Downloader by AFTVnews

Review by eFreeware

Downloader by AFTVnews is a free utility from AFTVnews.com that fetches files from the internet onto an Android device. You give it a web address, a short code or a site to browse, and it saves the file locally. The appeal is simple: it turns a streaming box or a phone into something that can pull down an app package without a desktop computer in the middle.

It has been installed more than 50 million times and holds a 4.2 average from 62,979 ratings, which tells you this is a tool people keep returning to rather than try once. If you have ever wanted to put an app onto a TV where the store does not carry it, this is the kind of app that makes that possible.

Three ways to point it at a file

The core of the app is the input method. You can type or paste a direct URL, key in a short code that resolves to a file, or open the built-in browser and find what you need by navigating the web. That last option matters on a television, where typing a long address with a remote is slow and error-prone.

Short codes are the shortcut for the same problem. Rather than spelling out a full address, you enter a short string and let the app work out the destination. I would expect this to be the route most people use once they know the code for a file they want.

The browser gives you a fallback when you do not have a link handy. It is not a general-purpose browser in the way a phone's default browser is, but it exists so you can reach a download page and hand the file to the downloader without leaving the app.

Favorites and the file manager

Favorites let you save URLs you visit often so you can open them again without retyping anything. On a TV interface that is a meaningful convenience, since every saved address is one you do not have to enter character by character with a directional pad.

Once a file lands, the app's file manager takes over. From there you can open a downloaded file, install it if it is an APK, or delete it. That covers the whole loop: find, download, install, clean up. Having the install step inside the same app avoids the awkward dance of hunting for a file in a separate file browser.

The app is built for Android TV, Google TV, phones and tablets, so the same tool works across the devices in a household. The developer also patched a bug that stopped MediaFire.com links from working on certain devices, which suggests the app is still being adjusted for the sites people actually use.

What it needs from you

This is a free app that carries advertising and offers in-app purchases. There is no cost to install, but you are trading attention for the utility.

It is also a tool that assumes you already know what you are looking for. You bring the URL or the code; the app does not recommend files or explain what an APK is. The responsibility for the source sits with you.

Downloading an APK from outside a store is not the same as installing from a store, and the app's role is to move the file, not to vouch for it. That is worth keeping in mind before you install anything you have pulled down.

A sideloading tool for TV owners

This is for people who want to get files onto a device that is awkward to type on, particularly an Android TV or Google TV box. The combination of short codes, a browser and a file manager is designed around that constraint, and the install step being built in means you do not need a second app to finish the job.

It also suits anyone who sideloads APKs regularly on a phone or tablet and wants a single place to fetch, install and clear out files. If you already have a comfortable workflow for that, the app does not offer much beyond convenience.

The 4.2 rating across a very large number of reviews suggests the approach works for most people who try it. The rest is up to what you choose to download.

What's new in version 2.0.4-ForGoogleAndroidDevices

Resolved an issue causing downloads from MediaFire.com to fail on some devices.