🔴BEST ANDROID TV CUSTOM LAUNCHER 2024

TechDoctorUK
13 May 202410:59

TLDRIn the search for the ultimate custom launcher for Android TV devices, the Project IV Launcher stands out as a top choice. It offers a clutter-free interface, eliminating unwanted ads and providing a smooth, responsive user experience. The launcher allows for extensive customization, including creating custom sections, organizing apps into categories, and setting personalized wallpapers. Users can easily adjust the grid layout, tile sizes, and sorting preferences to suit their needs. The tutorial demonstrates how to set up the launcher, customize its appearance, and set it as the default home screen, ensuring users are always greeted with their personalized interface when pressing the home button. The Project IV Launcher is available on the Play Store and offers a premium version for additional features, making it a versatile and user-friendly option for Android TV users.

Takeaways

  • 📺 The best custom launcher for Android TV is Project IV Launcher, which provides a clean interface without ads and allows for extensive customization.
  • 🚀 Users can create custom sections and categories for their applications, making it easier to organize and access their preferred apps.
  • 🎨 Customization options include the ability to change the wallpaper, adjust tile sizes, and modify the appearance of app icons for a personalized look.
  • 🔍 The launcher allows users to hide applications they do not wish to see on the home screen, providing a cleaner and more focused experience.
  • 📂 Users can arrange apps in a grid format and choose the size of the grid tiles, as well as the sorting order based on factors like frequency of use.
  • 🔄 The dynamic color feature automatically changes the wallpaper based on the content of the selected app, providing a visually appealing and dynamic interface.
  • 🌟 Premium features are available for those who wish to support the developer, unlocking additional customization options and enhancements.
  • 🔗 Setting Project IV Launcher as the default launcher ensures that pressing the home button always takes the user back to the customized interface.
  • 🔧 The launcher is easy to configure and does not require complex commands or additional installations, making it accessible for users of all skill levels.
  • 📱 The launcher is available on the Google Play Store and can be easily installed by searching for 'Project IV Launcher'.
  • 🔗 For other devices like Firestick, instructions on how to install Project IV Launcher can be found on the tutorial page at tech.com.

Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of a custom launcher for Android TV devices?

    -The main purpose of a custom launcher is to provide a more personalized and efficient user interface for Android TV devices, allowing users to remove unwanted advertisements, enhance the UI, and customize their home screen with features like custom wallpapers, folders, and the ability to hide applications.

  • Which custom launcher is being discussed in the video script?

    -The custom launcher being discussed in the video script is called Project IV Launcher.

  • How can users create custom sections on the home screen using Project IV Launcher?

    -Users can create custom sections by going to the settings, clicking on the cog wheel, and selecting 'edit categories' or 'edit channels'. They can then create new categories, assign applications to these categories, and customize the appearance of the category tiles.

  • What are some of the customization options available for the wallpaper in Project IV Launcher?

    -Project IV Launcher allows users to customize the wallpaper using dynamic colors, default wallpaper, or selecting from various subreddits on Reddit, such as Earth, astrophotography, wallpaper, big wallpaper, and Botanical.

  • How can users ensure that the custom launcher remains active even after pressing the home button?

    -To ensure the custom launcher remains active, users need to change the default launcher to Project IV Launcher in the settings, then override the current launcher and enable the Project IV Launcher in the accessibility services.

  • How can users adjust the appearance of the application tiles in Project IV Launcher?

    -Users can adjust the appearance of the application tiles by going to the launcher settings, selecting 'appearance', and then customizing the card size, corner radius, and focus card size to their preference.

  • What is the benefit of using the 'last used' sorting option for application tiles in Project IV Launcher?

    -The 'last used' sorting option arranges the application tiles so that the most frequently used apps appear at the start of the list or grid, making them easier and quicker to access.

  • How does the Project IV Launcher handle the visibility of different categories on the home screen?

    -The Project IV Launcher allows users to control the visibility of different categories on the home screen by toggling the 'visible' option for each category in the settings.

  • What is the process for hiding an application from the home screen using Project IV Launcher?

    -To hide an application, users can go to the settings, select the category the app belongs to, and toggle the 'visible' option to off, which will remove the app from the home screen.

  • How can users access the Project IV Launcher on the Google Play Store?

    -Users can access the Project IV Launcher by opening the Google Play Store, using voice command to open the Play Store, and searching for 'Project IV Launcher'. The launcher is available directly on the Android TV app store.

  • What are some of the additional features that users can get by purchasing the premium version of Project IV Launcher?

    -The premium version of Project IV Launcher unlocks additional features such as more customization options for wallpapers and other enhancements, providing users with an even more personalized experience.

  • How does the Project IV Launcher improve the user experience compared to the default Android TV launcher?

    -The Project IV Launcher improves the user experience by providing a cleaner, more responsive interface without sponsored advertisements, offering extensive customization options, and allowing users to override the stock launcher without needing to use ADB commands or install additional applications.

Outlines

00:00

📺 Customizing Android TV with Project IV Launcher

The video introduces a custom launcher for Android TV devices, addressing issues like large home screen advertisements, slow UI, and lack of customization. The host demonstrates the Project IV Launcher, which allows users to create custom sections, hide applications, and fully customize the home screen without seeing Google AdWords. The launcher is shown to be responsive and clean out of the box, with the ability to edit categories, create new ones, and manage apps within those categories. Users can also adjust the grid layout, tile size, and sorting order to suit their preferences.

