How to change the launcher on Android TV and Google TV and make it the default
The launcher on Android TV shows the home screen that the Home button and turning on the TV open. A third-party launcher installs like any app but does not become the default by itself, because Google’s stock launcher has a higher Home priority. On Android TV the stock launcher is disabled over debugging; on Google TV it must not be disabled, and the Home button is caught by an accessibility service. SolaTV does both on its own with the “Make default” button, without a computer or root.
What a launcher on Android TV is
The launcher draws the TV home screen: app rows, recommendations, the bar with the clock and network. On Android TV 8–11 it is usually Android TV Home, on newer devices Google TV, and some Xiaomi TVs have their own PatchWall. Third-party launchers such as Projectivy Launcher, FLauncher, ATV Launcher and SolaTV replace this screen with their own.
There are usually three reasons to switch. The stock launcher fills the home screen with recommendations and promoted rows, runs slowly on budget boxes and does not let you arrange apps your way. Separate launchers add what the stock one lacks: SolaTV, for example, combines the home screen with an IPTV player and a TV guide.
Why Home opens the stock launcher
Android picks the home screen by the priority that the app declares. On Google TV, Google’s launcher has priority 2, the setup recovery screen has 1 and any third-party launcher has 0. That is why the Home button still leads to the stock screen after a new launcher is installed, and Google TV 14 settings have no home app choice.
The simple fix “disable Google’s launcher” does not work on Google TV. In SolaTV tests on a Xiaomi box with Google TV 14, disabling only the launcher sent Home to the recovery screen, which could not bring the launcher back, and the system looped and crashed. Android does not allow disabling only the recovery screen, and disabling its whole package on the same box cut off Wi-Fi.
| Method | Works on | What you need | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disable the stock launcher over adb | Android TV | A computer, “USB debugging” | On Google TV 14 the system loops |
| An accessibility service catches Home | Google TV and Android TV | A launcher with its own service, such as Projectivy or SolaTV | The service turns off if the app is force-stopped |
| Remap the Home button | Google TV and Android TV | A separate app such as Button Mapper | One more app and service in memory |
| “Make default” in SolaTV | Android TV and Google TV, Android 8.0 and newer | Turn on “USB debugging” once | Undo with the “Restore” button |
The first three methods are chosen by hand for a specific device. SolaTV detects the system itself: on Google TV it turns on its service, on Android TV it disables the stock launcher.
How to make SolaTV the default launcher
SolaTV becomes the home screen from its own settings in five steps. No computer is needed: SolaTV uses debugging on the TV itself.
- Install SolaTV: the methods are in the guide “How to install apps on Android TV”.
- Open SolaTV settings with the gear on the home screen, the first item “Default launcher”, and press “Make default”.
- If debugging is off, turn it on: “Settings → System → About”, press OK seven times on “Android TV OS build”, then “Settings → System → Developer options → USB debugging”. On Android TV 9–11 the same items are under “Settings → Device Preferences”. The “Developer options” button in SolaTV opens the right screen directly.
- In the “Allow USB debugging?” window tick “Always allow from this computer” and press “Allow”.
- Check the line under the description: “Now: SolaTV is the default launcher.” The Home button and turning on the TV now lead to SolaTV.
Under the hood “Make default” connects to the device’s own debugging and sets SolaTV as the home screen. On Google TV it disables nothing: the SolaTV service turns on, catches the Home button and opens SolaTV over Google’s home screen. The service does not read the screen and does not touch other Google screens, so movie cards from Google voice search open as before. On Android 13 and newer SolaTV lifts the “restricted settings” block that Android puts on apps installed outside the store.
On Android TV SolaTV disables the stock Android TV Home, Google TV and Leanback launchers, and the previous launcher if it is a stock one. SolaTV remembers everything it disabled so it can bring it back.
How to restore the stock launcher
The “Restore” button in the same “Default launcher” item undoes everything SolaTV did: it turns off its service, re-enables the disabled launchers and sets the previous launcher as the default again. After that SolaTV can be uninstalled or kept as a regular app.
If SolaTV was uninstalled without “Restore”, nothing needs to be done on Google TV: Google’s launcher was never disabled and opens on Home again. On Android TV a command from a computer re-enables the disabled launcher, for example for Android TV Home:
adb shell pm enable com.google.android.tvlauncher
For Google TV the same command takes com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx, for the old Leanback com.google.android.leanbacklauncher.
If Home opens Google TV again
On Google TV the SolaTV service turns off after the app is force-stopped: Android removes accessibility services of stopped apps by itself. A force stop comes from the “Force stop” button in Android settings and from memory cleaner apps that stop programs forcibly.
- Open SolaTV from the app list and press “Make default” in its settings again: the service turns back on.
- Remove SolaTV from memory cleaner lists if such apps are installed on the TV.
- Do not press “Force stop” for SolaTV in “Settings → Apps → All apps”: that button is what turns the service off.
Android TV does not have this problem: there Home works without a service, through disabling the stock launcher.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need root or a computer to change the launcher?
SolaTV needs neither root nor a computer: it is enough to turn on “USB debugging” once on the TV itself. Other launchers on Android TV often need a computer with adb to disable the stock launcher.
Will Google voice search work after changing the launcher?
Yes. On Google TV Google’s launcher stays enabled, so the microphone button on the remote and movie cards from voice search work as before. SolaTV also has its own search with voice input.
Why does a launcher need accessibility services?
On Google TV an accessibility service is the safest way to catch the Home button without disabling Google’s launcher. The SolaTV service works only while SolaTV is the default and reads nothing from the screen.
Is a launcher the same as a home screen app?
Yes: both terms mean the app that draws the home screen. Android calls it a launcher; guides also say home screen or home app.
What should replace the stock launcher?
It depends on the task: customization, speed on a weak box or TV from your own playlist. A table with scores on ten criteria is in “Android TV launcher comparison”.