Set ChillHub as Default

Replace your stock Android TV launcher with ChillHub. On Google TV, ChillHub can do it for you, with no computer and no extra apps.

Recommended: Built Into ChillHub

On Google TV devices (Google TV Streamer, Chromecast with Google TV, onn. 4K Pro and similar), the system's Home app setting has no effect: Google TV's own launcher always wins. ChillHub works around this by turning off the stock home screen for you, safely and in the right order.

Go to Settings → System → About and click Android TV OS build 7 times until it says you are a developer
Go to Settings → System → Developer options and turn on USB debugging

Ethernet works. Unlike Wireless debugging, this does not need Wi-Fi.

Open ChillHub → Settings and choose Setup ChillHub as Default Home
Press Continue
When asked "Allow USB debugging?", tick Always allow and choose Allow

Done! Pressing Home now opens ChillHub, including after a restart. You can turn USB debugging off again.

Make sure USB debugging is on
Open ChillHub → Settings and choose Restore Google TV Home (at the bottom, under Support)

Before uninstalling ChillHub, always restore Google TV Home first. Otherwise the TV is left with no home screen.

Alternative: Built-in Settings

On some older Android TV devices, you can set ChillHub as default by going to Settings → Apps → Default Apps → Home App and selecting ChillHub. This does not work on Google TV devices: the setting appears to save, but Home keeps opening Google TV.

Neither Working?

If ChillHub's built-in setup and the Home App setting both don't work on your device, use the advanced ADB method below.

Advanced: ADB Method

Only use this method if ChillHub's built-in setup and the Home App setting don't work on your device. This requires a computer and carries risk of bricking your device if done incorrectly.

Proceed at Your Own Risk

Disabling system launcher packages via ADB can leave your device in an unusable state (black screen, boot loops) that may require a full factory reset to recover from. Factory reset will erase all data, apps, and settings on your device. You will lose wireless debugging access and need physical access to the reset button to recover.

We've tested and documented the correct steps below, but every device is different. Make sure ChillHub is installed before proceeding.

I understand this may require a factory reset if something goes wrong, and I accept the risk of potentially losing data on my device.

Accept the risk acknowledgment above to view the setup steps.

First, you need to enable Developer Options on your Android TV device.

Go to Settings on your Android TV
Navigate to System → About
Find Android TV OS build (or "Build number")
Click on it 7 times rapidly
You'll see a toast message: "You are now a developer!"

Tip: On Google TV Streamer, the path is Settings → System → About → Android TV OS build.

Enable debugging so your computer can connect to the device.

Go to Settings → System → Developer Options
Turn on Wireless debugging (or "USB debugging" for wired connection)
Select Pair device with pairing code
Note the IP address, port, and pairing code shown on screen

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a command-line tool from Google. Install it on your computer:

macOS (via Homebrew)

brew install android-platform-tools

Windows

Download the SDK Platform Tools from Google, extract the zip, and add the folder to your system PATH.

Linux

sudo apt install adb

Verify the installation by running:

adb version

First pair your computer with the device, then connect.

Pair (first time only)

Use the IP, port, and pairing code shown on your TV's wireless debugging screen:

adb pair IP:PORT CODE

Example: adb pair 192.168.1.100:37205 482916

Connect

adb connect IP:5555

Example: adb connect 192.168.1.100:5555

Verify Connection

adb devices

You should see your device listed with device status.

Run the ADB commands below for your device. Make sure ChillHub is already installed before disabling any stock launcher packages.

Google TV Streamer / Chromecast with Google TV / onn. 4K Pro

Critical: You must disable both packages below. Disabling only launcherx without disabling setupwraith will result in a black screen that requires a factory reset to recover from.

Disable the setup wrapper first, then the launcher:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tungsten.setupwraith
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx

With both disabled, Android resolves ChillHub as the only available launcher. This persists across reboots.

Important: After running the commands, reboot with adb reboot to verify it persists. A swap that works immediately can still fail after reboot.

Other Android TV Devices

The stock launcher package varies by manufacturer. Try the one that matches your device:

# Nvidia Shield
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tvlauncher

# Sony TVs
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.sony.dtv.tvx

# TCL / Hisense
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.tcl.launcher

# Generic Android TV (older)
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.leanbacklauncher

Verify it Worked

Press the Home button on your remote — ChillHub should appear
Reboot the device: adb reboot
After reboot, press Home again to confirm it persists

To go back to the stock launcher, re-enable the packages you disabled:

Google TV Streamer / Chromecast

adb shell pm enable com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx
adb shell pm enable com.google.android.tungsten.setupwraith

Other Devices

# Use the same package you disabled, e.g.:
adb shell pm enable com.google.android.tvlauncher

After re-enabling, press the Home button. You may be asked to choose a default launcher again.

If your device is stuck on a black screen with no ADB access, you'll need to perform a hardware factory reset:

Unplug the power cable from the device
Find the reset button (small pinhole on the back of the device)
Hold the reset button with a pin or paperclip
While still holding, plug the power back in
Continue holding until the device begins to reset (LED will flash or you'll see the boot screen)
Go through the initial device setup again
Re-enable Wireless debugging and re-pair ADB before trying again

Note: A factory reset will erase all data, apps, and settings. You'll need to re-install ChillHub and set everything up again. This is why it's important to follow the correct steps for your specific device.

"Unable to connect" error

Make sure both your computer and TV are on the same Wi-Fi network. Try restarting ADB with adb kill-server && adb start-server, then reconnect.

"Not authorized" error

Check your TV screen for the USB debugging authorization dialog and tap "Allow". If you've already dismissed it, toggle wireless debugging off and on again.

Home button still opens stock launcher

The stock launcher package name may be different on your device. Run the following to find the active launcher:

adb shell cmd package resolve-activity -a android.intent.action.MAIN -c android.intent.category.HOME

Works immediately but black screen after reboot

On Google TV devices, this means you only disabled launcherx but not setupwraith. The setup wrapper takes over after reboot and causes the black screen. You'll need to factory reset and disable both packages.

ChillHub is not installed

Make sure you've installed ChillHub from the Play Store or sideloaded the APK before disabling the stock launcher. Disabling the launcher without a replacement installed will leave you with no home screen.