05:00

🖼️ Personalizing the Android TV Interface

The host continues by guiding viewers on how to customize the Android TV interface further with the Project IV Launcher. This includes creating additional sections for utilities and organizing apps into categories like streaming services. The launcher allows for dynamic color highlighting of app tiles, which changes based on the app selected. The host also shows how to set a custom wallpaper from Reddit and adjust the appearance of app tiles, including corner roundness and size. Finally, the video explains how to set the Project IV Launcher as the default home screen, ensuring that the device stays within the custom launcher when the home button is pressed.

10:02

🛒 Installing Project IV Launcher on Android TV

The video concludes with instructions on how to install the Project IV Launcher from the Play Store, enabling users to enhance their Android TV experience without the need for complex ADB commands or additional applications. The host provides a straightforward method to search for and install the launcher, and also mentions that instructions for other devices like the Fire Stick will be available on their tutorials page. The host encourages viewers to share their thoughts on the launcher and looks forward to future interactions.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Custom Launcher

A custom launcher is a software application that provides a user interface for managing the applications on an Android TV device. In the context of the video, it refers to a third-party launcher that offers more customization options and a better user experience than the default launcher. The video discusses how to use a custom launcher to enhance the Android TV home screen, making it more personalized and free from unwanted advertisements.

💡Android TV

Android TV is a version of the Android operating system designed specifically for televisions. It allows users to run various applications and games directly on their TV, turning it into a smart TV. The video focuses on enhancing the user interface and functionality of an Android TV device through the use of a custom launcher.

💡Home Screen Advertisements

Home screen advertisements refer to the promotional content that appears on the main screen of a device. In the video, the speaker expresses dissatisfaction with these ads, which are often considered intrusive and detract from the user experience. The custom launcher mentioned in the video is used to eliminate these advertisements and provide a cleaner, more user-friendly interface.

💡UI (User Interface)

User Interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and computers occur, including the design of computer-operated devices, computer-controlled production processes, and the user's interaction with these processes. The video discusses the 'slow clunky looking UI' of the default Android TV launcher and how a custom launcher can provide a more streamlined and visually appealing UI.

💡Customization

Customization refers to the process of adapting a product or service to better suit a customer's needs or preferences. In the video, customization is a key feature of the custom launcher, allowing users to personalize their Android TV home screen with custom wallpapers, folders, and the ability to hide applications. The speaker demonstrates how to create custom sections and adjust the appearance of the launcher to fit individual preferences.

💡Project IV Launcher

Project IV Launcher is the specific custom launcher application featured in the video. It is designed to provide Android TV users with a more personalized and efficient home screen experience. The video demonstrates how to set up and use Project IV Launcher to organize applications into custom categories, change the wallpaper, and adjust the appearance of the launcher's tiles.

💡Notification Access

Notification Access is a permission that allows an application to view and interact with system notifications. In the context of the video, granting notification access to the Project IV Launcher is a step in the setup process that enables the launcher to function correctly and provide its features.

💡Dynamic Colors

Dynamic Colors is a feature that allows the color scheme of the user interface to change dynamically based on the content displayed. The video mentions this feature in relation to customizing the wallpaper of the Project IV Launcher, where the colors of the launcher can adapt to the dominant colors of the chosen wallpaper.

💡Subreddit

A subreddit is a specific online community within the social media platform Reddit, where users can submit content, such as text posts, links, images, and videos, which are then voted upon by other community members. In the video, the speaker uses a subreddit (r/wallpapers) as a source for dynamic wallpaper options within the Project IV Launcher.

💡Accessibility Services

Accessibility Services are features within Android that assist users with disabilities or impairments in using their devices. In the video, enabling Accessibility Services for the Project IV Launcher is a step to ensure that the custom launcher remains the default even after navigating away from the home screen, providing a consistent user experience.

💡Override Current Launcher

To override the current launcher means to change the default launcher that the Android TV device uses when the home button is pressed. In the video, the speaker guides viewers on how to set the Project IV Launcher as the default launcher, ensuring that the customized home screen remains in place even after opening and closing other applications.

Highlights

Looking for the best custom launcher for Android TV to avoid large home screen ads and a slow UI.

Customization options include custom wallpapers, folders, and the ability to hide applications.

The Project IV Launcher allows for a clean, ad-free home screen with customizable sections.

Create custom sections by editing categories and channels within the launcher.

Hide unwanted categories or applications for a more streamlined home screen.

Adjust the size and sorting of application tiles for a personalized layout.

The launcher dynamically changes the highlight color based on the application for a visually appealing interface.

Customize the wallpaper with dynamic colors or choose from a selection of Reddit wallpapers.

Adjust the appearance of individual tiles, including corner roundness and size.

Ensure the custom launcher is the default by changing settings in the Android TV system.

The Project IV Launcher is easy to configure and does not require ADB commands or additional applications.

The launcher is available directly on the Android TV app store for easy installation.

Instructions for installing the launcher on other devices are available on the tutorial page at tech.com.

The launcher provides a snappier and more responsive experience out of the box.

Use voice commands to open the Play Store and search for the Project IV Launcher.

The launcher allows for customization of the background and the appearance of the tiles.

The launcher can override the stock launcher without the need for complex technical steps.

The Project IV Launcher enhances the Android TV user experience with its customization and organization features.