Last Updated on February 6, 2023
While installing Netflix for Kodi isn’t easy or intuitive in the least, it is possible. It is a great way for you to keep all of your media in one place if that is what works best for you.
With a few technical skills, you can easily download Netflix onto Kodi. However, even if you aren’t very technical, you can still use Kodi for almost all of your streaming services, as long as you follow our handy guides below.
Keep reading to learn more about Kodi and its original purpose, as well as how to easily install Netflix with your Kodi software.
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Can I Install Netflix on Kodi?
Yes, it is entirely possible to install Netflix, or other streaming services, onto Kodi. However, the process isn’t easy. Also, since you are forcing Netflix onto Kodi, instead of it being a default program, there are likely to be issues that arise.
For example, as Kodi’s software updates and changes, you may find that the way you installed Netflix doesn’t work as it should.
You may have to regularly include or research the best way to keep Netflix on there and working smoothly, or you may find yourself with playback and usability issues.
How Do I Install Netflix on Kodi?
Installing the Netflix add-on to Kodi is a little bit more involved than the average person may be used to, but since we’re assuming that you already have Kodi downloaded, installed, and configured correctly, you should be fine.
Keep in mind that this add-on isn’t officially developed or supported by Netflix itself but is still safe to use and has some great features.
No matter what device you are using Kodi on, you can install and use Netflix easily by using our simple guide below. Though it may seem easy, taking it one step at a time makes it much more palatable, and you will find yourself being able to use the streaming service in no time.
Setting up Netflix on Kodi
- Set Kodi up to install third-party apps. The first thing you will need to do is to allow Kodi to download and install unofficial, third-party add-ons to its library and code. This step is fairly straightforward to perform.
- Go to settings. Launch the Kodi application from your smart TV or similar device like an Amazon Firestick. In the top-left corner of the screen, you’ll see a cogwheel that indicates the settings for Kodi. Open the settings and navigate down to the bottom right of the next screen to where it says “System.”
- Go to add-ons. Scroll down the sidebar of the system settings until you reach “Add-ons.” Here you will find “Unknown sources” that you need to select and confirm your selection for.
- Open your file manager. Return to the settings screen of the Kodi home page and open the file manager this time. You will need to navigate down to find the add source option. Where it says “none”, click and type in the fulling URL – http://husion.tvaddons.co/
- Name the media source. Click “OK” and name the media source “CastagnaIT” after the GitHub user who has provided the open-source code project.
- Go back to add-ons. Return to the Kodi home page to access the settings cog but this time navigate to the “Add-ons” category. You will need to install the third-party repository file from a zip file. In the window that pops up on-screen, select your previously named media source “CastagnaIT.”
- Find Kodi-repos. Navigate through the folders, selecting “Kodi-repos”, “English”, and then “repository.castagnait-1.0.0.zip” or whatever the current version of the files is. There will be a brief download and installation period before you can perform actions again.
- Install from the CastagnaIT repository. After installation, you will be automatically sent to the add-ons screen from before by the system. This time, you will install from the repository, specifically the CastagnaIT repository you just downloaded.
- Install Netflix. Click the “Video add-ons” and select Netflix. The bottom-right of the page will have an install button available for your use, assuming everything was performed correctly. We recommend installing the newest stable version of the Netflix add-on.
- Get ready to use Netflix on Kodi. Once notifications cease to pop up keeping you updated on what the system is doing, you will finally be finished installing the Netflix add-on to your Kodi media center.
“Simply log in to Netflix with an existing account like you would as normal and you’re good to go!”, is what I would like to say but there are some additional steps to using Netflix for the first time.
Setting Up Netflix For The First Time
The first time you use Netflix, enable the “inputstream.adaptive” add-on from which you will then be able to log in to your Netflix account with an email and password, or through an authentication key.
Choose whichever is most convenient for you to use, but we find using the email and password option to be a little more stable than trying to type in an authentication code from another app or secure email.
Why Doesn’t Kodi Come With Netflix?
Though initially, they seem similar, Kodi was not designed with streaming services in mind. Unlike Firestick or Roku, it isn’t a way to combine all of your streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ into one convenient place.
This can be confusing, as Kodi Boxes do seem very similar to those devices, but it has a very different set of features.
Instead, it was designed to share all of your media. This means that movies and videos you have made, or just any media saved on your computer, can be shared with any other device you want it to.
