Android TV may be the operating system that has the most apps available for download and allows for a high level of customization, but personally the interface seems a bit overloaded and busy to me, and a big part of the blame lies with Google’s recommendations, ads and extra apps. So I started searching A minimalist launcher that will clean up the interface and keep it minimal.

There is a smart TV interface between my ads and suggested ads

What is proposed is not a trivial matter. If you have an entry-level smart TV like mine (I told you before that I bought a Google Chromecast because it works with a pedal): a screen full of recommendations and promoted content is much more expensive to load.

Moreover pays for the experience: it’s visually more tiring, it can be confusing, and even if you’re a person familiar with devices and technology, the truth is there’s a lot of nonsense that makes you dig around further to get what you want.

You turn on the TV, go to Android TV’s main menu, and find a promoted series from a streaming service, a row with some of your favorite apps, a list of things you’ve watched, and if you scroll, endless categories of recommended ones. streaming services, Google and even the manufacturer. Too much for my eyes and my TV.

I just want to see the applications and how I want

And I found. Actually, I didn’t need to look very carefully: This is not the first time we are talking about FLauncher, a completely free, ad-free, open source application that we tested and left a great taste in our mouths. So I didn’t think twice and abandoned the usual interface and opted for another interface for our intensive daily use.

I did this with some precautionssince the team developer It warns that the app is in development and therefore may be unstable, but other than the occasional unexpected shutdown, it didn’t seem that way to me.

When you search for it on Google Play and download it, there’s a minimal initial configuration that essentially involves choosing the location for information like time and choosing the theme between the two: commercial and home, although the former is not recommended for installation. Domestic scripts are energetic for a reason: they attract more attention and also spend more. I was caught up in homelessness and The first installation was completed in a very short time.

But to get the most out of this launcher, I would say you’ll need some time to fully configure it. After this, There’s not much mystery in his appearance, and that’s for the best. No distracting background, no piece of content that might interest you, no sections you don’t need… In short, FLauncher is going to hell.

It has a simple monochrome background in light blue that is non-distracting and looks nice, the time and settings gear in the top right corner, the first ribbon of categories. They are not multimedia content applications (for example, where the settings are at hand) and under the grid there are application logos in the form of rectangles with rounded edges. When you need something, you go around the grill and go inside. Anyway, it’s over.

Be careful, simplicity doesn’t mean it’s shabby or looks from another era. The design solves this problem by focusing on simplicity and fluidity. But he gives enough of himself. The important thing is that you can choose how many apps to display per row and create more categories.

Necessary adjustments for good organization. Once in the settings, it is possible to organize applications to your liking, create specific categories and one more extra point: it is even possible to hide applications. When we have applications of different categories they can be installed or downloaded on the screen. So in my case, the logical thing was to move the non-multimedia content category to the bottom.

I mentioned above that the default background is monochrome, but it is also possible to change this from an Android TV catalog and Unsplash. As information, Also available is access to General Settings.

The only disadvantage I found is that it is in EnglishIt’s not even a big deal, because there’s a trick to doing this: You can rename categories by going to: TV Applications for example ‘Applications‘. In fact, it is the launcher that I would install if my family had a smart TV, because even if they do not speak English, its simplicity is so simple that it does not raise much suspicion for someone who wants to log in. , go to Netflix and that’s it. Another thing would be to configure it.

Pretentious

FLauncher is an open source alternative launcher for Android TV built with Flutter.

Download for free

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