How to Install Kodi 19 for Mac in Two Minutes or Less (2022)

Hey there! If you‘re looking to install Kodi 19 Matrix on your Mac, you‘ve come to the right place. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process start to finish in under two minutes.

What is Kodi?

Before we get started, let‘s briefly go over what exactly Kodi is and why you may want it on your Mac.

Kodi is a free, open source media center application that allows you to manage and play your personal media library. It provides a beautiful and intuitive interface for accessing your videos, music, podcasts, games, and more from one place.

With Kodi, you can:

• Stream movies, TV shows, and online videos
• Listen to your music collection
• View photos and images
• Watch live TV channels
• Play retro video games
• And tons more!

Some key stats on Kodi:

• Over 45 million users worldwide
• Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
• Supports over 80 different languages
• Integrates with Alexa, Google Assistant, and app control

Plus, Kodi has a huge ecosystem of add-ons that can expand its capabilities even further. There are add-ons for streaming movies still in theaters, international content, sports, and virtually anything else you could want!

But Kodi really shines when you are traveling with your laptop. Having your entire media library accessible on your MacBook on the go is amazing.

That‘s why installing Kodi on your Mac is so valuable. So let‘s get started!

Step 1: Download Kodi from the Official Website

Since Kodi isn‘t available on the Apple App Store, we‘ll need to download it directly from the official Kodi website:

1. Open up your web browser on your Mac and go to kodi.tv. This is the official homepage.

2. Along the top right corner, click the "Download" button:

3. This will take you to the Kodi download page. Scroll down until you see the Apple icon, then click "Mac OS X" under the "Choose your weapon" header:

4. On the next screen, click the large blue "Download" button to download the 64-bit Kodi installer for Mac:

The Kodi installer .dmg file will begin downloading automatically.

Step 2: Install Kodi from the DMG File

Once the download completes, we‘ll need to run the Kodi installer:

1. Open your Downloads folder and locate the kodi-x.x.x-matrix-macosx.dmg file you just downloaded. Double click it.

2. This will mount the disk image and open a new Kodi Finder window. Double click the "Kodi" icon in this window.

3. The first time you open Kodi, MacOS will block the app from launching and show you a warning message. Don‘t worry! This is just because the developer certificate used to sign Kodi hasn‘t been approved by Apple. We can override this.

4. To bypass the security block, right click on the Kodi app icon instead of double clicking. Then click "Open" from the menu:

5. macOS will prompt you again asking "Are you sure you want to open it?" Click "Open" once more.

This will override the security check and launch Kodi properly.

Step 3: Move Kodi to Your Applications Folder

Now that Kodi is installed and running, let‘s move it to your Applications folder to keep it organized:

1. With Kodi open, right click on the Kodi icon in your Dock along the bottom of the screen.

2. In the menu, click "Options" then select "Keep in Dock." This will prevent Kodi from disappearing from your Dock when we move it in the next step.

3. Next, open up your Applications folder in Finder.

4. Go back to the original Kodi disk image window that opened. Drag and drop the Kodi icon from here into your Applications folder:

Now Kodi is properly installed in your apps!

Step 4: Launch Kodi from Your Applications

To open Kodi from now on:

1. Click the Launchpad icon in your dock to open your apps.

2. Locate Kodi in the Applications folder and click to launch it.

3. The first launch may take slightly longer as Kodi sets up initialization files.

After that, Kodi will open up in just a few seconds. Enjoy!

Troubleshooting Tips

If you encounter any issues getting Kodi up and running, here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Make sure you downloaded the correct Kodi installer for Mac from kodi.tv. Be sure to use the 64-bit version.

• If Kodi crashes on launch, try rebooting your Mac and launching Kodi again. Restarting can clear up underlying issues.

• Check that you granted permission to open Kodi the first time launching. Rerun the installer if needed.

• An outdated OS can cause problems running Kodi. Make sure your Mac is updated to the latest OS version.

• Adjust your Mac‘s security and privacy settings to permit apps from unidentified or untrusted developers.

• Try redownloading a fresh copy of Kodi for Mac in case the installer file became corrupted.

• For additional help, visit the official Kodi forum at https://forum.kodi.tv/.

Following this guide closely should get you up and running without any major issues, but hopefully those tips help if you encounter any hiccups along the way.

Customizing Kodi with Add-Ons

Once you have Kodi installed, getting it set up and customized to your preferences is really straightforward.

The real power of Kodi comes from installing add-ons. Kodi addons allow you to stream movies and shows, listen to music, watch live sports, and much more.

