Questions people ask

Nothing is flashed, rooted or deleted; packages are disabled in the user profile. The risk is disabling something the TV leans on, which is why lists are applied in small batches with a restore script ready. The TV's own Settings → Apps page can re-enable packages even without the tools. If the TV no longer starts far enough for that, a factory reset from its recovery menu is usually the way back.

More: docs/faq.md

The updater is left on in most lists, so firmware updates arrive as usual. Some lists disable the TV's own updater, and on those a firmware update arrives only when you re-enable it. When one does land it installs over the cleaned-up system, so a package comes back and you re-run the script: see After a firmware update.

Streaming apps still update through the Play Store, which is left alone. The launcher just lists what is installed and launches it with intents that have been stable for a decade.

Hold OK on Settings (top right) and choose Reorder apps. OK picks an app up, the arrows move it, Back places it, and Back again finishes. Holding OK on a tile also offers Move (tile_menu, on by default), which picks that app up straight away. More: docs/launcher.md

Yes, over a private Tailscale link instead of the same Wi-Fi: either Tailscale on their TV, shared with you, or a computer or Apple TV at their home routing to it. Never by opening the ADB port on their router. Step by step in docs/REMOTE.md.

It is one explicit "allow this computer" tap on the TV, the same as developing an Android app. Network ADB is plaintext on port 5555, and on some firmware any device on the LAN gets a shell, so close it when you are done:

1. On the TV: Developer options → turn USB debugging, Network/ADB debugging and Wireless debugging off, whichever the TV has, and revoke the USB debugging authorisations.
2. Reboot the TV, then confirm the port is gone from your computer: python3 tools/adb-closed.py <tv ip> must say the port is closed.

The launcher keeps working without debugging. More, including checking Wireless debugging's own port: docs/faq.md

Partly, with Android's Private DNS (Android 9 and newer). Point it at an ad-blocking resolver such as AdGuard DNS and every app's ad and tracker domains stop resolving, system-wide, surviving reboots. The trade-off: that resolver then sees every DNS query the TV makes, and it does not remove YouTube ads.

More, with the two commands and how to switch back: docs/faq.md

A few, and they need no ADB: the advertising ID, Location, Usage & diagnostics and Scanning always available, plus Apps only mode where the stock launcher stays. Flip Usage & diagnostics before the debloat; on some TVs its page goes with it.

More, with the paths for Google TV, Android TV and Fire OS: docs/faq.md

Not from this repo. Chromecast built-in stays for Android phones. For iPhones, jqssun/android-airplay-server works; an install script for it is in PR #84.

Build it with the one-line script in Doing it by hand; it takes a minute and you control what goes on your TV. That needs the JDK and Android SDK named there. No prebuilt binaries.