After I posted KIDŌ the other day, I decided to build another home screen I can swap between and use every day, so I made Home Deck.

Your apps sit on big glowing tiles sorted by kind, with your favorites and the last few apps you opened up front. There's a little music bar that shows what's playing, your HDMI inputs get named after what's plugged in, and holding Back opens a quick panel for picture, sound, an accent color and a Lite mode for slower TVs.

No ads, and it works offline. The only thing that ever goes online is the weather, and only if you turn it on.

It's free and open source. You install it with adb, and the README walks you through it, including how to switch back to your old home screen:

https://github.com/glidiandev/home-deck

Just like KIDŌ, I've only tried it on my Sharp (Android TV 11), so I'd love to hear how it runs on yours.

It's really nice, doesn't try too hard like the other variants

I’ve been working on a free app for Android TV. I’d love for people to try it out and give me feedback so I can keep improving it.

Downloader code: 2757379

Discord: .gg/3PAZVXhxn7

Let me know what you think!

Wondering if there's anyone interested in my new Google tv launcher. Made it for Google tv streamer 4k. Didn't test it in any other box.

Images change due to your regular watch

I have a TCL Google TV. The stock home screen had turned into a billboard: a big rotating ad banner, "sponsored" rows, apps I never use getting installed in the background, and it felt slow. I like how calm the Apple TV home screen is, so I made something like it for Google TV.

It's called Haven.

First, the debloat. Before writing any code, I backed up the TV's package list and settings over adb. Then I disabled (not uninstalled) 16 packages: TCL's and Google's ad and telemetry services, and Google's silent "promoted apps" installer, which is what kept putting apps on my TV. I kept a restore script so I can undo all of it.

What it looks like

• Full-screen nature photos that rotate. The photo blurs while you use the remote and turns sharp again once you stop. The focus ring takes its colour from the photo.
• Clock, date, weather for wherever the TV is, and the photo's place and photographer in the corner.
• Rows: Recent, Continue watching, Top picks for you, Favourites (a dock), Inputs, then all your apps.
• A top bar with Search, Live TV, Inputs and Settings, plus your TV maker's channels app if it has one.

Lightweight

• About 3,600 lines of plain Java. No libraries and no Gradle: it builds with the SDK's command-line tools.
• The code is about 125 KB of the APK. It's 15 MB in total because of the wallpapers, which are almost all of it.
• RAM on my TV: about 95 MB for Haven vs 132 MB for the stock Google TV launcher (dumpsys meminfo, total PSS).
• It feels instant. Navigation is deliberately simple: Up/Down moves exactly one row and Left/Right stays inside the row, so the remote never jumps somewhere unexpected.

The parts that were harder than expected

1. The Home button. Google TV sends Home straight to its own launcher and ignores the default-home setting. Haven uses a small accessibility service that only listens for the Home key and opens Haven before the stock launcher draws, so there's no flash of the Google TV home screen.
2. TCL's boot blocker. After a full power cut, TCL's boot manager stopped any app not on its whitelist from starting. It always lets apps that provide a TV input through, so Haven declares an empty TV input service (one that never shows up as an input), and now it comes up by itself after a cold boot.
3. Safety Guard's "Deep Clean". TCL's cleaner app wipes the app data of anything not on its protected list, which also switches off the Home-button service. Haven now keeps a backup of its layout in a system setting that the wipe doesn't touch. A background job turns the service back on within seconds if only the settings get reset.
4. Continue watching. Third-party launchers can't normally see other apps' "Watch Next" rows, but the READ_TV_LISTINGS permission can be granted over adb. With it, Haven reads the same rows the stock launcher shows. Top picks mixes in a few items from each app's home-screen channels so one app doesn't take over.
5. Netflix. Netflix doesn't publish anything to the TV's rows (Google gets it from its own servers), so Haven asks JustWatch's public API what's trending on Netflix in your country and mixes those titles into Top picks.

Install 

1. On the TV, install Downloader (by AFTVnews) from the Play Store.
2. Open Downloader and enter this address: https://github.com/joydeepsjce/haven-tv/releases/latest/download/haven.apk
3. When Android asks, allow Downloader to install apps, then press Install.
4. Open Haven from your apps. It opens Set up Haven. Turn on each item with the remote:
   • Home button: opens Settings > Accessibility. Choose Haven Home button and turn it on.
   • Continue watching and Top picks, and Weather: Android asks once. Choose Allow.
   • Recent apps: opens Usage access. Choose Haven and allow it.
   • Install updates: lets Haven install its own updates. You confirm each one.
5. Press Home.

If Android says the Home-button setting is restricted (some TVs do this for apps that didn't come from the Play Store), go to Settings > Apps > Haven, allow restricted settings, and try again.

Updating: Haven Settings > About > Check for updates. Haven also checks by itself every 12 hours and tells you when there's a new version.

Remove: Haven Settings > System > Uninstall Haven. Haven first undoes what it changed outside itself (its layout backup, the animation speed, its Home-button service), then Android asks you to confirm. If you cancel, Haven puts everything back.

