Install OpenVPN Connect on Firestick

Having installed OpenVPN Access Server on my VPN, I now want to install the OpenVPN client on my Firestick so that I can access my apps and files securely.

Although the app is not hosted on the Amazon App Store, it's fairly straightforward to do. You will need to install the following apps too, though:

• Downloader
• ES File Explorer
• Mouse Toggle

If you haven't done so already, already, check out this article, which shows how to download and install the  'Downloader' and 'Mouse Toggle' apps.

OK. So let's get started.

 

Step 1. Download The OpenVPN Client App.

The first thing we need to do is open the Downloader app.

 

Highlight the Browser tab and tap the Select button.

 

Press the Nav Ring on the remote to move right, move the cursor up to the address bar, then press Select.

 

Enter the url bit.ly/3XlvVwF (it's a lower case 'L' after '3X') to go to the OpenVPN Connect page of the apkmirror site.

 

Consent to the Cookies or Manage the Options as appropriate.

 

Scroll down the page until you find the available versions. Select the latest version. At the time of writing this, the latest version is 3.3.0.

 

This opens the page for the version you have chosen.

 

Scroll down until you find the button See Available Downloads. Select the button.

 

Typically there are five variants of each version. Scroll down and Select the download icon corresponding to the armeabi-v7 variant.

 

Frustratingly, this is not a link to a direct download; it opens the download page for the variant you have chosen.

 

Scroll down and Select the button 'Download APK'.

Remember to avoid the large green 'Download' buttons !

 

Once the APK has downloaded, select Install.

 

 

 

Select Done when it's finished installing.

 

Delete the download file.

 

Confirm Delete.

 

Now go back to the Home page by pressing the Home button, or using the Back button.

 

 

Step 2. Upload an OpenVPN Configuration file.

This is by far the easiest way to connect your Firestick to an OpenVPN Access server and your VPN service provider should be able to provide you with one if they don't already provide their own VPN app.

If, like me, you're hosting your own VPN access server, you can check out my article 'Install OpenVpn Access Server' which covers how to create the file. 

 

We will need the app, ES File Explorer for the next part. If you haven't already downloaded it, you can get it from the App Store or using the search feature on your Firestick.

 

If you are opening the app for the first time, you will get this screen. Agree to allow the app to read and edit in the storage area of your Firestick.

 

Allow access to photos, media and files.

 

Agree to the Terms & Conditions.

 

You don't need the Premium version of the app for this, so highlight the close icon at the top right, and press the Select button on the remote

 

Now we're in the app, we're ready to go.

Highlight and Select the Local menu item on the right of the screen.

 

Select Internal Storage

 

In the right hand pane, you will see all of the folders on your Firestick.

We are going to create a new folder called Openvpn to store your OpenVPN profile configuration file[s].

Highlight and select New at the bottom of the page.

 

Select Folder.

 

Press Select again to open the virtual keyboard so we can rename the folder.

 

Rename the folder (I've used Openvpn, but you can name it anything you like), and select Next.

 

 

 

And there you will see your new folder in all it's glory. The Firestick has recognised the name and automatically associated it with the OpenVPN Connect app by adding the OpenVPN logo.

We now need to enable file uploading from the computer, so select the Home tab on the right of the screen (there are two - you need the one with the Home icon).

 

Find the icon View on PC, and select it.

 

By default, access to the Firestick via FTP is blocked. We need to switch it on. by selecting the TURN ON button.

 

Now you have a FTP address you can send the file to.

 

Move to your PC and open Filezilla. Open the Site Manager and create a New Site.

1. Set the Host to the numbers before the colon in the IP address shown in ES File Manager. This usually takes the form 192.168.x.x
2. Set the port to the number shown after the colon.
3. Set the Login Type to Anonymous.
4. Make sure the Protocol is set to FTP - File Transfer Protocol.

Then click Connect.

 

Click OK. Although the connection is 'not secure', we will turn the ftp function off again as soon as we are done.

 

Open the Openvpn folder on the Remote Site, then find and transfer the .ovpn configuration file from your PC  to the Firestick.

 

You can now close your Filezilla connection on the PC and TURN OFF FTP access on your Firestick.

 

Select the Internal Storage tab on the left of the screen

 

Select the Openvpn folder to open it.

 

Select the configuration file.

 

Here, you're being prompted to select the app to open the file with. Scroll down the page to find OpenVPN Profile.

 

Select OpenVPN Profile to get a check mark against it.

 

Select either Always or This Time Only. it doesn't really matter.

 

This opens the OpenVPN Connect app. As it's the first time, we need to Allow access to photos, media and files.

 

Next, we have to agree to the Data Collection, Use and Retention policy.

Unfortunately, the Firestick remote won't allow you to select the Agree button. This is where the Mouse Toggle app comes in.

Double tap the Play/Pause button to put the remote into mouse mode.

The cursor is quite faint and hard to spot on a light background (like this one), so you may have to search around for it a little. Moving it around can help if you're having problems seeing it.

 

Move the cursor over the Agree button and press the Select button (You will have to use the menu and fast forward buttons to scroll the page up and down if you want to read the whole thing first).

 

Select OK to import the profile.

 

Select the Connect after import checkbox and then select the ADD button to add the profile.

 

Mouse mode doesn't work on this dialog box, so we have to return to remote mode.

Single tap the Play/Pause button on the remote and allow two or three seconds delay then use the remote direction buttons to highlight and select the OK button.

 

 

 

And that's it! Your VPN is set up to automatically switch on each time your Firestick boots up.

You can turn off the VPN if you want to run an app that is geolocation dependent and detects that you are running a VPN simply by [putting the remote into mouse mode and] toggling the button in the top left to Off.

Do remember to switch this back on again, though, because when autoloading on startup, the app remembers the previous connection status and will remain off until you switch it back on again.

 

You can use a browser or other third party app to check your IP address with and without VPN to make sure it is working as it should.

I use the IP Tools app which is available for free from the App Store.