Best Google TV launcher replacement: Projectivy setup guide
Google TV's home screen has a problem that Google shows no signs of fixing: it keeps getting more cluttered. Free channel promotions, recommendations from services you've never opened, a Shop tab, ads throughout, and now an AI-curated Shorts tab rolling out to some devices, per MakeUseOf this month. None of it is meaningfully removable through Google's own settings, according to Android Police.
The fix has gotten considerably simpler. Projectivy, the leading Google TV launcher replacement, now installs directly from the Play Store. No terminal commands required for most users.
This guide covers whether switching makes sense for your setup, how to install and configure Projectivy using both the Play Store and ADB methods, what you gain and give up, and how to handle the complication Google has already introduced once.
Prerequisites:
- A Google TV device (Chromecast with Google TV, Google TV Streamer, TCL, Hisense, or similar)
- A Google account signed in with the Play Store working normally
- A TV remote and about ten minutes
- For the ADB method only: A computer on the same Wi-Fi network and basic comfort with running terminal commands
Why the default launcher keeps getting worse, and why now is the moment to replace it
Google TV is a content-first platform by design. Its home screen aggregates streaming recommendations across services rather than putting your apps one button-press away, as XDA Forums noted last month. In practice, that philosophy fills the interface with free TV channels you didn't ask for, suggestions from apps you may never open, a Shop tab, and ads across nearly every section none of which Google's own settings let you meaningfully remove, per Android Police.
Performance takes a hit too. Even navigating between sections on the stock interface isn't particularly smooth, and autoplaying video previews add sustained visual clutter throughout, according to Android Police. Projectivy runs nothing in the background beyond a static wallpaper if you choose one, per MakeUseOf.
Google has also begun pushing an AI-curated Shorts tab to some Google TV devices, MakeUseOf reported this month. Read that as a signal about where the interface is heading, not a one-time addition.
The timing argument for switching: until fairly recently, any meaningful change required ADB, developer options, and disabling Google's system packages. Most users stopped there. Projectivy changed that by adding an Accessibility-based Home button override that works without touching a command line, according to Android Police. That's what makes this a practical option for a much wider range of users than it used to be.
Switch if: You navigate directly to apps most of the time, you're annoyed by ads or unsolicited recommendations, or you want a home screen that loads faster and stays quiet.
Don't switch if: Google TV's cross-service content discovery is genuinely how you find things to watch, or you'd rather not manage a setup that the occasional firmware update can disturb.
What Projectivy delivers, and what you're trading away
Projectivy is a minimal, ad-free launcher built for Android TV and Google TV. Multiple reviewers describe navigation as noticeably faster than the stock launcher on identical hardware. That's experiential rather than benchmarked, but the impression is consistent across coverage from MakeUseOf and Android Police.
The four changes that affect daily use most: no ads anywhere on the home screen, an app-first layout with no content rows you didn't place there, a Home button that goes directly to Projectivy, and navigation that reviewers consistently describe as snappier than the stock experience. Beyond that baseline, you can adjust icon sizes, build custom app rows, switch sections to grid view, add HDMI input shortcuts, and enable a real-time hardware monitor, per MakeUseOf. None of that customization is required to see the improvement.
What you keep: Google Assistant and Gemini run as a system overlay, not inside the launcher itself. Pressing the Assistant button on your remote still works, including voice search, content lookup, and smart home controls, per MakeUseOf. Every streaming app is unaffected.
What you give up: the integrated "what to watch" feed. Google TV's cross-service recommendation rows, assembled from your viewing history, don't exist in Projectivy. You'll navigate into individual apps instead. For users who rely on that discovery layer, Projectivy doesn't replace it.
Pricing: The core launcher is free and covers everything most users need, including layout control, Home button binding, boot-on-launch, and a backup/restore feature that lets you export your configuration and load it onto other Google TV devices in your home. A premium upgrade, under $10 and tied to your Google account across all devices, unlocks 4K UI scaling, multiple profiles, display calibration tools, and custom wallpapers, according to MakeUseOf. One note: Android Police describes icon pack support as requiring a "premium subscription," while MakeUseOf describes the premium tier as a one-time purchase. Check the Play Store listing before buying, as the structure may have shifted between those reviews.
One caveat on the backup feature: layout configuration restores cleanly across devices, but premium visuals like custom wallpapers won't apply on a device that doesn't have premium activated, per MakeUseOf. The structure carries over; the cosmetics don't.
