Tired of ads and a sluggish interface on your Android TV? This article details you how to regain control of your device, like a $300 (CAD) NVIDIA Shield, by customizing the home screen and removing unwanted clutter like those massive ads.
Some YouTube videos and articles online suggest disabling Google/Android services, but this can lead to instability and security risks. Instead, we’ll use a custom home launcher. While a free open-source option, FLauncher, was good, its behaviour with repeated back button presses or pressing the home button would go back to the stock ad filled launcher (original home screen) was inconvenient.
The solution is Projectivity Launcher, a non-open source custom launcher that’s fast, responsive, and highly customisable. It allows you to add or remove rows, create a favourites section, and rearrange apps. You can also customize the wallpaper and app sizes. It provides a clean, minimalist, and personalised experience.
Projectivity Launcher offers extensive control, preventing accidental returns to the stock Android home screen. Repeatedly pressing the back button does nothing, and the home button is remapped to the custom launcher. This functionality is enabled through the app’s settings menu, specifically by activating the “Override current launcher” option under “General.”
For full control, you must enable the launcher’s accessibility service. This is done by going to the Android settings, navigating to “Device preferences,” then “Accessibility,” and finally enabling “Projectivity Launcher.” Once this is done, go to the accessibility service features in Projectivity Launcher settings turn “Show Accessbility Settings” to “Yes” and “Enable Button Remapping”. The home button should never revert to the stock launcher, giving you complete power over your device’s interface.
