Tips for Kodi for a Better Experience

Hi, this is Poppy and in this article, I will share some useful Tips for Kodi 18 Leia that will dramatically enhance your streaming experience. These Kodi tips can be followed on all devices that support Kodi including FireStick, Fire TV, Mac, Windows, Raspberry Pi, Android TV Box, Mi box, etc.

Kodi is one of the most popular open-source media platforms. With Kodi, you can watch movies, shows, Live TV, sports and so much more.

And the best part is Kodi is compatible with the majority of operating systems available today.

If you have just started to use Kodi, we have listed down 24 useful Kodi tips that can come in handy and will maximize your Kodi streaming experience.

Best Tips for Kodi

Let’s get on with our list of top Kodi tips and tricks:

A) Best Tips for Kodi to Customize Display and Interface

1. Change Kodi Skin

This is one of the top tips for Kodi which can completely change your Kodi experience.

Changing the Kodi skin can completely revamp its appearance. By default, Kodi comes with Estuary skin but Kodi allows you to download many amazing Kodi skins.

Some skins also allow you to customize font, colors, and even the startup window.

1. To change skin, go to Gear Icon, which will take you to the Settings page

2. Then, click Interface

3. Click on Skin on the left menu bar and then Skin again on the right side.

4. Kodi has two skins by default. To get more skin options, click Get More to download skins.

5. Once you click, you will have hundreds of Kodi skin options to choose from. Select your preferred option and you’re done.

2. Customize You Kodi Home Screen (one of the best tips for Kodi)

The default Kodi home screen has a simple interface but you customize it to your liking by adding various other features.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to Gear Icon > Interface

2. Click Skin on the left side and then click Configure skin on the right.

3. You will see various options in the General section – you can enable or disable various options like animations, touch modes, weather info, and more.

4. You can also go to the Main menu items tab on the left panel, which allows you to select the items you want to see on the home screen including video, music, weather, and more. You can choose to show or hide the items that you’d like to have on the home screen.

3. Customize Background

Another great customization Kodi tips is customizing the background. This is a great way to customize how your Kodi looks.

1. To set a custom background, navigate to Gear Icon > Interface

2. Click Skin on the left side menu panel and then click Configure skin on the right.

3. Then choose Artwork on the left menu panel and then click on Choose background pattern on the right. The default Estuary skin has 7 types of background patterns that you can choose from.

Please note that the customization option will depend on the Kodi skin that you have chosen. And you may not find the option in some of them.

4. Set a Screensaver

Kodi comes with an option to set a screensaver that runs on the display when the media player is in standby.

1. To set a screensaver on Kodi, go to Gear Icon > Interface

2.Then highlight Screensaver on the left and then click on Screensaver mode.

3. There are just two screensavers available on Kodi by default.  However, you can download various other options by clicking on Get more.

You can personalize them further as per your needs.

5. Put Kodi Display to Sleep When Idle

This is one of the Kodi tips that will help you save power when your Kodi has been idle for a certain period of time. Here’s how you do it:

1.Go to Gear Icon > System

2. Then choose Power Saving on the left menu bar and then enable Put display to sleep when idle.  You can increase the duration as per your liking after which your Kodi display will go to sleep.

This Kodi tips can come handy if you are someone who falls asleep watching shows or movies.

B) Best Tips for Kodi to Manage Kodi Addons

1. Enable Unknown Sources

By default, Kodi does not allow us to install repositories and add-ons from third-party/ unknown sources. It is to protect users from harmful malware. However, if you have a reliable third-party source, then you can enable Unknown sources, which will allow you to install third-party repos and add-ons.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to Settings (the gear icon)

2. Click System

3. Click Add-ons >Unknown Sources

4. Click Yes

It’s a one-time process; this setting will be saved until you reset Kodi. However, you can always turn it off after you’ve installed a third-party addon and then enable it whenever necessary

2. Explore the Official Kodi Repository

The official Kodi repository has fantastic categories that you can explore. There are some amazing add-ons available in the repository including USTV now, Catch Up TV & More, iPlayer www, NewsOn, Deutsche Welle, XUMO TV, Pluto TV, PVR IPTV Simple Client and more. It’s one of the best Tips for Kodi as a beginner Kodi user.

To access it, go to Gear Icon> Add-ons > Install from repository > Kodi Add-on repository

You can then explore it further.

3. Install Third-Party Add-ons and Repositories

The third-party add-ons can change your Kodi experience dramatically. There are thousands of third-party add-ons available for Kodi that you can use to watch movies, TV shows, sports, Live TV and much more. You can start with popular add-ons such as:

• Exodus Redux
• Covenant
• Mercury
• Venom
• Uranus
• Tempest

We have detailed guides for all of them, you can check them out by clicking the Add-on names above.

