Meelo Forum

Your Android TV box relies on firmware. This is the software that manages your hardware, such as your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and H.265 decoder.

Just like other software, firmware sometimes needs to be updated.If you have an Android TV box from one of the specialized manufacturers, this is a process that you may have to manage yourself.

How exactly do you update the firmware version on your Android TV box? Read on as I answer this question, and some of the other frequently asked questions about firmware that I raise a question here on the site.

What Is Firmware?

Firmware is the software that makes hardware do what the manufacturer intended it to do. It is what tells your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, and the other hardware elements that make your software “tick” what to do.

Firmware is different from the operating system. All Android TV boxes use the Android operating system, of which there are a variety of different versions that sometimes need updating, but the firmware is specific to the hardware you use.

You could say it is the firmware that allows the hardware to speak to the operating system.

When Do You Need To Update Your TV Box Firmware? 

If your TV box starts to behave strangely, checking for firmware updates should be one of the things that you do to troubleshoot the problem. Some superusers also regularly check for firmware updates for their box.

If your TV box aren’t  behave strangely, we only recommend updating your firmware version on initial install, when advised by your hardware manufacturer. 

Finding the right firmware version is harder than it looks, and if you download the wrong firmware, you could render your TV box unusable. In short, if you don’t know what you are doing, only update firmware when necessary.