Make your Google TV appear to be Apple TV with this free app

Like many different streaming platforms, Google TV is step by step getting more durable to tolerate.

Discovering one thing to observe requires wading by way of all types of advertisements and upsells, from the sponsored listings on the prime of the house display screen to a number of rows touting films and reveals for buy. These money-grabs detract from what was once one of many extra helpful streaming TV house screens.

A brand new app referred to as AT4K Launcher gives an answer, with an alternate launcher that shamelessly borrows from the Apple TV interface. With a couple of minutes of setup, you’ll be able to take away the advertisements from Google TV’s house display screen and get a a lot easier menu for apps. When you have a Google TV good tv (from manufacturers like TCL, Hisense, and Sony) or a Google TV streaming participant (like the wonderful Walmart Onn 4K Plus), this free app is at the very least price a glance.

How AT4K Launcher works

AT4K Launcher is an alternate house display screen (often known as a launcher) for Google TV and Android TV units. It lists all of the apps you’ve put in in your good TV or streaming system, however with a special presentation than the default house display screen.

The inspiration is obvious: AT4K Launcher appears to be like almost similar to the app grid on Apple TV streaming containers, with 5 large app icons per row and a carousel of featured content material on the prime. You may reposition apps by long-pressing them and selecting the place you need them to look.

That prime characteristic carousel works equally to Apple TV as properly. Once you spotlight an app within the prime row, it’ll present a listing of issues to observe, seemingly based mostly on Android TV’s advice rows. Clicking a kind of suggestions takes you on to the video.

Jared Newman / Foundry

If an app doesn’t assist house display screen suggestions (equivalent to Netflix), AT4K Launcher’s prime carousel will as a substitute present a “Watch Subsequent” row, with lately watched films and reveals from throughout completely different apps. It’s also possible to disguise the highest carousel fully by way of AT4K Launcher’s settings menu.

AT4K Launcher is free to make use of, with an non-obligatory one-time buy of $5 to unlock some further options, together with customized wallpapers and an choice to have six apps per row as a substitute of 5. Whereas it’s not the one substitute launcher for Google TV units (Projectivy is a well-liked various), I recognize its visible polish and the way in which it handles suggestions.

Jared Newman / Foundry

That mentioned, the app has room for enchancment. The Watch Subsequent row might use its personal devoted app icon, together with an choice so as to add or take away gadgets from it. And maybe long-pressing an icon might reveal extra choices for issues like uninstalling and viewing the app information web page. Not like on Apple TV, there’s no folder assist both. Not less than the developer appears attentive to options and bug reviews on AT4K Launcher’s subreddit.

Changing Google TV’s default launcher

Once you set up AT4K Launcher from the Google Play Retailer, it’ll seem as an app on the usual Google TV house display screen, and also you’ll must launch it manually each time.

That’s clearly not very best. If you wish to exchange the common house display screen with AT4K Launcher, there are a few methods to method it:

The simpler method

The best choice is to remap your distant’s house button so it opens the AT4K Launcher app. For this, I like to recommend a separate app referred to as TVQuickActions, or the non-obligatory Professional model ($4). I’ve written a separate article on organising TVQuickActions, however right here’s the gist:

• Set up the TVQuickActions app in your Google TV system.
• Skip over the Present Overlay and Utilization Entry setup screens until you need to allow some extra superior controls, and skip the battery optimization display screen as properly.
• When prompted to start out the accessibility service, hit “Agree.”
• In your system’s Settings menu, head to Accessibility, then scroll to the button and allow “tvQuickActions.”

Jared Newman / Foundry

• Within the TVQuickActions app, head to Mappings and choose “Add Button.”
• Hit your distant’s House button.
• Set “Button motion kind” to “Common motion.”
• Set “Single press” to “AT4K Launcher.”
• Choose “Double press” or “Lengthy press,” then look beneath the “Motion” tab and choose “Go to house.” (This allows you to return to Google’s default house display screen as wanted.)

Jared Newman / Foundry

Utilizing TVQuickActions to remap your own home button has a few downsides: The usual house display screen will all the time seem when your TV first activates, and also you’ll must hit the again button as a substitute of the house button to exit Google TV’s screensaver mode. Nonetheless, I like that you may simply return to the default house display screen, whose broader suggestions can generally turn out to be useful.

The more durable method

If you wish to totally exchange Google TV’s commonplace launcher, you will need to use a special app referred to as Launcher Supervisor. It’s solely accessible through sideloading and requires further configuration to setup. Superior customers who’re snug with sideloading can comply with these directions:

• Set up Downloader by AFTVnews from the Google Play Retailer.
• Open the Downloader app, then enter 160445 in its handle bar.

Jared Newman / Foundry

• Once you see the warning about putting in unknown apps, hit the “Settings” button
• Allow the toggle for Downloader.

Jared Newman / Foundry

• Hit the “Set up” button when prompted.
• Open the Launcher Supervisor app and choose “Allow Customized Launcher.”
• For those who get a “Connection Failed” message, hit “Open ADB Settings.”
• Within the subsequent menu, activate developer choices and allow USB debugging.
• Return to the Launcher Supervisor app and choose “Allow Customized Launcher” once more.

Jared Newman / Foundry

Now, your Google TV system will all the time load AT4K Launcher at startup and while you hit the house button. If it is advisable entry the default Google TV house display screen once more, simply open Launcher Supervisor and choose “Disable Customized Launcher.”

This story is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of one of the best media streamers.

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