Experiment · Android TV

I cleaned up my TV

By your Pohlare · 3 min read

The idea: a clean TV without bloatware

I have a 55-inch Philips running Android TV and wanted to get rid of the bloatware: preinstalled apps, recommendation rows and services that sit there without anyone asking for them. I wanted a clean, simple TV with only what I actually use.

Philips Android TV with a custom home screen after removing bloatware: a full-screen photo, the clock and a dock with Netflix, YouTube, SVT Play, TV4 Play, Viaplay and Disney+.
This is what the custom home screen looks like on the TV right now.

I did it together with Claude, in one afternoon, against a real TV in the room. The inspiration was CleanFrame, a project that gives a Samsung The Frame a calmer home screen. My TV is a Philips running Android TV, so I had to do it my own way.

The plan: a custom home screen and disabled apps

Two things, and neither touches the system itself:

  • A custom home screen (launcher) that I install with adb and set as the TV's Home screen.
  • Disabling the ad and tracking apps. Disabled, not deleted, so everything can be undone.

How to remove bloatware from an Android TV

  1. Turn on developer options on the TV (tap the build number seven times under About) and then USB debugging.
  2. Connect from your computer with adb.
  3. Build a custom home screen as a small app. Claude helped me, and it works without Android Studio.
  4. Make it the TV's home screen.
  5. Disable the apps you don't want.

1. Connect to the TV

adb connect <TV IP address>:5555

2. Make the app the home screen

adb shell cmd package set-home-activity <your.package>/.MainActivity

3. Disable an app (reversible)

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 <package name>

Turn it back on

adb shell pm enable <package name>

If the TV only answers "unauthorized": revoke the USB debugging authorizations, switch USB debugging off and on, and unplug the TV from the wall for a while.

A custom home screen on Android TV

It's simple on purpose: a full-screen photo, the clock, a frosted dock with the apps I actually use, and white logos to keep it calm. The background is my own photos. With the remote you move sideways in the dock, press OK to open, and hold OK to change which apps sit there.

Getting rid of bloatware and ads

I went through all the apps on the TV and disabled ads, tracking, demo modes and preinstalled apps I never use. Everything I disabled was written down, so I can turn it back on. I left the system parts alone: the tuner, inputs, remote control and Ambilight.

Before you try it yourself

Varning

Only do this on your own TV. Disable apps instead of uninstalling them, don't run commands you don't understand, and never run adb reboot bootloader on a Philips with this platform. Owners have reported that the TV can soft-brick.

This applies to a Philips running Android TV 8.0. Other TVs have different app names, so start by only reading what is installed.

Inspiration

  • CleanFrame – The Samsung app that inspired the look.
  • TV Detox – The Android model for the home screen and disabling apps.
  • yath/tpm171e – Notes on the Philips platform.

Got an idea that's too fun to be a project? Tell me, and let's have a look.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I remove bloatware from an Android TV?

Turn on USB debugging, connect with adb and run pm disable-user --user 0 on the apps you don't want. The app is hidden and stopped without being deleted, and you can turn it back on with pm enable.

How do I change the home screen on an Android TV?

Install a custom launcher with adb and set it as the Home screen with the command cmd package set-home-activity. You don't need to remove the stock home screen.

Can you replace the operating system on a Philips Android TV?

Not realistically. The bootloader is locked and the firmware is signed, and the tuner, HDMI, Ambilight and remote all live inside the manufacturer's Android build. You can change the home screen and disable apps, though.

Is it safe to disable apps with adb?

pm disable-user hides and stops an app without deleting it, and it can be undone with pm enable. Just don't disable system apps you don't recognise.

Do I need Android Studio?

No. The SDK's command-line tools are enough, plus adb to install the app on the TV.