12 Google TV Hacks to Get More From Your TV | GTV Tricks

Black Joseph

Written and tested by Black Joseph

Updated October 27, 2026

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Your Google TV can do far more than stream. The best features are hidden in menus, and nobody tells you they’re there.

These 12 simple hacks will change how you use your smart TV, from unlocking apps outside the Play Store to speeding up menus and limiting ad tracking.

No technical experience needed. Just follow the steps. They work on TVs running Google TV, including Sony, Hisense, TCL and Philips.

Let’s find out.

⚡ Start Here

New to Google TV? You’ll find tons of hacks here. Not sure where to begin? These three hacks will take your experience to the next level.

Start with

Then try

📋 Jump to all 12 hacks

1. Unlock Developer Options to Install Any App

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Developer options enabled on Google TV

This is the master key. Hidden inside your Google TV settings is a Developer options menu. Turning it on is the first step to installing apps from outside the Google Play Store, which is also known as sideloading.

It’s a built-in Android feature, so there’s nothing to hack or modify. You just unlock a menu that’s hidden by default.

📋 How To Do It

01From the home screen, open Settings in the top right corner.
02Go to System > About.
03Scroll down to Android TV OS build and click it 7 times in a row.
04A message confirms that you are now a developer.
05Press Back. Developer options now appears in the System menu.
06Open the Apps tab and install Downloader by AFTVnews from the Play Store (see Hack 2).
💡 Pro Tip: Once Downloader is installed, enter the code XXXXXX to open a page with a full library of apps to choose from.

2. Install Apps Outside the Play Store with Downloader

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Downloader app on Google TV

Downloader is a free app that lets you download and install apps with a short code or a web address. It’s the easiest way to add apps that aren’t in the Play Store.

After you enter the code, you’ll be able to install APKs. If you use our Master code XXXXXX you’ll see 100+ apps organized into categories such as sports, IPTV players, kids apps, streaming apps and VPNs.

📋 How To Do It

01Open the Downloader app and enter the code XXXXXX in the URL box.
02Choose a category, scroll down and select the app you want.
03Wait for the APK file to download.
04When asked, select Settings, find Downloader and enable Allow from this source.
05Click Install, then Done.
06Select Delete and confirm it again to remove the APK and free up storage.
💡 Pro Tip: You can find the installed app in your Apps menu. If it doesn’t appear on the home screen, see Hack 3.

3. Find Hidden Apps with Sideload Launcher

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Sideload Launcher on Google TV

Some sideloaded apps install correctly but never show up on the Google TV home screen, because they don’t include the launcher icon that the interface needs. System apps like the Google Play Store can also be hard to reach.

Sideload Launcher shows a simple list of practically every app on your TV, so you can open any of them in a few clicks.

📋 How To Do It

01Open the Apps tab and use search to look for Sideload Launcher.
02Select the app and click Install.
03Open Sideload Launcher once it’s installed.
04Scroll through the list and select the app you want. It opens right away.
05Look for shortcuts to system apps such as the Google Play Store.
💡 Pro Tip: No extra app? Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps, then select Show system apps to see system apps like the Play Store.

4. Speed Up Menus with Animation Settings

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Animation scale settings in Developer options

If your Google TV feels laggy, you can make it feel much quicker by shortening the animation settings. This doesn’t increase the processing power of your TV, but menus and transitions happen faster, so navigation feels more responsive.

📋 How To Do It

01Turn on Developer options first (Hack 1).
02Go to Settings > System > Developer options.
03Scroll down to Window animation scale and change 1x to 0.5x.
04Do the same for Transition animation scale.
05Do the same for Animator duration scale.
💡 Pro Tip: Want to go further? See our full guide on how to fix a slow Google TV.

5. Free Up Storage and Clear the Cache

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Storage settings on Google TV

When your Google TV runs very low on storage, apps and system processes have less room to work, which can slow everything down. Try to keep at least around 1 GB free.

📋 How To Do It

01Open Settings and select Storage.
02Select Internal shared storage and check Available storage.
03Uninstall apps you haven’t used for a while. Select the app, choose Uninstall and confirm.
04Go back to Storage and select Free up storage.
05If you see Clear cache, select it to remove temporary files.
💡 Pro Tip: Clearing the cache removes temporary files. It normally doesn’t delete your account information or important app data.

6. Protect Your Streaming with a VPN

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Surfshark VPN on Google TV

Your Google TV can show your internet provider everything you stream. A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a server in another location, so your activity stays private.

Surfshark VPN is our top choice

📋 How To Do It

01Sign up for a VPN plan on the provider’s website using your phone or computer.
02Open Downloader (Hack 2) and enter the code XXXXXX.
03Select the VPNs tab, choose Surfshark and click Download.
04Install it, then delete the APK file to free up space.
05Open Surfshark from your Apps, log in and tap Allow when asked to set up a VPN connection.
06Choose a server location and click Connect.