How to install Projectivy and set it as your default launcher
Method 1: Play Store install (recommended)
This method requires no computer. It uses Android's Accessibility permission to intercept Home button presses, meaning Google TV stays installed but Projectivy steps in front of it. It's also fully reversible: disable Home Button Override and turn off the Accessibility service in settings, and the stock launcher resumes control immediately.
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Open the Play Store on your Google TV device. Search for "Projectivy Launcher" and install it. (MakeUseOf)
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Open Projectivy. When the setup flow requests Accessibility permission, grant it. Then navigate to Settings → Accessibility → Projectivy and toggle the service on. This is what allows the app to intercept Home button presses and redirect them away from the stock interface.
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Enable two settings inside Projectivy: Boot on Power, which loads Projectivy when the TV turns on, and Home Button Override, which sends Home button presses to Projectivy instead of Google TV. Both are required for the full replacement experience, per Android Police.
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Press the Home button. Projectivy should now load as your home screen.
If it reverts to Google TV: Go to Settings → Accessibility → Projectivy. Toggle the service off, wait a few seconds, then toggle it back on. This resets the permission state and restores the override for most users, according to MakeUseOf.
Method 2: ADB disable (advanced)
Use this if you want an override that doesn't depend on Accessibility permission staying intact through firmware updates. It removes the stock launcher entirely rather than stepping in front of it, which makes it more durable. The trade-off is reversibility: re-enabling the disabled packages requires ADB access again, so keep your setup ready. Test on one device before rolling this out across multiple TVs.
Enable Developer Options: Go to Settings → System → About and press the Build entry seven times. In Developer Options, enable both USB debugging and Wireless Debugging, then select "Pair device with pairing code." Note the IP address and port shown on screen. (Celso Azevedo)
Pair your computer: With your computer on the same Wi-Fi network as the TV, run:
adb pair [ip]:[port]
Enter the pairing code when prompted.
With Projectivy already installed, run these two commands to disable the stock launcher packages:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tungsten.setupwraith
(Celso Azevedo)
Reboot the TV. With no stock launcher available, the system falls back to Projectivy. To reverse this later, reconnect via ADB and run the same commands with enable replacing disable-user.
How to undo the launcher switch
Method 1 (Play Store) is straightforward to reverse. Open Projectivy's settings and disable Home Button Override. Then go to Settings → Accessibility → Projectivy and toggle the service off. The next time you press Home, Google TV resumes control. Projectivy stays installed and can be re-enabled the same way if you change your mind.
Method 2 (ADB) requires going back into the terminal. Connect your computer to the TV via ADB using the same pairing process as before, then run:
adb shell pm enable --user 0 com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx
adb shell pm enable --user 0 com.google.android.tungsten.setupwraith
Reboot the TV. The stock Google TV launcher returns. This is why keeping your ADB setup accessible matters: it's the only path back in after a package disable.
The stability risk: what Google updates can break and how to handle it
Earlier this year, a Google TV firmware update disrupted Projectivy's Home button override on some devices. After the update, pressing Home returned users to the stock interface rather than Projectivy. The app itself kept working; it just no longer launched automatically, as Android Authority reported in March.
The disruption wasn't universal. Several users on the same thread reported no issue at all, and toggling the Accessibility permission off and back on restored normal behavior for many affected devices, though not all, per Android Authority. Coverage from earlier this month describes the same toggle workaround as effective, suggesting the situation has settled for many users, according to MakeUseOf.
The honest framing: this is a mostly reliable setup carrying some maintenance risk. Google controls the platform and can adjust system-level permissions with any firmware update. The Accessibility-based override operates within that perimeter. The ADB method is more durable because removing the stock launcher packages eliminates that variable entirely. The trade-off is that it's harder to undo.
Practical response: Learn the Accessibility toggle workaround before you need it. Once you've done it once, it takes under a minute. If a future update breaks the override and the toggle doesn't fix it, the ADB disable method is always available as a fallback.
Ten minutes, a cleaner TV, one trade-off to know about
Most users should start with the Play Store method. It's reversible, requires no additional hardware, and for the vast majority of Google TV devices it works exactly as described. If you've had a firmware update disrupt things before, or you simply want a more permanent solution, go straight to ADB.
Either way, what you end up with is a home screen with no ads, no autoplaying content rows, and faster navigation to the apps you actually use. Google Assistant, Gemini, and every streaming service work exactly as before, per MakeUseOf and Android Police. The free tier covers everything most users need. Premium adds display calibration and visual customization for under $10, account-wide.
The known risk is specific: firmware updates can break the Home button override, and the toggle workaround doesn't resolve it for every affected device, as Android Authority documented. Know the fix before you need it. Given the direction Google TV's home screen has been taking, the motivation to swap launchers isn't going away.
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