Smart TV owners are deploying artificial intelligence coding tools to strip away sponsored banners, telemetry, and pre-installed apps. Frustrated by sluggish interfaces and viewing habits tracked via automatic content recognition, users are turning projects like dumbtv and tv-vibehack into a grassroots consumer revolt against ad-supported hardware.
Turning on a modern television often means navigating a gauntlet of promotional content before reaching a streaming app. Smart TV makers subsidize hardware costs through advertising and data harvesting, leaving living room displays cluttered with sponsored rows and apps that cannot be removed. To combat this, developers and users have begun utilizing AI coding assistants like Anthropic’s Claude Code to reverse-engineer their sets and strip out the unwanted software.
How Gathin and Other Developers Vibe-Coded Their Way to Ad-Free Displays
The creator documented the process after tackling a family television that displayed a sponsored advertisement before reaching Netflix.
This is how fast the TV moves now that Claude deleted all the BS laggy bloatware it comes with https://t.co/nUCEjqPwAO pic.twitter.com/g07CEgC1GJ
— https://x.com/doooyle/status/2111247627748565091
Vibe coded my parents’ TV this afternoon! It was showing a sponsored ad before you could even get to Netflix. Gave Claude Code the model number, it found the TV on wifi, removed 25 Xiaomi packages and wrote a new launcher. Looks like an Apple TV now lol.
Gathin, developer via TechCrunch and Techaeris
Other users shared similar experiences on social media. One developer reported using Claude Code to eliminate ads, bloatware, spyware, and a laggy user interface while setting up a screensaver showing revenue, calendar entries, weather forecasts, and notifications for new Stripe payments. Another user on a tech site noted that debloating a Sony Bravia TV significantly improved responsiveness after disabling background packages such as Sony’s Digital Demo, Sony’s Select Echo Dashboard, Google Play Games, Play Movies, Calendar Sync, Camera Gallery, and apps left unused for over 50 days. Supported hardware for these methods includes televisions from Sony, TCL, Philips, Hisense, and Xiaomi, along with Nvidia Shield devices, according to reporting from October 2026.
Users trying these customisations have pointed out that the process turns an Android TV debloat into a one-afternoon job. Mihir Gupta shared on X that after one afternoon with Claude Code, he had 25 bloat apps disabled, replaced the 192 MB stock launcher with a custom 83 MB one, and added rotating wallpapers. Supported requirements for running these setups include having the Google TV or Android TV connected to the same Wi-Fi network as a computer, installing the Claude Code app on a Mac or Windows device, and ensuring Android SDK Platform-Tools (ADB) is enabled.
Vibe coded my parents' TV this afternoon!It was showing a sponsored ad before you could even get to Netflix. Gave Claude Code the model number, it found the TV on wifi, removed 25 Xiaomi packages and wrote a new launcher.Looks like an Apple TV now lol pic.twitter.com/E5Q4A1b0yI
— https://x.com/gathint/status/2111379569030939102
Automatic Content Recognition and the Business Model Driving Smart TV Ads
Industry analysts estimate that smart TV makers generate $5 to $10 per device annually through ad placements and data sales, which serves as a crucial revenue stream when hardware margins have compressed. Consumer frustration is well-documented: TiVo’s Q4 2025 Video Trends Report revealed that more than one-third of respondents reported excessive advertising on their TV home pages.
Open-Source Solutions and the Risks of AI-Assisted TV Tinkering
For users seeking alternatives to manual script editing, dedicated repositories have emerged. Open tools like dumbtv and cleanyourtv automate the process over the Android debug bridge without modifying system files or requiring root access. However, experts and community members warn that these modifications carry real risks. AI agents can make mistakes, and at least one anecdotal account described an Android TV becoming unusable after an AI-guided modification.
| Project Name | Developer | Platform | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| tv-vibehack | Gathin (Gathin23 on GitHub) | Android TV, Google TV | Removes 25+ packages over Wi-Fi, installs a lightweight launcher |
| dumbtv | Open-source community | Fire TV Edition, Android TV | Applies reversible changes over ADB without root access |
| cleanyourtv | Open-source community | Android TV, Google TV | Wi-Fi-based cleanup tool designed for Android devices |
While platforms such as Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Amazon Fire TV have differing levels of software restriction and compatibility that varies by chipset and launcher implementation, the growing popularity of AI debloating highlights a persistent tension between consumer ownership and manufacturer monetization strategies.
Users who find these frustrating computer problems familiar may find the launcher route a practical first step. Alternative home screen replacement apps such as ATV Launcher, Projectivy Launcher, and FLauncher make system-package changes unnecessary, keeping the modification process at a lower risk level.
To enable the necessary debugging connection on an Android TV, users must open Developer Options by going to Settings, selecting Device Preferences, going to About, and pressing OK on Build seven times. Once enabled, the television listens on the local network and prompts the user to approve the incoming connection.
Hacked my TV with Claude Code todayNo more ads, bloatware, spyware or laggy UII also got a beautiful screensaver with my revenue, calendar, weather, and notifications for new Stripe paymentsIt was super easy! I sent it the listing for my tv, asked "can you hack this?" And… pic.twitter.com/OkMZkYaqAu
— https://x.com/doooyle/status/2111196679680540724
More on Claude Code
This was super easy to do, Now my tv running super smooth same as new one- Added my own lightweight UI – custom wallpaper slideshow- switch between hindi/english for my parents- github contribution chartand bunch of other feature i have in mind to try on my tv https://t.co/oC9xD9r0FM pic.twitter.com/bKn3rhX2Q1
— https://x.com/0xYash_Jain/status/2111846001975894235
What a life saver!Our google TV is bloat-free now :D@anirudhamudan spent some time in deploying this and we’re making a few more tweaks to make it more personal as well. AI has opened more avenues than we could have ever thought of. https://t.co/G7eDE2ZSyE pic.twitter.com/EsMvzrotgS
— https://x.com/sudeepsd_/status/2111825786001088592
people are using AI to build apps, but you can even use it to bring an old TV back to life 👀one afternoon with Claude Code, and suddenly a slow, bloated TV becomes something cleaner and faster.25 bloat apps disabled, a lighter custom launcher, and rotating wallpapers.this… pic.twitter.com/1dFIchGFLv
— https://x.com/draven_onchain/status/2112239765206819083
Don't have Claude Code? You can still speed up your Android TV!We've put together an interactive, step-by-step ADB guide with:✅ Commands for popular TV brands✅ Copy-ready debloat commands✅ Ad blocking and launcher tweaks✅ Steps to undo any changesNo root or AI… https://t.co/JmSZ5rnAOW
— https://x.com/rajupp/status/2112016574752469088
Full walkthrough is up! How to turn on developer mode, connect Claude Code to your TV, and let it switch off the bloatware and build a clean new home screen. One free prompt, No new TV. (full video on YT) https://t.co/wgYhSRTcvt pic.twitter.com/rV0phWyZD2
— https://x.com/justansub/status/2111853155596300680
Damn, that was smooth! My Sansui Google TV feels soooo much better now.The entire process took just 25 minutes, all with a single prompt.Long live open source. Long live AI! 🚀Attached Before & After. https://t.co/9pjVz2P5Fx pic.twitter.com/yZvxevC5fS
— https://x.com/shubham_habib/status/2112145618273800443
introducing dumbtv- no spying- no ads from tv- fully customisableto setup just point your agent to this repo – https://t.co/prQLD17Wa4 https://t.co/z41SWJZVXt pic.twitter.com/c6R8EhljiA
— https://x.com/DevMuzzammil/status/2111912547318395338