aerial-tv: Ad-free tvOS-style open-source launcher for domestic TVs

Aerial is an open-source launcher for Android TV inspired by tvOS design. It removes ads and recommendation feeds, leaving only the apps and wallpapers you want, along with Apple TV aerial screens. It is optimized for TVs targeting the Chinese market, such as Xiaomi and TCL, and automatically replaces the existing home screen upon boot.

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Core features include a large clock, a 5-column app grid, and the ability to pin signal sources like HDMI or AV to the home screen. When left idle for a long time, it streams 114 Apple TV aerial videos or displays user-configured photos and a clock screen. Considering the weak GPU environment of TVs, it minimizes drawing per frame and limits animations to maintain smooth performance.

What sets it apart from existing methods is its response to forced ads or background process termination by TV manufacturers. Aerial uses accessibility services and notification listeners to immediately reactivate itself when the system tries to terminate Aerial or revert to the original home screen. No root privileges are required, and the installation process is done via ADB and is reversible.

It supports various Android TV-based devices, including Xiaomi, TCL, Sony, and Skyworth. In particular, automatic execution on boot and reactivation during standby mode have been verified in Xiaomi's HyperOS TV and TCL's Android 11 environments. It does not support LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, or Huawei HarmonyOS, and an internet connection is required.