Kodi Is Moving Again — Here’s What That Means for You
With Kodi 22 almost here, it’s time to revisit a question we asked back in August: is Kodi dying? Our answer then was that Kodi itself isn’t dead, but the experience most people remember is gone.
Two months later, things are moving again. Kodi 22 “Piers” reached its first release candidate on October 10, and the final version could land any week now. So it’s a fair time to ask: does the new Kodi change our advice?
Short answer: no. Kodi 22 is a genuinely good update to the software. But it doesn’t fix the thing that actually frustrates people — and that’s why we still steer almost every client toward Stremio or Weyd.
What’s New in Kodi 22 “Piers”
Kodi 22 is the first major version in over two years, and it’s nearly finished. Here’s how the release has progressed:
| Date | Release | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2026 | RC 1 | Feature-complete; final release is close |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Beta 2 | 100+ fixes, much better HDR |
| Jun 28, 2026 | Beta 1 | Focus shifts to stability |
| Aug 29, 2025 | Alpha 1 | First public preview |
The current stable version is still Kodi 21.3 “Omega.” The highlights coming in Piers:
- Better HDR and picture quality — improved HDR handling, HDR subtitles, and an upgrade to FFmpeg 9 under the hood.
- Smarter Blu-ray handling — better movie and episode detection for people who rip their own discs.
- Retro gaming upgrades — shaders, RetroAchievements and a cheat engine in Kodi’s built-in game player.
- Android improvements — deep links, fixes for the Back button exiting Kodi unexpectedly, and playback stability fixes.
The name has a nice story, too. The team named version 22 in tribute to Piers, the developer behind Kodi’s default Estuary skin, who passed away in 2024.
There Are Really Two Kodis
This is the part that gets lost in most “Kodi is dead” talk, including, honestly, a bit in our own August article. There are two very different things people mean when they say “Kodi.”
Kodi the software is healthy. The Kodi Foundation is a non-profit team that holds a developer conference every year and ships steady updates. Kodi 22 proves it. If you use Kodi to play your own movie collection, it’s better than ever.
Kodi the streaming add-on scene is a different story. None of the popular movie and TV add-ons come from the Kodi team. They’re built by independent developers, and that world keeps shifting under people’s feet:
- Fen — one of the most loved add-ons ever — is gone. Its replacement, Fen Light, is gone too.
- What’s left is a chain of forks: POV, Twilight, Red Light, Forge and others, each a copy of a copy. Clients often don’t know which one they have, or who’s maintaining it.
- Umbrella is still updated regularly, and credit where it’s due — it’s a good add-on. But one well-run add-on doesn’t fix an ecosystem.
Every time a developer walks away, someone’s box stops working. And that’s the call we get: “Kodi isn’t working.” Kodi is working fine. The add-on it depended on simply isn’t there anymore.
Should You Upgrade to Kodi 22?
Not yet. Our advice for anyone running Kodi today:
- Skip the release candidate. RC builds are for testers. The Kodi team itself says to take a backup first.
- Wait for the final release — then wait a little more. Major Kodi versions have a history of breaking third-party add-ons. When Kodi 19 moved to Python 3, many add-ons never came back.
- Let your add-on developers catch up. Before you upgrade, check that the add-ons you rely on have confirmed support for v22.
- Turn off auto-updates if you can. On some devices Kodi can update itself through an app store. A surprise jump to a new major version is a common way setups break overnight.
If that list sounds like a lot of homework just to keep watching TV, that’s exactly our point.
Whatever App You Choose, Use a VPN
Kodi, Stremio or Weyd, one piece of advice never changes: protect your connection with a good VPN. Every time you stream, your internet provider can see what you’re connecting to. Streaming apps also pull from servers all over the world, and some of them aren’t run by people you’d ever trust with your details.
A VPN encrypts your connection, so your provider and anyone else on the network can’t see what you’re doing. It also keeps your home IP address private from the sites and servers your apps connect to.
We use and recommend IPVanish on every box we set up:
- Unlimited devices. One subscription covers your TV boxes, phones, tablets and computers.
