CleanYourTV: your TV, minus the ads
CleanYourTV removes the ads, sponsored rows and preinstalled junk from Android TV and Google TV over Wi-Fi, then swaps the cluttered home screen for a clean, Apple TV-style launcher. No root, nothing uninstalled, and one command to undo it. This unofficial wiki explains how it works, how to use it on your TV, and how to put everything back.
213 TV models tested by contributors, with 213 ready-made debloat lists. Works on Android TV and Google TV. Not for Samsung, LG or Roku.
How to use CleanYourTV Is my TV supported?
The code, prompt and lists are on the official GitHub repository. This site hosts no files.
What is CleanYourTV?
Smart TVs keep adding ads: sponsored rows on the home screen, promoted apps, "Discover" pages and analytics services that run in the background. CleanYourTV is an open-source toolkit that turns most of that off. It talks to the TV over the network with Android’s standard debug bridge (ADB), disables the packages that serve ads and telemetry, and installs a small replacement home screen.
The project began on October 17, 2026, when its developer posted a before-and-after photo of his parents’ TV, cleaned up with Claude Code. The post reached millions of views, people tried it on their own TVs, and their results became the lists in the repository. It is now one of the most-starred new projects on GitHub.
How CleanYourTV works
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Back up | The list of installed packages and settings is saved before anything changes. |
| 2. Disable | Ad services, content rows, telemetry and preloaded apps are turned off with pm disable-user. Nothing is uninstalled. |
| 3. Install | A native launcher of about 445 KB is built on your computer, installed and made the default home screen. |
Because the junk differs from brand to brand, the official prompt has your AI coding assistant find it on your TV and ask before it touches anything you might use. If someone has already tested your model, their list skips that discovery step.
CleanYourTV at a glance
What you need
- An Android TV or Google TV set, box, stick or projector. The launcher needs Android 8.0 or newer.
- A computer on the same Wi-Fi as the TV (Mac, Windows or Linux).
- An AI coding assistant with shell access: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex or Gemini CLI. Or skip it and run the scripts yourself.
- USB debugging switched on in the TV’s developer options. The step-by-step guide shows where.
Find your TV
Or search the full list of supported TVs. Not listed? It will most likely still work, because the prompt discovers the bloat on your set.
What you get
- A dark, quiet home screen with a dock of your favourite apps, a large title for the focused app and a soft glow in its colour.
- Your other apps in a grid one press down, with a single glass highlight that moves between tiles.
- Inputs, network and settings buttons, with HDMI ports shown under the names you gave them.
- A clock screensaver that drifts so nothing burns in, plus themes you can push without rebuilding.
- No sponsored rows, no analytics, no network permission for the launcher itself.
Things to know first
- It does not block ads inside apps. YouTube ads stay. A private DNS resolver can cut some in-app ads; see the safety page.
- Firmware updates can undo it. Most lists disable the updater; if an update lands anyway, the check tool puts the list back. See restore and updates.
- Some features may go. Disabling the voice assistant costs the mic button; on Google’s own devices disabling the setup wizard costs phone casting. The prompt asks you first.
- Close debugging when you are done. Network ADB is unencrypted. The launcher keeps working without it.
CleanYourTV questions
What is CleanYourTV?
CleanYourTV is a free, open-source project that removes the ads and preinstalled clutter from Android TV and Google TV sets over Wi-Fi, and replaces the stock home screen with a small launcher styled after the Apple TV. It was started in October 2026 by a developer known as Gathin, and was called tv-vibehack until October 19.
Is CleanYourTV free?
Yes. It is MIT licensed and costs nothing. What you may pay for is the AI coding assistant you use to run it, such as a Claude, ChatGPT (Codex) or Gemini plan. You can also run every step by hand for free.
Do I need root?
No. Nothing is rooted, flashed or uninstalled. Packages are disabled for the user profile with Android’s own tools, and a restore script turns them back on.
Does it work on Samsung or LG TVs?
No. Samsung uses Tizen and LG uses webOS, which have no Android debug bridge. The project lists two community webOS ports and notes on Tizen, and the separate Free My TV project targets LG and Samsung too. See alternatives.
Does it work on Fire TV?
Partly. The debloat works, but Fire OS will not let a third-party launcher take the Home button. See the Fire TV page.
Can I download a CleanYourTV APK?
No. The project ships no prebuilt APK on purpose: the install script builds the launcher on your computer in about a minute, so you control what goes on your TV. Any site offering a "CleanYourTV APK" is not from the developer.
How long does it take?
About fifteen minutes with an AI coding assistant and the repository as context, according to the project. Doing it by hand takes longer the first time.
Can I undo it?
Yes. One restore command brings back every disabled package and the original home screen. See how to restore your TV.