Customize Android TV with Claude Code or Codex

I use Claude Code or Codex to describe what I want my TV to do, then review the commands before they run. If your device runs Android TV or Google TV, you can spend about 15 minutes connecting it to your computer and inspecting its apps. Start by listing what is installed; save removal, button changes, and automation for after you understand the proposed steps.

What you need

• An Android TV or Google TV device and a computer on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Claude Code or Codex installed and ready on your computer, plus a terminal.
• Access to the TV’s settings and its screen so you can approve the connection request.

The steps

1. Enable developer mode. On the TV, go to Settings → Device Preferences (or System) → About. Select Android TV OS build or Build 7 times, until you see You are now a developer. Menu labels vary slightly by brand.

1. Enable debugging and find the TV’s address. Under Developer options, turn on USB debugging and Network debugging; some TVs call the latter Wireless debugging. Go to Settings → Network & Internet → [your Wi-Fi] → IP address and note the address. Keep the TV and computer on the same Wi-Fi. If the TV displays pairing instructions or a different wireless-debugging port, use those details rather than assuming port 5555 is available.

1. Install adb on your computer. It comes with Android platform-tools. On a Mac with Homebrew, run brew install android-platform-tools. On Windows, download platform-tools from Google at developer.android.com, unzip it, and open a terminal in that folder. On Linux, install it with your package manager. Run adb version to check that your terminal can find it.

1. Connect to the TV. If its network debugging uses port 5555, run adb connect <TV-IP>:5555, replacing the placeholder with your address—for example, adb connect 192.168.1.50:5555. On the TV, accept Allow USB debugging?; select Always allow only for your trusted computer, then OK. Run adb devices and look for your TV marked device. If it says unauthorized, check the TV screen. If your device requires wireless pairing first, follow the pairing steps and ports it displays.

1. Open Claude Code or Codex in an empty folder. Give it this first task: “My Android TV is connected over adb at 192.168.1.50. List the installed apps, tell me which might be safe to remove, and wait for my OK before changing anything.” It can run adb shell pm list packages to collect the list. Ask it to explain each command before running it and keep a record of changes. Treat removal suggestions as suggestions, not guarantees.

1. Make one reviewed change at a time. To remove an app for the current user, the agent may propose adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 <package>. To hide a system app that cannot be uninstalled, it may propose adb shell pm disable-user <package>. It can install a trusted file with adb install file.apk, or use adb shell am start with the appropriate arguments to open an app or link. Check the exact package name, the command, and its expected effect before approving it; test the TV afterward.

Things to ask Claude Code

• “List the apps installed on my TV and point out ones I may not need. Don’t remove or disable anything until you show me the package name and how to restore it.”
• “I downloaded an APK from its developer’s website or F-Droid. Check the file I specify and explain the adb installation command before running it.”
• “I want the Prime Video remote button to open Plex. Check whether my device allows this, then suggest a launcher setting or an app such as Button Mapper. Explain any limitations and ask before changing anything.”
• “Every Friday at [time], I want to open this Friday-prayer YouTube channel link: [link]. Propose a TV app that can schedule opening the link, explain its permissions, and show me how to test it first.”

Important warnings

• Never remove a system app you do not recognize. You could affect the launcher, sound, or updates. Removing an app for one user is not the same as deleting it from the device altogether.
• A package removed with pm uninstall --user 0 can usually be restored for that user with adb shell cmd package install-existing <package>. Record the package name and every change.
• Install APKs only from the developer’s own site or F-Droid. Don’t grant a button-mapping or scheduling app permissions you cannot explain.
• Turn off network debugging when you finish, and never approve debugging requests from an untrusted computer.

Works on

This guide applies to Android TV and Google TV devices, including Xiaomi boxes, Chromecast with Google TV, and many Sony, TCL, and Hisense TVs running those systems. It does not apply to Samsung’s Tizen, LG’s webOS, or Apple TV; they do not offer adb this way. I tried this on a Xiaomi box and it worked well. I’m still careful with the family TV—my wife had a fair objection.

Tell me what you built or changed on your TV. I’m Abdul Osama.

The link to my free crash course is in my bio.