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Comment by matthewrobertso | Hacker News Reader

I ran into this last week on my nvidia shield. Here's a summary of the workaround I found (apologies for not having the specific package names offhand):

1. Install a new launcher from play store (I found one called "Basic Launcher" that matches the aesthetics of the default one). This doesn't solve the problem though, because Google disabled changing the default launcher for some user hostile reason, until you delete the existing launcher.

2. Enable development mode by tapping on the build number in settings

3. Connect an adb shell to your device

4. Remove the built in launcher

5. Reboot, select basic launcher when prompted

I own a few android TV devices, have recommended them to people in the past, and won't be purchasing another. I think what happened here should be illegal and shame on whoever worked on this.

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Uninstalling didn't seem to work for me after reboot. If that doesn't work for you, try disabling it:

1. Install your new launcher through play store. (I used the Basic Launcher as well).

2. Settings -> Device Preferences -> About. Scroll to "Build" and click on it until it pops up that you are a developer (it will give you a countdown)

3. Settings -> Device Preferences -> Developer options (this was just unlocked in step 2) -> Network debugging (this will let you use adb)

4. Install adb (platform tools) on your computer.

5. adb connect <ip address of your shield>

6. adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tvlauncher

7. adb shell reboot

Should find yourself in the launcher you installed Note, I also stopped the google launcher (cleared data/reset defaults)/tested the new launcher in the middle. So if these steps don't seem to work, before doing step 5 try doing those and then retry.

You're a lifesaver. Wasn't able to get the 3rd party launcher going by default. Thanks!

This has been infuriating. It's even more pushy now that I do not log into a Google Account on the Nvidia Shield because it requires giving Nvidia full account access.

I have a Google notification that I cannot dismiss and 3 buttons on my App menu that all take me to the Play Store that I cannot remove. I'm livid.

This should be illegal and I'm frankly worried about Google's future if this is the kind of shit that they need to pull to continue to profit. Some of the brightest sw eng's around yet they do this shit rather than innovate. Lazy

>I manged to remove them...you go to All apps..scroll down to "Show system apps"...Android TV Home...Force stop... Uninstall updates => You will have old Home Screen

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/shield-tv/9/4579...

I looked through this thread when searching for a workaround but this method didn't work for me (2019 Shield TV Pro), I had to swap the launcher.

Uninstalling the update also didn't work for me using my 2015 Shield.

This worked for me at first now I have the new UI no matter what state the actual app is in

Wouldn't that mean you had an insecure device?

Everything's a tradeoff.

I'm really tired of companies hiding behind "security" when it comes to ruining my experience every time I get an update.

If they want me to be secure, package essential security updates into seperate downloads.

I consider updates that break workflow or violate privacy to be security risks in themselves.

Ads are bad behavior they are protecting themselves from.

Are you afraid of someone remotely pushing an update that pushes ads disguised as content to your device?

> Wouldn't that mean you had an insecure device?

So you mean ads are increasing security ?

The big issue with major OS updates for me is that the security updates are bundled with the feature updates. That's why updating Android on my old phone stopped being feasable, when the increased performance requirements caused it to remain persistently hot and unresponsive.

Not just the security updates, but also things like APIs that prevent some applications from being compatible. Still, I have to wonder how much of a tradeoff would be possible when all the code is managed together, and the security and feature updates would be interwoven in the same repo. There is only so much manpower available to keep maintaining every version of each update.

New in iOS 14/15:

> Software Updates

> iOS now offers a choice between two software update versions in the Settings app. You can update to the latest version of iOS 15 as soon as it’s released for the latest features and most complete set of security updates. Or continue on iOS 14 and still get important security updates until you’re ready to upgrade to the next major version.

https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-15-preview/features/

Apple, the antithesis of user choice, is even now offering an option between upgrading and getting security updates.

Apple is better in some choices vs others, and has been for a while.

To be clear Android the operating system offers targeted security updates. The device manufactures prefers to package them with feature updates. I guess it doesn’t matter for users.

Aren't many core components now taken care of by the Google Play Services library that's updated separately to avoid carriers and manufacturers from delaying critical security updates because they need to package and test these with all their bloatware crap?

Play services do not get just security updates, that’s true. It’s pretty hard to not have that up to date on an Android phone anyway.

It's just the home screen so it shouldn't be that much of a security hole. If it were the OS it'd be a bigger concern.

Not automatically.

