123 movies was a very popular streaming platform that used to stream movies and TV shows for free without any proper license. It was called illegal because it used to make copyrighted content available without a proper license. Hence, their original 123movies website was shut down in 2018.
Not only this, after its closure, many websites emerged as its proxies, which were the best source to watch movies for free, including 123 Movies, GoMovies, Go Stream, MeMovies, and 123MoviesHub, which was being operated in Vietnam.
There are still many copycat websites active.
This article will guide you on legal apps and channels instead of the illegal streaming platform “123movies” that allows you to stream movies and TV shows legally for free.
Before we proceed further, let us know a little more about the 123movies free app.
123 Movies App
123 movies app was a great source to stream free movies for those who are always searching for free content on the internet, like getting free food without spending anything. But this is illegal, and you can get a huge fine or punishment for this.
In 2018, the 123movies app was named one of the most famous illegal sites in the world by the Motion Pictures Association of America.
There was a time when 123Movies was not declared illegal; it was a huge source of watching movies online for free, and millions of people were always sitting on its website.
Till then, also consider it one of the best Kodi add-ons to watch free online movies on your Kodi-compatible Android devices.
Due to the paucity of time, people look for something other than cable for entertainment, where the 123movies app and many other Kodi addons have up as a good source.
123 Movies History
123Movies was a site that was said to be the best option for users to watch movies online for free. Soon, it became a site where millions of people started watching films for free every day.
As we mentioned above, 123 Movies was completely shut down in 2018 as it was providing copyrighted content for free, which is illegal. The site changed its name several times, including 123movies.is, gomovies.to, gomovies.is, gostream.is, memories.to, and 123movieshub.to/is.
Despite going through such bad times, the network is still active through clone sites. To read in-depth about its ups and downs, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/123Movies.
The Ultimate 123Movies Alternatives
You should always choose legal and safe streaming services to watch movies and TV shows. Here are some popular and legitimate alternatives to 123 movies:
Like the streaming apps mentioned above, there are many other apps out there that you can use to stream content legally and safely without putting your device and personal data at risk.
Nature of 123Movies App
- Illegal and Unofficial: There is no official app by the name of 123Movies that legally provides copyrighted content. If you find any app with the name “123 Movies” on the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone), it is considered illegal.
- Links to Mirror Sites: These apps often link to illegal 123Movies mirror sites or clones. This means that they don’t host their content, but instead redirect you to websites where pirated content is streamed.
- Security Risks: These apps are fraught with security risks:
- Malware and Viruses: On such sites or apps, you will find malicious ads, pop-ups, and fake links that can infect your device with malware.
- Phishing Scams: Using illegal apps can make you a victim of phishing scams, where your personal information is stolen.
- Data Theft: Your browsing history, IP address, and even financial information could be stolen.
- Poor Experience: Often, a lot of unwanted advertisements appear, which spoil the viewing experience.
Can we download the 123 Movies app on Roku and Fire TV Devices?
No, you can’t install the 123movies app directly on your Roku and Fire TV device as it has been declared illegal in 2018 and can not be placed in any app store.
Let’s be a little open about it.
- As all users might know that Roku and Firestick are popular and best-selling streaming media devices.
- But, there is no option to download and install third-party apps directly on both devices.
- It means that you will not be able to install any third-party app directly on both devices, and installing illegal apps is also prohibited.
What will you do in case you want to install any third-party legal app?
- As we mentioned above, there is no way to install third-party apps directly on both devices.
- So let’s know what to do to install legal third-party apps on Roku and Fire TV Stick.
- There is a jailbreak option available on FireStick. Once you enable it, you can sideload any legal third-party app on it, but this is not the case on Roku.
So, how do you stream legal third-party apps on Roku?
- Roku has kept screen mirroring in the Roku TV device by not adding a jailbreak feature.
- You can mirror content from any app installed on your other device by enabling screen mirroring mode on Roku.
Now the question is how all this will happen. For which we are providing the best explanation here.
How to Mirror Content From Legal Third-Party Apps on Roku
As we said above, third-party free streaming legal sites that are not available on the Roku Channel Store require you to enable screen mirroring mode on your Roku device to mirror content from them.
To know how to do all this, read all the information given below.
