How to Fix Kodi ‘Could Not Install Dependency’ Errors in 2026

Kodi’s “Could not install dependency” error is one of the most common installation failures in 2026, and it almost always traces back to a single root cause: the add-on or repository you are trying to install depends on a Python module that is incompatible with the Kodi version on your device. The fix is straightforward, the prevention is to stick with official repositories, and the long-term answer is to ask whether the add-on causing the error is worth troubleshooting at all.

Below is the diagnostic flow and the cleanup checklist, plus the candid note that many readers searching this error are mid-installing a sketchy add-on that we would steer away from regardless.

TL;DR

The pick: The fix that works most often: ensure your Kodi version is the official current release, then clear ~/.kodi/temp and ~/.kodi/userdata/Database/Addons27.db.

Runner-up: For Python 2 vs Python 3 mismatches: upgrade to Kodi 20 Nexus or later; older add-ons that still target Python 2 will fail and there is no fix on the user side.

Skip if: Skip add-ons from third-party builds or “all-in-one” configurations; that is where almost every dependency error in our reader mail originates.

Why the error happens

Kodi add-ons declare dependencies in their addon.xml file, and the dependencies are themselves add-ons that have to be installable. If any dependency’s version requirement is not met by your Kodi’s catalogue, the parent add-on fails to install.

The most common modern trigger is Python 2 versus Python 3. Kodi 19 (Matrix) and later use Python 3; add-ons written for Kodi 18 or earlier that still target Python 2 cannot install. The user-side fix is to find a Python 3 fork of the same add-on or to abandon it.

Step one: update Kodi

Open the Kodi website and confirm you are on the current stable release (Kodi 21 Omega as of 2026). Older builds, especially Kodi 18 and earlier, are increasingly incompatible with current add-on dependencies.

If you are on Android, install from the Play Store rather than sideloading; the Play Store version stays on the latest stable. On Windows and Mac, download from kodi.tv directly.

Step two: clear the temp and database files

Close Kodi entirely. Navigate to the userdata folder (~/.kodi/userdata on Linux and Mac, %APPDATA%\Kodi\userdata on Windows, Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi/userdata on Android). Delete the temp folder and the Addons27.db file. Restart Kodi.

Kodi will rebuild the add-on database on next launch. The rebuild often resolves stuck dependency entries from previous failed installs.

Step three: check the dependency itself

Open the Kodi log file (under userdata/kodi.log) when the error happens. Search for the word “dependency.” The line above the error names the specific module that failed. From there you can decide whether to find a working fork or to give up.

Common culprits: the older script.module.urllib3 (replaced by a Python 3 version in Kodi 19), script.common.plugin.cache, and various script.module.requests forks.

The honest framing

If you are trying to install a third-party add-on for streaming content you do not have a license for, the dependency error is the symptom; the underlying problem is the add-on itself is poorly maintained because legitimate developers do not stake their reputation on it.

Official add-ons from the Kodi repository (the one already configured in the app) almost never throw this error. If you are installing something from an outside repository and hitting the wall, that itself is a signal.

The setup, step by step

1
Confirm Kodi version

Open the website, ensure you are on the current stable.
2
Clear cached add-on data

Delete the temp folder and Addons27.db from userdata.
3
Restart and try again

Kodi rebuilds the database on launch.
4
Check the log file

kodi.log identifies the specific dependency that failed.
5
Consider the add-on source

Official repository add-ons rarely throw this; outside repositories often do.

Important: Be careful with third-party Kodi builds and “all-in-one” configurations. Beyond the legal grey area for many of their add-ons, they routinely ship with outdated dependencies that produce the exact error this guide is fixing. The cleanest Kodi setup is the official binary with official-repository add-ons; that combination almost never hits this problem.

FAQ

Will reinstalling Kodi fix this?

Often, yes. A clean reinstall on Android via Play Store, or a fresh download on desktop, resets the userdata and resolves stuck dependency states. Back up your library first.

Can I downgrade Kodi to make an old add-on work?

Technically yes, but you trade dependency errors for security and stability issues with an unmaintained build. Updating the add-on or finding a successor is the cleaner answer.

Is there a one-click fix for this?

No. Every Kodi forum that claims one is usually pointing you at a sketchy build. The five-step diagnostic above is the actual answer.

Bottom line

Kodi’s dependency error in 2026 is almost always solved by updating to the current stable, clearing the cached add-on database, and reading the log file for the specific module that failed. If the failing add-on comes from an unofficial repository, that is itself the answer: switch to the official repository where the error rarely happens. Skip the all-in-one builds; the dependency error is one of several reasons they are not worth the install.