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💡 Pro Tip: Use the Fastest Server option for everyday streaming. It picks the nearest server automatically for the best speeds.

7. Replace the Home Screen with a Custom Launcher

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Projectivy Launcher on Google TV

The default Google TV home screen is full of recommendations and promoted content. A custom launcher lets you clean it up and arrange it your way.

Projectivy Launcher is a popular, customizable option. Menu names can vary a little between TV brands.

📋 How To Do It

01Enable Developer options first (Hack 1).
02Search for Projectivy Launcher in the Google Play Store and click Install.
03Install both Projectivy Launcher and the Projectivy Plugin.
04Go to Settings > System > Accessibility > Projectivy Launcher, enable it and select OK.
05Go back to Settings, select Apps > Special App Access > Notification Access and turn it ON.
06Open Projectivy. Tap Allow, then Yes, then Get Started.
07Go to Projectivy Launcher Settings > General and turn on Override Current Launcher.
💡 Pro Tip: If the Home button stops working properly after switching launchers, use Button Mapper (Hack 9) to remap it to Projectivy.

8. Watch YouTube Without Ads

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SmartTube on Google TV

The default YouTube app can be full of ads. SmartTube is a free, open-source YouTube client with a TV-friendly interface. It also includes SponsorBlock, which skips sponsored segments inside videos.

📋 How To Do It

01Make sure sideloading is enabled (Hack 1).
02Open the Downloader app.
03Enter the code XXXXXX and select the IPTV Media Player tab.
04Scroll down, select SmartTube Next and click Download.
05When it finishes installing, open SmartTube and start watching. You don’t need to sign up.
💡 Pro Tip: In SmartTube’s settings, enable the AV1 codec if your TV supports it. It can improve streaming quality, especially in 4K.

9. Remap Your Remote Buttons with Button Mapper

Button Mapper on Google TV

Your remote probably has dedicated buttons for streaming services you never use. Button Mapper lets you reassign them so they open the apps you actually want, toggle subtitles or launch SmartTube instead of YouTube.

📋 How To Do It

01Install Button Mapper from the Google Play Store. The free version works well.
02Open it and grant Accessibility access when asked.
03Select the button you want to remap, for example the YouTube button.
04Choose Single Press > App Launch and pick your preferred app.
05Optionally, set a Long Press action for a second shortcut.
06Test the button. Changes apply right away.
💡 Pro Tip: Remap the Home button to your custom launcher and set another button as an app drawer shortcut, so nothing gets buried.

10. Limit Ad Tracking in Your Privacy Settings

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Limit Ad Tracking

Google TV uses an advertising ID to personalize the ads you see in apps. You can’t switch ads off completely, but you can reset or delete that ID so apps can’t keep building a profile around it.

📋 How To Do It

01From the home screen, open Settings.
02Select Privacy.
03Select Ads.
04Choose Reset advertising ID to swap your current ID for a new one.
05Or choose Delete advertising ID to remove it. Press the D-pad down twice to highlight the option, then press Select.
💡 Pro Tip: Deleting the ID doesn’t assign a new one, and you can create a new one later. Menu names can vary slightly between TV brands.

11. Swap the Screensaver for Aerial Views

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Aerial Views screensaver on Google TV

The default screensaver is a dull slideshow. Aerial Views is a free app that plays 4K aerial footage of cities, coastlines and mountains while your TV is idle.

📋 How To Do It

01Search for Aerial Views in the Google Play Store and install it.
02Go to Settings > System > Ambient mode (or Screensaver, depending on your TV).
03Select Aerial Views as your screensaver.
04Set the screensaver timer. Between 5 and 15 minutes works well.
05Open the Aerial Views app and pre-download footage over Wi-Fi.
💡 Pro Tip: Download a few videos in advance so the screensaver plays from local storage, with no buffering or loading delays.

12. Use Your Phone as a Remote

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Google TV remote on a phone

Your smartphone can replace the physical remote. The Google TV app gives you a keyboard for searching, a touchpad for faster navigation and voice control. It also helps if the remote dies or goes missing.

📋 How To Do It

01Install the Google TV app on your iPhone or Android phone.
02Make sure your phone and TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.
03Open the app and tap the Remote icon at the bottom of the screen.
04Select your TV from the list. It’s discovered automatically.
05Use the touchpad, keyboard and voice button just like a physical remote.
💡 Pro Tip: Pair a Bluetooth keyboard directly with your TV for the fastest typing, especially if you search a lot.

Final Thoughts

Your Google TV is a full Android-based platform that a large community loves to customize. With a few settings and free apps, it can feel much faster, cleaner and more useful than it does out of the box.

Bookmark this page and work through the hacks one at a time. Every step builds on the last, and your streaming experience will never be the same.

Stuck on a step? Leave a comment below and we’ll help. For safer streaming, Surfshark VPN is our recommended choice.