FrameDrop: Sideload onto your Frame

Drop an APK, a Linux ARM64 zip, or a Windows build. FrameDrop pairs with Steam Frame and puts it in the library.

A sideloading client

FrameDrop is the client that puts software on your Steam Frame without a store listing. Sideloading just means you pick the file on your PC, and FrameDrop copies it to the headset and adds a Steam shortcut.

How to use

1. Turn on developer mode

On the Frame, open Steam Settings → System and enable Developer Mode. A Developer page will show up in Settings after that.

2. Pair the headset to your PC

Keep the Frame and your PC on the same Wi-Fi. On the headset: Settings → Developer → Pair new host. On the PC, open FrameDrop and click Pair, then confirm the prompt on the headset. You only do this once. After that, Connect is enough.

3. Two ways to sideload

Drop a file or folder into FrameDrop. Or, if a developer puts a FrameDrop button on their site, click it — FrameDrop opens and starts the install.

Never install something you do not trust. If a website button opens FrameDrop, the app will ask if you are sure before anything is installed.

4. What you can install

Android (APK). Phone-style apps. The Frame needs an ARM64 build, or a universal APK that includes ARM64.
Linux. Programs built for the Frame, often in a zip. Prefer ARM64.
Windows (.exe). PC programs. They run through Proton, which has to already be on the headset.

When it finishes, start it from Steam on the Frame.

Shipping your own software? Host the build, add a button, let FrameDrop do the install.

Documentation