- Fast enough for 4K. It’s built for streaming, so you won’t trade speed for privacy.
- Works where you stream. There are apps for Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV, phones and computers.
- No-logs policy. IPVanish doesn’t keep a record of what you do online.
One warning: skip the free VPN apps. Many of them collect and sell the very data you’re trying to protect. We dug into this in Do You Really Trust Your FREE VPN?
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Bigger Than Kodi 22: The Device Changes Coming in 2027
Honestly, the version number matters less than what’s happening to the devices Kodi runs on.
Google’s sideloading changes. Google now requires app developers to verify their identity before their apps can be installed on certified Android devices — including Google TV and most Android TV boxes. Enforcement started September 30, 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, and expands worldwide (including Canada) in 2027. Google says experienced users will still have a way to install unverified apps, but with more warnings and steps. We covered this in our sideloading crackdown article.
Amazon’s move to Vega OS. New Fire TV Sticks are moving away from Android. Android apps — Kodi, Stremio’s Android version and Weyd included — are built for Android, and Weyd’s own site states it is not compatible with Vega OS. More in our Fire TV article.
What this means for you: the hardware you buy matters more than ever. A setup that “just works” in 2027 starts with the right box today.
Why Stremio and Weyd Are Still Our Pick
For the average person, the best streaming setup is the one you never have to think about. That’s still Stremio or Weyd, paired with a debrid service like TorBox.
| Kodi | Stremio | Weyd | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Paid subscription (7-day free trial, lifetime option) |
| Setup | Repos, ZIP files, add-ons, scrapers | Sign in, install add-ons with one click | Install, pair, add a scraper once |
| Upkeep | Ongoing — add-ons break and get replaced | Low | Low — app auto-updates |
| Devices | Almost everything | Almost everything, synced to one account | Android TV / Google TV and Fire OS 7+ (not Vega OS) |
| Best for | Tinkerers and local media | Most people, multiple devices | People who loved Fen/Umbrella-style menus |
To be fair, neither app is perfect. Stremio was pulled from Google Play and other app stores earlier this year and now installs from its own site. Weyd costs money. But both are run by teams who actually maintain them — and when something does change, it’s one app to fix, not a stack of add-ons from five different developers.
In our hands-on work with clients, that difference is huge: fewer broken setups, fewer support calls, and more time just watching.
Who Should Still Use Kodi?
Kodi isn’t for everyone, but it’s still great for some people:
- Your own media library. If you have movies and shows on a hard drive or home server, Kodi 22 is one of the best players you can get.
- Home theatre enthusiasts. The HDR and Blu-ray improvements in Piers are made for you.
- Retro gamers. The upgraded game player is a fun bonus.
- Tinkerers. If you enjoy setting up repos and testing add-ons, Kodi is still the most flexible app out there.
If you just want to sit down, press play and watch, Kodi is the wrong tool — and that’s okay.
Final Thoughts on Kodi 22
Kodi 22 is a solid release from a team that clearly isn’t giving up. But a better Kodi doesn’t bring back the developers who walked away, and it doesn’t make add-on upkeep any easier. For the average person, Stremio or Weyd with TorBox is still the way to go — and with Google and Amazon changing the rules on devices, getting the right setup now matters more than ever.
Let Us Set It Up for You
This is what we do every day. We’ll help you pick the right device for 2027 and beyond, then install and configure Stremio or Weyd, connect your debrid and Trakt accounts, and make sure it simply works. Already on Kodi? We’ll move you over.
We’ll keep watching Kodi 22 and update this post when the final version ships. Follow our News page for the latest.
A quick note: apps like Kodi, Stremio and Weyd are legal tools, but what you stream with them is your responsibility. Stick to content you have the right to watch.
Sources
- Kodi 22 “Piers” RC 1 — Team Kodi
- Kodi 22 “Piers” Beta 2 — Team Kodi
- Kodi News — Team Kodi
- Android sideloading timeline
- Google sideloading flow for advanced users — AFTVnews
- Weyd official site
- Stremio — app store removals, January 2026
- Kodi add-on status — WirelesSHack
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