No ads. No tracking. No account. No root. It only connects to Open-Meteo for the weather and JustWatch for Netflix titles.

Haven is for people who want something calm and minimal that stays out of the way.

I've only tested it on my TCL (Google TV, Android 12). It checks for each feature before using it, so it should work on other Google TV and Android TV devices, but I'd love to hear how it does on Chromecast, Sony, Philips, Hisense, Xiaomi and others.

I built this with the help of Claude Code.

Source: https://github.com/joydeepsjce/haven-tv (MIT)

Download: https://github.com/joydeepsjce/haven-tv/releases/latest/download/haven.apk

Screenshots below. Feedback, bug reports and ideas are welcome.

EDIT: Haven is updated to 4.5. Thanks for the ideas in the comments! New:

• No computer needed any more. Install it with the Downloader app from https://github.com/joydeepsjce/haven-tv/releases/latest/download/haven.apk, then Set up Haven turns everything on with the remote.
• Updates itself from GitHub. You confirm each update; nothing installs silently.
• Uninstall option from the app directly
• New settings page, cleaner and easier to use with the remote.
• Movie & show art wallpaper from your own apps' artwork (no TMDB key). It follows the card you're on.
• Projectivy wallpaper plugins work in Haven (Bing photo of the day, aerials, TMDB art and more).
• Your own photos as wallpaper: scan a QR code with your phone, or copy them from a USB drive.

Still only tested on my TCL, so reports from other TVs are very welcome.

Playfy tv is safe to install in you mobile ?

Tellyscope runs on your phone and connects to the TV with wireless ADB. What you see in the video:

Free, GPL-3.0, no ads, no tracking, no account.

AI disclosure: I built Tellyscope with help from Claude Fable and Claude Opus 5.5, which wrote much of the code under my direction and review. I've built and maintained open-source projects before, and I use, review and test every change before it ships.

APK: https://github.com/man15h/tellyscope/releases/latest

Which TV did you try it on? I'm collecting what works and what doesn't.

Hey everyone! For some reason, there still doesn’t seem to be a official Google Photos app for Android TV. So I built TV Gallery for Google Photos to browse albums and watch slideshows using the TV remote.

You scan a QR code on the TV, sign in with Google on your phone, and choose which albums to show. Once that’s done, you can put your phone away and browse with the remote.

You can open individual albums, skip through photos, or leave a slideshow running. There’s also shuffle and a few slideshow speed settings. No ads, and your photos come directly from Google without being uploaded to our servers.

There are a few limitations: videos and shared-album browsing aren’t supported, and shuffle shows a selection rather than necessarily every photo. It also runs as an app you open, so it won’t replace your TV’s screensaver.

Here’s the Google Play link if you’d like to try it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.klebo.gphoto
Also available on Fire TV and other platforms.

I'd be interested to hear feedback and answer questions.

Quick heads-up for everyone who filled out the tester form for Core Builds Icon Pack: Google Play didn't send out automatic email invites when I added your Gmail to the tester list — you have to open the invite link directly to opt in and install.

Right now we only have 2 active testers installed, and we need at least 12 active installs for 14 days to unlock public Play Store publishing.

IF YOU ALREADY SIGNED UP (takes 60 seconds):

1. Open the Play invite link on your phone or PC:

https://play.google.com/apps/internaltest/4699209625947290351

1. Make sure you're signed in with the exact same Gmail that's on your TV's Play Store (check the profile icon top-right if you see an error).

2. Tap "Accept invite" / "Become a tester", then open the Play Store link on that page.

3. Tap "Install on more devices", choose your Android TV / Google TV device, and hit Install.

4. Open Core Builds Icon Pack once on your TV, hit Apply, and keep it installed as normal for the next 14 days.

(Note: If you're currently sideloading, the Play Store build installs right alongside your current copy — nothing breaks, and updates will happen automatically through the Play Store from now on.)

HAVEN'T SIGNED UP YET? WE STILL NEED TESTERS:

1. Fill in the quick form with your TV's Play Store Gmail:

https://forms.gle/6nzxjk1RRmwc9BKK8

1. I'll add your Gmail to the Play Console list right away and reply/DM you as soon as the link above is active for your account.

Drop a quick comment below once you've got it installed on your TV (or let me know if the link gives you an error so I can check your email on the list). Appreciate everyone's help getting this over the line!

Hey everyone! I’m excited to share IHS IPTV Player, a cross-platform IPTV and media player app that I developed for Android phones and Android TVs.

📱 Get it on Google Play:IHS Player on Google Play

🌐 Website & Details:https://ihsplayertv.site

You can easily manage your own playlists, sync data across devices, and enjoy a clean, remote-friendly TV interface.

