DEV Community: LIZHI.SHOP

Aerial: Apple TV-Style Launcher for Android TV

LIZHI.SHOP — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 07:25:22 +0000

Originally published on LIZHI.SHOP, where selected software is available

When looking for TV optimization projects, two open source tools stand out: Aerial and CleanYourTV.

Installing them across Xiaomi, FFALCON, and Sony TVs brings a noticeable difference to the daily viewing experience.

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, making it a practical choice for a setup 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?utm_source=lizhi-shop

(If that doesn't open, use https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pengchujin/aerial-tv/main/site/agent.md?utm_source=lizhi-shop )

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

In practice, Aerial feels remarkably polished: the interface is clean, it supports Apple TV-style dynamic aerial screensavers, and users 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, an entry-level TV still gains a noticeably cleaner, more refined 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?utm_source=lizhi-shop

CleanYourTV open source repository:

https://github.com/Gathin23/cleanyourtv?utm_source=lizhi-shop

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 often fall short of practical everyday needs.

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 LIZHI.SHOP to check out Bartender 7's version and license details, and choose the option that fits your usage habits. LIZHI.SHOP is an authorized reseller of the official license, with human support if activation goes wrong.

How to Manage Mac Apps: Install, Update & Uninstall

LIZHI.SHOP — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:22:56 +0000

Originally published on LIZHI.SHOP, where selected software is available

Many users eventually run into challenges with Mac software downloading, installation, updating, and uninstallation.

A practical setup combines the App Store, Homebrew, and specialized management tools for Mac software management.

App Store

Searching for, downloading, installing, and updating apps through the App Store is fairly convenient, but it has one drawback:

Many commonly used apps are no longer listed on the App Store, or only a "stripped-down version" is available.

▲ Starting in March 2026, PopClip was removed from the App Store

The App Store does not directly provide app uninstall functionality, so users need to uninstall apps in one of the following two ways.

Method 1 (App Store versions only): Open Launchpad, press and hold the Option key, and click the delete (x) button in the upper-left corner of the target app;

Method 2 (for all types of apps): Go to the Applications folder, select the target app, and choose "Move to Trash" from the context menu.

Homebrew

Homebrew is a free project many people use. It supports searching, downloading, installing, updating, and uninstalling apps (one more feature than the App Store: uninstall!).

But it has two drawbacks:

It is a command-line tool, which is cumbersome to use and not friendly enough for average users;
It has requirements for the network environment; if it is not properly configured, downloads will be very slow or may even fail.

The first drawback can be solved by installing Applite. This tool serves as a graphical interface for Homebrew, making it much easier to use after installation.

App Cleaner & Uninstaller

The license for App Cleaner & Uninstaller is available from LIZHI.SHOP; feature details are on the official website. LIZHI.SHOP is an authorized reseller of the official license, with PayPal and credit card payment and human support if activation goes wrong. It supports app uninstallation, leftover cleanup, and managing app startup items and other permissions.

In version 8.3 released in 2026, it also added a batch update feature for apps on the computer.

For the App Store and Homebrew, they share a common drawback: they can only update apps installed through their respective channels.

App Cleaner & Uninstaller, however, supports updating, uninstalling, and cleaning apps from all kinds of sources! Moreover, after an app is updated, its source type will not change.

That is, App Store versions remain App Store versions after updating, and standalone installer versions downloaded from the web will also remain the same as before.

When uninstalling apps from Launchpad or the Applications folder, App Cleaner & Uninstaller will automatically detect it in the background and promptly show a reminder.

This helps thoroughly clean up uninstall leftovers and avoid junk files taking up disk space.

To sum up, here is a complete Mac software management setup:

For searching and installing apps, rely on the App Store, Homebrew, and official websites;
For updating and uninstalling apps, rely on App Cleaner & Uninstaller and Homebrew;
App Cleaner & Uninstaller can also manage startup items and clean extensions and leftovers.