Smart TVs are usually all about streaming apps, but that’s not where the story ends. There are all kinds of useful TV apps that solve very specific problems. In fact, some of the best apps I tried in 2026 had nothing to do with streaming and everything to do with how I actually use my TV. These apps changed how I browse the home screen, control the TV, use the remote, and even explore new apps.
Control your TV from your phone
One of the things that bugs me most about smart TVs is how clunky everything gets with just a remote. Sideloading apps, managing storage, clearing app caches, and even monitoring performance aren’t exactly quick or convenient. atvTools is a simple app that lets me do it all from my phone.
It lets me manage apps on my TV, capture screenshots, and browse TV files directly from my phone. I can also use the app as a TV remote or gamepad, and it shows me things like TV’s storage, CPU activity, and RAM usage directly inside the app.
The biggest win for me, though, is sideloading. I can simply download the APK on my phone and install it on the TV via atvTools, which saves me the hassle of moving the APK file to the TV. Most of these features are available in the free version, but the paid version isn’t expensive either, at around $2.
tvQuickActions
Make use of those buttons
atvTools is great, but it doesn’t replace the TV remote entirely. I still prefer it for opening apps and browsing stuff. The problem is that my remote isn’t built around how I actually browse, and that’s exactly what tvQuickActions fixes.
It’s a $4 app that lets me remap pretty much any button on the remote, including the ones hardwired to Netflix and Prime Video. Those can be reassigned to whatever streaming apps I actually use instead. And it gets better. It lets me use the same button for different things by remapping their double-tap and long-press shortcuts.
Besides remapping, the app also brings a macOS-style dock, a recent app switcher, a night mode for dimming the screen with a press, and a lot more. It’s easily the best upgrade your TV remote can have.
TVBro
A browser built for a remote
Browsing on a large TV screen seems like a fun idea until you have to remote to type in addresses and navigate pages. Sure, you can connect a keyboard or mouse to your TV, but that’s not always practical.
TVBro is a free, open-source browser that’s specifically designed to be used with a TV remote. It lets you control the browser with simple buttons and voice search so you can get around without losing your mind. And it’s not like TVBro is lacking in features, either. It has bookmarks, incognito mode, ad-blocking, themes, and pretty much everything you’d expect from a decent browser.
Projectivy Launcher
A home screen without the ads
Most default TV launchers feel difficult to navigate because they’re usually cluttered with rows of recommended content and ads you’re not interested in. This also makes it difficult to get to the apps you actually want.
While there’s no shortage of third-party TV launchers, Projectivy Launcher is my favorite because it has pretty much everything I want. The first thing you’ll realize after opening it is just how clean it looks. There are no ads or recommendations taking up space and everything you need is neatly organized into sections like Input, Apps, Settings, System, and more.
The main highlight here is flexibility. You can hide apps, add or remove sections, create app folders, and even customize icons. The same customization applies to the status bar too. Projectivy Launcher even has parental controls for locking down specific apps or the settings menu.
Most of these features are available in the free version of the app, but you can unlock the full experience with a one-time $7 purchase.
F-Droid
An app store that isn’t talked about enough
The apps we’ve talked about so far are all available on the Play Store, but that’s not the only place to get apps for your TV. Third-party stores like F-Droid open up a whole separate catalog for your TV, and what I like about it is that it doesn’t try to relace the Play Store. It’s built entirely around free, open-source apps you won’t find on Google’s app store.
For instance, apps like SmartTube and NewPipe are great for watching YouTube ad-free on your TV, and neither one is ever going to show up on the Play Store. F-Droid makes it easy to discover such apps. Yes, you can also sideload these apps directly, but with F-Droid, it’s much easier to install and update them all from one place.