Aerial: Open-Source Apple TV-Style Launcher for Android TV

数码荔枝编辑部

发布于 2026-10-26

Over the past few days of browsing the web, I kept running into two TV optimization projects: Aerial and CleanYourTV.

I finally couldn't resist—at noon I took some time to install them on every Xiaomi, FFALCON, and Sony TV at home. All I can say about the experience: totally worth it!

The TV home screen, originally crammed with movie and TV posters plus recommended content, takes on quite an Apple TV feel after switching to clean app icons and high-quality dynamic backgrounds.

▲ Before

▲ After

The two open source projects are positioned slightly differently:

Aerial-TV is mainly about replacing the TV home screen; CleanYourTV also supports trimming certain preinstalled components and ad services. In other words, the former focuses on making the home screen clean, while the latter also clears out things you don't use in the system along the way.

Aerial-TV offers a Chinese-language tutorial, and its open source documentation shows it has been tested on a variety of Chinese-made TVs and boxes, so I picked it for my test run.

Installation is very simple

This Aerial TV installation tutorial uses a Xiaomi TV as an example; the approach to replacing the home screen on other TV brands is much the same.

1. Enable ADB debugging

Go to "Settings > About" and tap repeatedly on the "Product Model" button to enable developer mode.

Then go to "Settings > Account & Security" and turn on "ADB debugging" and "Install apps from unknown sources".

You can check the TV's IP address under "Settings > Network > Connected Network".

How to enable or view these options may differ slightly by brand.

2. Let an agent on your computer install it

Make sure your computer and TV are connected to the same network, open an AI assistant such as WorkBuddy, Codex, or ZCode, and send it the prompt below (remember to replace the TV IP in it):

Please help me install the open source TV home screen Aerial on my TV and set it as the home screen that loads at startup.
TV IP: YOUR_TV_IP
Keep ADB always on: Yes

The installation instructions are here: https://aerial.qust.me/agent.md
(If that doesn't open, use https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pengchujin/aerial-tv/main/site/agent.md )

Please read the installation instructions in full before you start, then run the commands yourself on my computer—don't just tell me the steps. Remind me when something needs to be done on the TV.
Finally, following the "Acceptance" section in the instructions, paste the raw output of the commands below exactly as it is—don't just write "success":
- adb shell "cmd package resolve-activity --brief -a android.intent.action.MAIN -c android.intent.category.HOME" (the resolved home screen)
- adb shell settings get secure enabled_accessibility_services (whether app.orchard.tv/app.orchard.tv.guard.HomeGuardService is in there)
- adb shell "dumpsys window | grep mCurrentFocus" (after pressing the Home button)
If the installation fails, tell me directly which step it got stuck on.

3. Confirm the authorization

When the TV pops up the ADB debugging authorization window, select "Always allow" and wait for the installation to finish.

If you don't see the authorization pop-up window, try exiting the TV settings screen first and returning to the system home screen.

Hands-on experience

After trying it out, I found Aerial more polished than I expected: the interface is clean, it supports Apple TV-style dynamic aerial screensavers, and you can even scan a QR code with your phone to adjust the home screen and icon order.

Long-press an app icon and you can also set it to launch at startup or hide the app.

On a TV for your parents, frequently used apps can open directly at startup; icons you don't want your kids to see can be hidden as well.

With several TVs set up, finding apps is much easier, and everything looks a lot cleaner.

While the hardware and picture quality don't get an upgrade from this, my entry-level Xiaomi TV at home does gain a touch of premium feel.

If you're interested, set aside some time to give it a try. Before you start, confirm your TV model and system version, read the official installation instructions, and learn how to restore the original home screen.

Aerial-TV open source repository:https://github.com/pengchujin/aerial-tv

CleanYourTV open source repository:https://github.com/Gathin23/cleanyourtv

Final thoughts

The TV home screen needs tidying up, and so does the Mac menu bar. With so many apps installed these days and the notch on MacBooks, menu bar space is actually pretty tight.

The system's built-in show/hide options don't meet the practical needs of most of us.

If you also feel the macOS menu bar doesn't have enough room, try Bartender 7.

It can automatically hide or show menu bar icons based on rules, and supports keyboard shortcuts, automation rules, and different layouts.

For example, you can have menu bar icons for cloud drives, screenshots, and translation tools appear when needed and automatically tuck away when not in use.

▲ You can also customize the menu bar's appearance

If you'd like to give your menu bar a cleaner look too, visit the LIZHI.SHOP software store to check out Bartender 7's version and license details, and choose the option that fits your usage habits.