So many updates these days have nothing to do with security, just with "feautes" nobody asked for apart from random product manager who needs his paycheck.

At first, I thought nVidia had done this, and I was cursing their name. After some searching, I discovered this is actually the stock launcher from Google instead.

nVidia should absolutely get ahead of this to preserve their own reputation.

That's Nvidia's choice to use default launcher. It's not like Google does not allow their partners to adapt OS. I agree about blaming Google first, but it's device from Nvidia, customer will not research where each particular application or part came from. If battery will blow up, nobody will blame some nameless chinese factory.

I absolutely blame Nvidia for this. I fully expect ads on my $25 Fire Stick. It's part of the bargain with Amazon. There is no way there should be ads on a $150-200 device, especially when they have been added in well after purchase.

Regardless of where they choose to lay blame, if Nvidia doesn't fix this I am done with their devices when it's time to replace them.

My $2000 top of the line Samsung tv is filled with ads. I assume LGs running android tv also got hit. Those TVs go up $3700 for their largest consumer OlED panel.

There have been complaints about these Google Launcher ads with Sony TVs for months. It's the reason why I didn't update to Android 9 and disabled all automatic updates.

Sony's "smart" TVs all come with Android TV (now called Google TV). Their top of the line OLED TV Sony Z9J starts at $8,000 in 75" and costs $10,000 in 85".

LG TV don't run Android TV. They run WebOS. So they probably have not been getting those ads.

You mean, they should put in their own adds as well ? ;-)

(I mean, their reputation in some circless is AFAIK quite bad - 500+ MB drivers requiring registration on windows, lack of cooperation on Linux drivers, nerfing of some of their GPUs for shady reasons, attempts to buy ARM, etc.)

Do you know of any Android TV / smart tv box which has a USB port?

I am currently building a magic mirror like smart map. Basically, the goal is to have a big touchscreen with Google maps or Google earth running.

For touch screen support I bought a cheap USB infrared frame. I have tested it with the USB C port of my Android phone and it works well, but I have sadly not found any Android TV box which has an USB port.

I believe many that use usb for power, like Google's, are real ports that can be split with a hub.

That's correct. The Chromecast w/ Google TV works with the same USB-C hub I use with my MacBook Pro and Nintendo Switch.

Oh wow, that is news to me. That would be what I'm looking for! Thanks

The very first one, ADT-1, does have a USB port. I have one, but it's a prototype kind of thing and Google never really sold these to the general public. I got mine at Google I/O. That said, you could probably find them on ebay.

Check out the formuler boxes, the gtv is android certified

I used to put Xibo on crappy boxes like this one here for work. They never had the same internals, even if I used the same supplier. They usually thought they were a phone when you dug into their software.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/electronics-photogra...

I think the new nvidia stick has a USB port if you disassemble it a tiny bit.

> Do you know of any Android TV / smart tv box which has a USB port?

Build your own with a Raspberry Pi. The new ones pack quite some heat in terms of performance.

Unfortunately I don't think Android is officially available for the Raspberry Pi.. But what I did to test my frame was installing Android x86 on a NUC. The reason why I want Android is because the Google Maps and Google Earth apps there already provide the touch experience I want.

Anyone try LineageOS on a Shield? I'm guessing everything is missing. I'm not sure if that's bad, but I'd missing being able to Chromecast to it.

I was really disappointed to find the same problems with tvOS having moved from a pair of Shields.

The ads hadn’t rolled out yet on Shield when I moved over but for some reason I just assumed Apple wouldn’t be shilling ads at me constantly for services I don’t have, or trying to sell me content I already have access to.

More fool me. Fire TV is worse, but I’ve heard Roku is much the same.

The Smart TV ecosystem is rot all over.

On Roku, not sure of the others, standard router-level adblock worked.

Can you be more specific? I have multiple Apple TV STBs and don't see what you're describing.

They’re probably talking about the Apple TV App on tvOS, which searches services you don’t necessarily have. You can get rid of it though, so I don’t know what the big deal is.

You can get rid of it - for now. That's what the whole thread is about: there weren't ads until there were.

Years ago, the App Store also used to not show ads.

Exactly - it’s identical to the problem in this thread.

Google TV launcher == Apple TV app on tvOS

You can remove the Google TV launcher but with it huge amounts of device functionality (including search). Same as for the TV app.

Literally zero difference other than the customary Apple free pass they always get.

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