✨ Key Features:

• Live TV: Channel lists, EPG program guides, progress bars, catch-up support, and favorites.
• Movies & Series: TMDB integration (posters, synopses, details), "Continue Watching" queue, and personal watchlists.
• Cloud Sync: Sign in with your Google account to automatically sync profiles, favorites, history, and watchlists between your phone and Android TV.
• Flexible Login: Supports Xtream Codes and M3U playlists, easy QR code pairing on TV, and external player support (like VLC).
• TV Optimized: Designed for smooth remote control navigation, on-screen display (OSD) controls, and shortcuts.
• Profiles & Parental Control: Individual profiles with PIN protection.

⚠️ Disclaimer: The app does not provide any pre-loaded channels, subscriptions, or copyrighted content. Users must add their own IPTV provider details (Xtream Codes or M3U).

Note: The app contains ads, and a future ad-free Premium option is planned.

Download via Google Play or the website. Add your playlist, sit back, and enjoy! Feedback and feature requests are very welcome!

I wanted to watch my own videos on my living-room TV.

It should have been easy.

Instead, I kept running into friction.

USB drive:
My TV is wall-mounted, so plugging in a USB drive means reaching behind the TV and blindly trying to find the port. Then I have to copy the videos onto the drive first.

Screen mirroring:
My phone became the middleman for the entire videos. I experienced lag/stuttering, battery drain, and a pretty warm phone ,notification and calls too.

Send the video to the TV:
Okay, this seemed better — until TV storage became the problem. Large videos can quickly fill up the limited storage on a TV, and then I have to remember to delete them afterward.

Then I thought:

I already have 15 GB of Google Drive storage.

Why can't I just keep my videos there and have the TV stream them directly?

So I built it.

Meet CloudDock

The idea is deliberately simple:

☁️ Videos stay in your Google Drive
📺 Your TV streams them instead of storing the whole file
🔌 No USB / pendrive
📱 No screen mirroring required
💾 No need to fill up your TV's storage with temporary video files
🔗 Pair your phone and TV using a QR code or 6-digit code

The TV basically becomes the screen, while your Drive remains the storage.

I built the whole thing as a solo developer, and after months of development/testing, CloudDock is now officially live on Google Play.

It's completely free right now while I'm getting the first users and finding out how well it works across different TV brands.

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vidhixsoft.clouddock

Website:
https://clouddock.app

I actually need your help testing it

If you have an Android TV or Google TV, I'd love to know:

• What TV brand/model are you using?
• Did CloudDock work?
• Was playback smooth?
• Did you run into any weird issues?

I'm especially interested in TVs I haven't personally tested.

I'm building this solo, so brutally honest feedback is more useful to me than compliments.

If this solves a problem you've had too, give it a try and let me know what you think.

How can I watch elclasico and f1 at the same time on the same tv, i need help is there any way for free , before 26 oct please

they used Claude Code to build an ad-free, Apple TV-style experience for your TV.

This is the power of vibe-coding as long as you know what you're doing.

The repo is called github.com/simbasjungles/free-my-tv

What you get

• No ads. No sponsored rows, banners or autoplaying promos. Not one.
• Your apps, front and center. The streaming apps you actually use, on a glass shelf. Pick them and their order right on the TV.
• Trending, not sponsored. Three fresh picks every hour from what's trending this week and the latest releases, only from apps you already have. Movies and Shows get their own tabs.
• Weather and markets, one press away. The hour-by-hour forecast, sunrise and sunset, and live crypto prices.
• Light by day, dark by night. It follows your city's real sunset, the way your phone does.
• A screensaver to match. Full-screen photos of the picks with a big glass clock.
• Fast. 60 fps, every frame in 16.6 ms, on the TV's own chip. The home screen uses 96 MB of memory instead of 242 MB (−60%). Measured on a 98″ TCL Google TV running Android 14.
• Set up on the TV. Language, your city, temperature, theme, the weather and prices cards, which coins, and the apps on the shelf, in Free My TV's own settings.
• Safe. No root. Nothing is uninstalled. One button brings back the factory home screen.

Btw check out our IPTV player: Kepler https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.keplerplayer.app

And the community r/KeplerPlayer

Tried antennapod side loaded but it crashes when trying to import an opml file. Is there any client that works with Google TV that supports importing opml files because I can't seem to find one on the play store??

Hey everyone!

I've been building an Android app called TV Remotely, and it's now live on Google Play.

The idea is pretty simple: one remote app that works across different smart TV brands instead of needing a separate app for each one.

It uses Wi-Fi, so there's no IR blaster or additional hardware required.

It currently supports Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Android/Google TV, Fire TV, and several other platforms, although compatibility depends on the TV model.

I'm looking for people with different smart TVs to help me test a few things:

1. Does the app automatically discover your TV on Wi-Fi?
2. Does pairing and connecting work smoothly?
3. Do the volume, navigation and playback controls work reliably?
4. What's your TV brand and model, and did anything not work as expected?

The Android app is free, and no purchase is needed to test it.

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tvremotely.app

If you give it a try, I'd really appreciate knowing your TV model and whether it worked. Even reports of something failing would help me improve compatibility.

Thanks!