If you’ve used Google TV for a while, you probably know how frustrating the software can get. Every time I turn on my TV, I’m greeted by recommendations, sponsored content, and a home screen that feels more interested in promoting things than helping me find something to watch. And when I finally open YouTube, more ads are waiting.
I’ve put up with all of this for years, but recently, I realized I was spending more time tolerating these annoyances than I should. That’s when I started wondering if there was a better way, and that curiosity eventually led me down the rabbit hole of sideloading apps onto my Google TV using a USB drive.
The Play Store isn’t the only way in
A few clicks unlocked a lot
Sideloading apps on Google TV is much easier than you might think. It essentially lets you install apps that aren’t available on the Google Play Store, and in my case, that’s exactly what I needed. I wanted to try SmartTube, an alternative YouTube app, and getting it onto my TV was straightforward. All I needed was a FAT32-formatted USB drive, the X-plore File Manager app, and the SmartTube APK.
I started by downloading X-plore File Manager from the Play Store on my TV. Before I could install the APK, though, I had to enable Developer Mode. To do that, open Settings on your TV, go to System, then select About. From there, scroll down to Android TV OS Build and click on it seven times to unlock Developer Mode.
With that out of the way, I switched to my PC, downloaded the stable SmartTube APK from its official GitHub repository, and copied it to my USB drive. I then plugged the drive into my TV, opened X-plore File Manager, found the APK, and selected it to install. Google TV prompted me to allow installations from X-plore, and once I granted permission, SmartTube was ready to go.
And that was pretty much it. The whole process took just a few minutes, and I had SmartTube running on my TV without jumping through too many hoops.
YouTube, but without the interruptions
Now, I don’t really have a problem with the official YouTube app on Google TV. It works well, and I’ve been using it for years. What I do have a problem with, though, is the constant stream of ads. Sometimes I just want to sit back and watch a video, but before I can even get to it, ads can stretch to nearly two minutes. Of course, I could pay for YouTube Premium and be done with it, but I wanted to fix this annoyance without spending anything.
That’s where SmartTube has made a real difference. It’s a free, open-source alternative to YouTube that removes video ads altogether. But what I like even more is its integration with SponsorBlock. You know those sponsored segments where a creator takes a minute or two to talk about a product before getting back to the actual video? SmartTube can skip those automatically, too.
The best part is that I haven’t had to give up the things I actually like about YouTube. I can still pick up videos from my history and watch all the familiar content I enjoy. There’s plenty more to explore, too. SmartTube supports HDR playback, picture-in-picture mode, and extra video-quality controls.
There is one small catch, though. Since SmartTube isn’t available on the Play Store, it doesn’t receive updates through Google Play like other regular apps. Instead, it has a built-in updater that lets me know when a new version is available. It hasn’t been much of a hassle for me, but keep in mind if you’re used to all your apps updating automatically.
My Google TV learned to mind its own business
Projectivy brought some much-needed peace
While sideloading SmartTube fixed my YouTube ad problem, one annoyance remained: Google TV’s home screen. Thankfully, I found a workaround, and this time I didn’t even need to sideload anything.
I started using Projectivy Launcher, available directly on Google Play, and it has made my TV feel less chaotic. Instead of filling the screen with recommendations and promotional banners, it shows me the apps I actually use. I can also customize the layout in Projectivy’s settings, so I can arrange everything the way I like.
And that’s what I appreciate most about this setup. I don’t have to scroll past content I don’t care about just to find the app I want. I turn on my TV, pick what I want to watch, and get straight to it. It’s such a simple change, but after putting up with Google TV’s busy home screen for so long, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
A little caution goes a long way
If you’re planning to sideload apps on your Google TV, I’d strongly recommend one thing: be careful where you download them from. I always stick to official websites or trusted GitHub repositories. Once you have the right file, installing it is pretty straightforward and usually takes just a minute or two. It’s also worth checking for updates regularly, since sideloaded apps don’t always update through the Play Store.
For me, the little effort was absolutely worth it. With SmartTube and Projectivy Launcher, I’ve gotten rid of two of my biggest frustrations with Google TV without spending a penny. My TV still does everything it did before, but now I can actually enjoy using it without constantly dealing with ads and unwanted recommendations. And really, isn’t that how watching TV should feel?