Step One: Jailbreak (Enable Screen Mirroring) your Roku Device
- Go to the Home Page of your Roku Player and select the Settings option
- After that, go to the System menu and click
- Then click the Screen Mirroring option
- After that, you need to click Screen Mirroring Mode
- Then, Enable Screen Mirroring Mode on your Roku Device
After Screen Mirroring Mode is enabled, you have to go to Step Two, Install Kodi on Roku
Step Two: Install Kodi on Roku using Android
Before we begin, you need to make sure that your Android Phone and your device are working on the same Wi-Fi network. After that, follow these given steps:
- Go to your Android Phone and open the Google Play Store to download Kodi
- After downloading, go to the Settings option on your Android Mobile
- Then select the Display option
- After that, choose Wireless Display and select your Roku Device name
- Then you are ready to launch Kodi on your Android Device
You are all set to enjoy Kodi on your Roku Device with these five steps above.
Now, you need to download and install a legal third-party add-on on Kodi. To do this, follow the steps below:
Step Three: Download 123Movies Addons
- After launching Kodi on your Android device, go to the Settings option
- Then Tap File Manager
- After that, select the Add Source option and click None
- Then type the URL from where you want to download a legal third-party Addon
- After downloading, you have to install a zip file
- After completing all the steps, go to the Videos Add-ons and select the app to launch
After completing all the above steps carefully, you will be ready to enjoy free movies through the third-party add-on.
Note that you can’t install it directly on your Roku TV and have to install it as a third-party Kodi Addon.
How to Download and Install Third-Party Apps or Add-ons on Amazon Fire TV Stick
As we have mentioned many times above, we can’t install any third-party apps directly on the Fire TV Stick. Therefore, you need to jailbreak your Firestick before streaming free content on third-party apps. Follow these instructions to learn how to do it:
Step One: Jailbreak Your Fire TV Stick
- From the Home Page of your Firestick, go to Settings first
- Then click My Device (My Fire TV)
- After that, you need to select the Developer option
- You have to see the option “Apps from Unknown Sources,” Turn on
With this last step, “Turn on Apps from Unknown Sources,” your Amazon Fire TV Stick Device will be jailbroken. After that, let’s go to the next step: download “Downloader.”
Step Two: Download “Downloader”
- After turning on Apps from Unknown Sources, go back to your Home Page
- Then select the Search option
- After that, you can type “Downloader” or search by a remote voice button and speak Downloader
- Select Downloader from the appearing list
- Then click on Download
- After downloading “Downloader,” click Open
- Then, allow Downloader to access photos, media, and files on your device
- After that, click Ok
Step Three: Download Kodi
Kodi is one of the best sources for watching free content online through its available add-ons. Today, we will download the legal add-on to watch free content on the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Before downloading the third-party add-on, you have to install Kodi. To download Kodi on Firestick, follow these steps:
- After downloading the Downloader, please open it and type Kodi.TV/download
- Then select Android
- After that, Downloading starts automatically
- Then click Install
- After installing it, click Done
Step Four: Download the Addon using Kodi
- Open Kodi and select Settings
- Then select File Manager
- After that, click Add Source and click None
- Then type your trusted URL to download the Kodi Addon
- On the Next page, type the Name of the Media Source and click OK
- After that, click the Back option
- Now you reach on Kodi Home Screen, then select Addons
- Now you have to install a zip file
- After completing all the steps, go to the Videos Add-ons and select the addon to launch
After finishing all the steps, enjoy free movies on your Fire TV Stick device. You can also check the Free Movie apps for Firestick.
How To Download 123 Movies APK
Although we don’t provide any information about downloading any illegal third-party app and streaming content on it, you can learn here how to install the APK of any app.
- First of all, you have to go to Google and write the APK along with the name of the app, like “Netflix APK”.
- After that, open any legal site and click on its APK link.
- THE APK will start downloading, but it will first ask you to enable your device to allow the app to be downloaded from any unknown sources.
- After enabling it, downloading starts, and then the app is ready to download.
Is 123Movies Legal or Safe?
123Movies is neither legal nor safe to stream content, as it was declared illegal in 2018 for providing content illegally without any license.
- We should not use 123Movies or any of its clones or apps.
- Using illegal apps can increase the risk of your device getting malware and having your personal information stolen.
We don’t encourage the use of any pirated and illegal content.
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We have always prioritized legal streaming. So, avoid streaming on illegal sites. Yes, you can find their valid alternatives.