You also install some of the popular repositories like Lazy Kodi Repo, Kodi Bae Repo, cy4Root Repo, etc.

4. Access installed Add-ons

If you are new to Kodi and do not know where you can find all the installed Kodi add-ons. Here’s how you access them:

1. Go to Add-ons from the home screen.

2. Then you will find various add-ons listed under Video add-ons, Music add-ons, Program add-ons, and more.

Alternatively, you can click on the Gear icon > Add-ons . Then again click on My Add-ons and then you will find the add-ons installed under various categories.

You can also use the Search feature on this page to easily find installed add-ons.

5. Add Kodi Addons to Favourites

The Star Icon/ Favourites tab on your Kodi home screen features all the addons and their sub-categories that you’ve favorited. Here’s how you add an add-on to the Favorites list:

1. Go to Add-ons > Video add-ons or Program add-ons

2. Right-click on the add-on that you want to add to favorites and then select Add to favorites.

You can also add any add-on’s sub-category to the favorites list so you can access them easily right from the Kodi home screen. You can do it the same way, right-click on the sub-category and Add to favourites.

You will find all the Favorited add-ons/ sub-categories in Favourites section.

6. Check for Add-ons Updates

Add-on updates are enabled by default on Kodi. However, if you want to disable it, you can do so by clicking Go to Settings (the gear icon) > System

Then click Add-ons and then click Updates on the right

You will see the below three options, you can choose whichever option is suitable for you.

7. Fix Buffering Issues on Kodi

This is one of the excellent tips for Kodi as users sometimes face buffering issues with Kodi. To fix Kodi buffering issues, you can use a maintenance add-on called Ares Wizard. The best part is that this wizard automatically detects the specifications of your device and finds you settings customized for your device, making sure you do not experience any Kodi buffering issues.

Here’s how you can install it:

1. First of all, make sure, you’ve enabled Unknown Sources (refer to Tips for Kodi no: 17 )

2. Click Gear icon/ Settings > File manager

3. Click Add Source

4. Add the below URL where it reads <None>:

http://areswizard.co.uk/

And also give the media file a name. I am going with Ares. Once done click Ok

5. Now, get to the Settings page once more and click Add-ons

6. Click Install from zip file

7. Then choose Ares or the media name you entered at step 4

8. Click on script.areswizard-0.0.69.zip

9. Once you see the Ares Wizard add-on installed notification, you can access it by going to Add-ons> Program Add-ons> Ares Wizard

10. To find suitable settings, click Tweaks on the main screen

11. Click Advanced Settings Wizard

12. Click Next

13. Click Generate settings.

14. Click Apply these settings

15. Finally, click OK and you are done.

C) Best Tips for Kodi for Access and Utility

1. Create Multiple Profiles

If more than one person uses Kodi in your family, then it’s always a good idea to make profiles/accounts for each one of them. The profiles can be password protected as well. Here’s how you can add a new profile:

1. From Kodi home screen, go to Gear icon

2. Then, click Profiles

3. Navigate to Profiles on the left side menu panel and then click on Add profile.

You can enter your desired profile name and create multiple profiles for every Kodi user in your house, you can also change your lock preference here.

Once you are done, you can go to the General tab on the left menu panel and turn on the toggle switch next to Show login screen on startup. This is one of the important Kodi tips that allow you to choose the profile you want to access during startup.

2. Set Master Lock

Another great Kodi tip is that you can set the master lock for your Kodi menu, and settings. It will allow you to lock certain pages like add-on manager, settings, videos, music, and more. This way, no authorized person will be able to tweak your Kodi settings or access your media library.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to Gear icon > Interface

2. Click the Master lock on the left menu panel and then click Master lock code and settings.

3. Here, simply click on Master lock to enable the master lock

4. And then set a password of your choice.

5.You can also select the windows that will be affected by the master lock by clicking the toggle next to them. And you are done.

3. Change Language and Region

The default language in Kodi is set as English and region as the USA but with this Kodi Tips, you can easily change them.

1. To change the language or region, go to Gear Icon> Interface

2. Highlight Regional on the left menu bar and then on the right, under the Language tab, you can choose a language of your choice. Then Kodi will install the language.

The region gets changed automatically based on the language you select. However, it’s important to note that not all languages are listed work on Kodi. You can also change the Keyboard layouts from here.

