Jellyfin on Android TV: what to install today
The best Jellyfin clients for Android TV right now, plus Swiftly Player's closed test and what it aims to bring to the platform.
By Swiftly Player2 min read
Disclosure: we build Swiftly Player, one of the clients in this article. We point out where other apps do better.
The official Jellyfin app for Android TV is the safe default: it comes from the Jellyfin project itself and supports Skip Intro. Swiftly Player is on Android TV and Android phones too, but only in a closed Google Play test, so you have to join the test before you can install it. On iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Windows and Linux it is already released.
Set it up in 3 steps
- Join the test. Go to swiftlyplayer.com/android and follow the steps to join the closed Android TV test.
- Install. Accept the Google Play invite and install Swiftly like any other app.
- Connect. Enter your server address, or choose Quick Connect and approve the code from another signed-in device.
What the test version brings
- Direct Play through libVLC, so MKV, HEVC, AV1, DTS and TrueHD play without server transcoding
- Skip Intro, Skip Recap and Skip Credits from Intro Skipper data, plus automatic next episode
- Audio and subtitle choice remembered per series
- Multiple servers and accounts
- Quick Connect sign-in
- Free, no account with us, no tracking
- Open source under the MPL-2.0 license, source on GitHub
Swiftly has no SyncPlay and no casting, and the Android version is younger than the other clients below. See the full picture in Jellyfin clients for Android TV compared.
Good options available today
- Jellyfin for Android TV (official) — the project's own client, on Google Play, Amazon Appstore and F-Droid, with Skip Intro through Media Segments. source
- Wholphin — open source, with a choice of ExoPlayer or MPV and per-type skip settings. source
- Moonfin — one app across TV, phone, desktop and Apple TV, and also works with Emby. source
FAQ
Is Swiftly Player available for everyone on Android TV yet?
No. It is in closed testing on Google Play. Join through swiftlyplayer.com/android; there is no public download yet.
Does the official Jellyfin Android TV app support Skip Intro?
Yes. It has a Media Segments setting with "Ask to skip", "Skip" or "Do nothing" for each segment type, once a segment provider plugin such as Intro Skipper has analyzed your library. Details in how Intro Skipper setup works.
Do any of these cost money?
No. The official Jellyfin app, Wholphin, Moonfin and Swiftly are all free to install. You still need your own Jellyfin server, which none of them include.
