exodus repository location, but this is automatic, so there are no worries there.
- At this point, please wait a little while for things to download and sort themselves out. After a short while, you’ll see the success notification toward the top-right of your display. Once you have received the notification “www.kodiisrael.co.il Repo Add-on installed,” you are ready to proceed with the next step.
- At this stage, click “Install from Repository” and then select “..Kodil Repository.”
- Open the “Video Add-ons” folder.
- You will see a massive list of Kodi add-ons on your screen. Luckily this list is in alphabetical order, so you can quickly scroll down to alphabet “E” and then locate “Exodus.”
- Select and Open Exodus and then click on “Install.”
- Here you’ll have another short wait for the Exodus Kodi add-on to download and be installed from the Kodil Repository. Once you see the success notification on the top-right of your display for this stage, your installation process is complete.
Using a VPN for Roku
Although a VPN isn’t required for Roku, it is required when you download Kodi content to protect your privacy.
It also stops anyone from seeing you are using Kodi and the third-party add-ons which deliver illegal content.
When you think about using a Kodi VPN, they are not all the same, and not all of them cater very well for Australia.
A good Kodi VPN needs to keep your connection hidden; it needs to deliver the fastest speeds to prevent buffering and bypass any geo-restrictions. When you go through the marketplace, there are only a few suitable.
Here are a couple of examples, one which is hugely popular but fails, and one which is tremendously popular and delivers all it can to keep customers safe and secure.
CyberGhost is the first option and does look good on paper. On different devices, they use different protocols.
You can find you are not as well protected as you thought. Also, support for Asia is on the thin side, and they only cover 30 countries.
They offer a 7-day free trial to test their services and should be enough to get a feel of where the service lets you down.
ExpressVPN, on the other hand, gives 30-day money-back guarantee. This acts as a free trial, and you can cancel at any time. Speeds are the best in the industry, and users are protected 100%.
No agency can come knocking when you watch content from a Kodi add-on that is a little illegal, and your ISP won’t throttle your connection or know what you are doing. This is the best VPN for Kodi, and it is the best choice of VPN for Roku.