# A 2021 TCL TV, debloated into a fast Android launcher

An open-source home screen and adb scripts that switch off factory bloat on a laggy Android TV, freeing storage and RAM without root.

- Category: Interface (mod)
- Device: [TCL Android TV](https://afterware.xyz/d/tcl-android-tv)
- Made by: [MatheusJorgee](https://github.com/MatheusJorgee) on GitHub
- Original: https://github.com/MatheusJorgee/TvClean
- On Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/a-2021-tcl-tv-debloated-into-a-fast-android-launcher

## Can I build this?

- Difficulty: Beginner
- AI-buildability: 5/5 (Nearly all the work is Java launcher code and PowerShell/adb scripts for a TV you already own, with no root and no hardware changes.)
- Time: A weekend
- Cost: $0
- Parts: Android TV (2021 TCL)
- Tools: adb, PowerShell, JDK 17, Android SDK

Estimates based on the original write-up. How the AI-buildability score works: https://afterware.xyz/ai-buildability

## Build sheet

- Device: 2021 TCL Android TV
- Method: adb + no root
- Language: Java, PowerShell
- Result: ~55% storage used

## Starter prompt

```
Based on "A 2021 TCL TV, debloated into a fast Android launcher" on Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/a-2021-tcl-tv-debloated-into-a-fast-android-launcher

Write a PowerShell script that connects to an Android TV over adb on port 5555 and disables a list of factory packages with pm disable-user --user 0, saving the original state so a -Undo mode can restore it. Include a check that refuses to run on any device whose serial doesn't match the one saved on first use. Then propose a minimal Java home-screen launcher that lists installed apps in a grid.
```

## Story

Cheap smart TVs ship with about 1 GB of RAM and a home screen that pulls ads and recommendations from the internet. On the 2021 TCL this project started on, the disk was 100% full, with 3.8 MB free of 2.5 GB, and Google Play Services alone held 1.2 GB. Opening an app often left a blank screen for seconds.

TvClean is a 249 KB plain-Java launcher for Android TV, plus PowerShell and adb scripts run from a PC. The scripts switch off a model-specific list of factory apps, tune memory, and sweep up leftover storage. A maintenance pass re-applies the tweaks after every boot and every 6 hours. The launcher's home screen shows trending titles from TMDB and the most popular YouTube video, with 18+ content filtered out. Storage went from 100% full to about 55% used, and free RAM in normal use rose from ~105 MB to ~200–380 MB.

If you have a sluggish TV you can't root, the approach is the reusable part: adb over the network, a list of bloat per model, and a launcher that keeps the changes from drifting back. Read the warning first, though. The project disables the screen reader, text-to-speech and voice assistant, so it's not for anyone who relies on accessibility features.

## Resources

- [Repository](https://github.com/MatheusJorgee/TvClean)
- [Latest APK release](https://github.com/MatheusJorgee/TvClean/releases/latest)
- [TMDB API key page](https://www.themoviedb.org/settings/api)

Tags: android-tv, launcher, adb, debloat, no-root, tcl, powershell, java

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