4. Make Use of Keyboard Shortcuts (among most enquired tips for Kodi)

This is one of the tips for Kodi that will make your life easier. Kodi allows you to use certain keyboard shortcuts that can make many actions much faster. Here are some of them:

• Press P key – to play a media
• Press F key – to fast forward
• Press Space Bar – to pause/play video
• Press \ key– switch between window and full-screen mode
• Press I key – to show info about the highlighted media

5. Use Kore App as Remote to control Kodi

If you wish to control the Kodi app remotely, you can do so with the help of the official Kodi remote app called Kore.

However, you need to configure Kodi for remote access first. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Navigate to Gear Icon> Services

2. Highlight Control on the left bar and then click the toggle switch to enable Allow remote control via HTTP.

3. On the same window, also click the toggle next to Allow remote control from applications on other systems to enable it.

Install the Kore app on your Smartphone and then configure it providing the necessary details. Keep a note of the Port number (which is 8080 in my case) that you see on the Kodi interface, you will be required to enter it during the configuration.

D) Best Miscellaneous Tips for Kodi

1. Change Kodi Settings Level

The Settings windows on Kodi have various Settings levels which are mentioned at the bottom left corner of the Kodi screen. The default level is set to Standard but you can easily change it by simply clicking on it. There are four settings levels available on Kodi: Standard, Basic, Advanced, and Expert. You can choose the settings level that you like.

2. Kodi Internet Speed Limit

It can save data and manage bandwidth by setting an Internet speed limit for Kodi. This Kodi tips can help you easily balance your internet bandwidth. Here’s how you do it:

1. Click the Gear Icon > Interface.

2. Make sure the Settings level is selected as Standard/ Advanced/Expert (refer to the previous tip for this). The Basic settings level doesn’t have this option.

Now, highlight Internet Access on the left and then click on Internet connection bandwidth limitation.

3. You can set your desired speed limit here.

3. Use Proxy Server

This is one of the Kodi tips that can be useful for people who wish to access geographically restricted content on Kodi. Here’s how you set up the proxy server:

Go to Gear Icon > Interface > Internet Access and then turn on the toggle switch for Use proxy server and then enter relevant configuration information to set it up.

4. Change or Disable RSS Feed

The official RSS feed on Kodi remains off by default. It shows the latest news from Kodi at the lower part of the home screen. If it is on and you do not want to see it, you can turn it off. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Navigate to Gear Icon > Interface > Skin (on the left menu panel)

2. Then click the toggle button next to Show RSS news feeds to turn it off.

It is also possible to change this official Kodi feed with an RSS feed of your liking. For that, the settings level needs to set to anything but Basic (Refer to Kodi tips no). Then you can click on the Edit option and add the URL of your desired RSS feed.

5. Set Shutdown Timer

You can also set a shutdown timer for Kodi, which will automatically shut it down after a certain time. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Click on Power button on the top left corner of the Kodi home screen

2.Choose Custom shutdown timer and then when the numeric pad opens add the desired number.

You can cancel it whenever you like from here as well.

6. Explore Advanced Audio Settings

Kodi allows you to modify your Audio settings as per your preference. Here’ how you access it:

1. Go to Gear Icon>System

2. Then highlight Audio on the left menu panel. You will see various customization options on the right. You can tweak them as per your need.

7. Back Up Your Settings (one of the most important tips for Kodi)

Lastly, if you want to save all the settings you have changed by following the Tips for Kodi mentioned in this article, you can keep a backup for them so that you don’t lose all the hard work you’ve done to improve your Kodi experience.

Even though you can keep backups manually, it is always more convenient to use a Program add-on available on the official Kodi repository that allows you to schedule regular back-ups for Kodi.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Navigate to Add-ons > Download > Program add-ons

2. Look for the add-on called Backup and click on it

3. Click the Install button at the lower right part

4. Once installed run the add-on, you will see the below three options. Click on Backup

5. On the first run, you will be required to set some preferences like backup location and scheduling.

6. If you want to initiate backup later, simply go to Add-ons > Program add-ons > Backup.

You can restore Kodi whenever it crashes or malfunctions using this backup.

FAQs for Tips for Kodi

Winding-up the Best Tips for Kodi List

We hope these tips for Kodi have helped improve your Kodi streaming experience. If you know any other useful Kodi tips or trick that has worked for you, please share them with us in the comments below.

More Posts:

How to cast to FireStick
Kodi No Streams
How to rename FireStick
How to restart FireStick
FireStick keeps restarting
How to Fix Kodi Exodus Redux No Stream Error
Plex for FireStick
Jailbreak FireStick