HOME SCREEN
How to Customize Your Android TV Home Screen
A simpler Android TV Home starts with the apps you actually use. Before changing launchers, see what you can organize with the remote you already have.
Start with the built-in Home settings
Open your TV’s Home settings and look for channel or preview controls. On Android TVs that expose them, you can change which channel rows appear and turn off audio or video previews. Menu names and available controls vary; Google explicitly notes that these settings are not on every Android TV. See Google’s Home screen customization guide for the built-in options.
Choose a short list of everyday apps
Decide which apps everyone in the household opens most often. Keep the order consistent rather than changing it every week. A smaller selection makes it easier to say “the second app” when helping someone with the remote.
Separate the appearance of an app from whether it can run. Hiding a tile is a layout choice; disabling a package affects the app itself. A cleaner Home does not require disabling streaming apps or essential TV services.
When a different launcher makes sense
A custom Android TV launcher changes the Home experience. It does not replace your subscriptions, fix a provider’s playback support or make a streaming app share its viewing progress. Look for clear compatibility information and a way to return to the previous Home before changing your setup.
Where TVPilot fits
TVPilot is an Android phone companion for setting up a simpler TV Home. Its development implementation lets you choose up to four installed dock apps, arrange them and customize the Home title and colour. Changes are reviewed before Apply and recorded for Restore.
The app checks the TV’s actual firmware before enabling changes; support is not determined by the Android TV name alone. Read TVPilot compatibility and the setup guide before planning an installation. The public Android APK is still awaiting release.