Perhaps, seeing the demand, Kodi will one day come with the ability to use streaming applications/websites, but it’s not looking to happen anytime soon.
Was Kodi Designed to Support Netflix?
If you have Kodi, you may have noticed there isn’t an easy, intuitive way to download Netflix on there. Unlike other devices and programs, where you can simply download an app inside a play store, Kodi is set up much differently.
With Kodi originally designed just to be a basic media library, they didn’t include an app store or a series of channels and services you can add.
While Kodi can be used for a variety of things with a little tweaking, it isn’t very intuitive and is not really friendly for beginners or those that aren’t a little tech-savvy.
Unfortunately, Netflix and other streaming services that are commonly used anymore are part of that area where it isn’t super easy to install, simply because it wasn’t ever designed to do so.
Do I Need a VPN to Use Netflix on Kodi?
It is not required at all to use a VPN, even on Kodi. However, if you’ve looked around online for other sources and instructions on how to use Kodi, you may have seen how many people recommend it.
This is because VPNs are growing increasingly popular, especially with software like Kodi, where some of the programs and installations may not be safe.
VPNs allow you to keep your data encrypted, so you don’t have to worry about it being leaked or stolen. It also protects you by shielding any online activity, even from your own Internet Service Provider (ISP). This keeps your information and personal data safe from those who might use it for shady purposes.
Another reason why they are so popular is that they allow you to fake where you are at. If you’ve ever really wanted to watch a show that was supposed to be on Netflix, only to realize that it was only available in a different country, you will understand the feeling that enticed so many people to start getting VPNs.
Since you can make it seem like you are in a different part of the world, you can pretend you are in Japan so you can watch that exclusive anime movie you know is going to rip your heart to pieces. Pretty nifty right?
So no, you don’t necessarily need a VPN, but it does make things much safer and easier to use, especially on Kodi.
What Is Kodi Mainly Used For?
Kodi is designed to be open-source software, while also doubling as a media player that is free to use. However, it isn’t easy for people to learn unless they already have some background with software like this.
To put it simply, though, Kodi is a way to combine all of your media files, whether music, movie, or video, into one easy-to-use library. This program is for files you already own.
A great example is all of your home movies. If you have them all saved on your computer, but want to play them on your TV, Kodi can help. It allows you to take all the media from all of your devices (at least the ones you want it to use) and put them on one joined library.
This is also great if you are on the go. All of your favorite movies on your desktop? No worries, Kodi will let you pull them up on your laptop while in a hotel.
This software can be seen as confusing, as it is used in many different ways that may be -over-the-top for someone who has never been much into tech. However, it doesn’t have to be too detailed and often works great just as a way to keep all of your media easily available.
However, it was never intended to work for streaming services, which is why it isn’t easy or intuitive to set up something like Netflix. However, it is a fairly open software and does allow you to stretch its uses pretty far, especially if you know what you are doing.
What Other Streaming Services Does Kodi Provide?
Like Netflix, other streaming services can be used with almost any streaming service. However, it isn’t easy to set up and is often more trouble than it is worth.
This is because Kodi was meant to be used simply as a library for media, and not as a way to stream anything. While people have learned to work around this, it isn’t as simple as downloading an app to your phone or computer.
Kodi can be used for:
- Amazon
- Twitch
- Adult Swim
- Vimeo
- Pluto.tv
- Discovery+
- Binge
- HBO Max
- Xumo
- Plex
- Youtube
- Live TV
- Popcornflix
And many more
Is it Legal to Use Netflix on Kodi?
It is absolutely legal to set up Netflix through Kodi. Neither Kodi nor Netflix are illegal to use, and combining them is simply more of a personal preference than anything dangerous or bad.
However, this only applies if you are using Netflix legally. To stream on Netflix, you are required to have an account. If you do have an account and plan to use Netflix as intended, there is no harm or negative consequences to using them both together.
This applies to any other applications or streaming services you may decide to use as well through Kodi. The only time it becomes illegal is when you are trying to use one of these services without paying for a subscription as you are supposed to.
Conclusion
If you really want Netflix to be able to be used through Kodi, it is entirely possible. We wouldn’t recommend it, due to the difficulty in setting it up, and the fact that it can be buggy, laggy, or difficult to use, it is definitely an option for those people that want everything all in one place.
After all, that’s why people use Kodi in the first place, to keep all of their saved and stored media in one area.
Using our guide above, you should easily be able to include Netflix in your Kodi software, even if you aren’t very good with computers.