Here are some of the most popular Kodi add-ons to help you get started:

• The Movie DB – Stream movies and TV shows on-demand
• YouTube – Watch YouTube videos and channels
• PlexKodiConnect – Access your Plex media server
• Spotify – Listen to Spotify music and podcasts
• PlutoTV – Watch live TV channels
• RetroArch – Emulate classic game systems

To install addons:

1. Open Kodi and click on the "Add-ons" tab along the left sidebar.

2. Select "Get More…" to open the add-on browser.

3. Find the add-on you want and click Install.

The addon will download and install automatically! Then access it in the Add-ons menu.

Refer to my guides on the best Kodi addons and custom builds for more recommendations. Happy streaming!

How Kodi Compares to Other Media Centers

There are a few other popular media center apps similar to Kodi that are worth comparing:

Plex

Plex is the top alternative to Kodi. Key differences:

• Plex has native apps on app stores, while Kodi must be sideloaded.
• Plex focuses on a polished UI. Kodi has more mods and customization.
• Plex has better integration with online media services. Kodi centers on local media.
• Plex relies on Plex Pass for some features. Kodi is 100% free.

Overall, Plex is simpler to setup and looks slicker out of the box. But Kodi is much more customizable and has many more advanced capabilities with its open source approach.

Emby

Emby is another Kodi competitor aiming to provide a full home media server. How they stack up:

• Emby has apps on more app stores making it easier to install.
• Emby supports more codecs and formats by default.
• Kodi has a larger repository of third-party addons and plugins.
• Emby is closed source. Kodi is open source.

For casual users, Emby is quick and easy to get running. Kodi requires more customization but delivers way more flexibility.

Jellyfin

Jellyfin is a newer open-source project similar to Kodi and Emby:

• Jellyfin is newer and missing some maturity compared to Kodi.
• Jellyfin is focused as a back-end server, while Kodi is more user-facing.
• Kodi has wider device support with mature mobile/TV apps.
• Jellyfin is appealing to self-hosters due to its open source setup.

Jellyfin makes a great back-end media server combined with Kodi as a front-end client. But Kodi remains the most full-featured option overall.

Is Kodi Legal and Safe to Use?

Given its power and flexibility, a common question surrounding Kodi is whether or not it is actually legal.

The Kodi software itself is 100% legal. It‘s even available directly from the app stores of Amazon, Microsoft and Google. You won‘t get in any trouble simply for installing or running Kodi.

However, Kodi also supports third-party addons that can be used to stream copyrighted content. Accessing pirated streams or downloads is illegal.

Additionally, since these addons come from unofficial sources, they carry security risks like:

• Malware infections from compromised add-ons
• Spying or tracking by addon developers
• Denial-of-service attacks that overload your device

So while Kodi itself is perfectly legal, you do need to be mindful of the potential issues surrounding some third-party addons and repos.

Protect Yourself with a VPN

To keep your streaming safe and private, it‘s highly recommended to use a VPN with Kodi.

A VPN will encrypt all of your Kodi traffic so that:

• Your ISP can‘t see or block what streams you watch
• Hackers can‘t spy on your viewing activity
• You avoid any legal heat from questionable streams
• Marketers can‘t profit off your personal data

I compared dozens of VPNs and Surfshark came out as the top service for streaming and Kodi. Here‘s why:

• Lightning-fast speeds – Essential for buffer-free 4K streams. Surfshark averages over 500Mbps across thousands of servers.

• Unlimited devices – Use one account on all your gadgets. Surfshark places no limits.

• Ad and malware blocking – Prevents nasty ads and malware during general web browsing.

• Camouflage mode – Makes VPN traffic look like regular HTTPS to sneak past blocks.

• RAM-only servers – Diskless servers provide enhanced privacy and security. No logs!

• 30 day money back guarantee – Get a full refund if not fully satisfied. You can try it risk-free.

I strongly recommend running Surfshark or another quality VPN anytime you use Kodi. Click here to learn more and get started with Surfshark‘s 2 month free trial.

Wrapping Up

That covers everything you need to get Kodi installed and running on your Mac! Follow this guide and you‘ll be streaming your media library in minutes.

The key steps are:

1. Download Kodi for Mac from the official Kodi site

2. Open and install the DMG file

3. Grant permission to launch Kodi the first time

4. Move Kodi to your Applications folder

5. Launch and enjoy!

And for privacy:

1. Use a VPN like Surfshark anytime you stream

2. Be cautious with third-party Kodi addons

Now grab some popcorn and put Kodi through its paces! Here are some relevant guides for more:

• Must-have Kodi addons to get started with
• Custom Kodi builds for easy setup
• Reset Kodi to factory settings
• Kodi alternatives like Plex or Emby

Happy streaming, and enjoy your awesome new media center!