Launcher Switch help

Launcher Switch makes Home open the launcher you installed. One button in the app brings your TV's own home screen back.

How setup works

The whole setup happens on the TV. It takes a few minutes.

Install a launcher from Google Play, if you don't have one yet.
Turn on USB debugging. The app shows you where. In short:
- Google TV: Settings › System › About. Select "Android TV OS build" 7 times, until the TV says you are a developer. Then go back to System › Developer options and turn on USB debugging.
- Android TV: Settings › Device Preferences › About. Select "Android TV OS build" (or "Build") 7 times. Then go back to Device Preferences › Developer options and turn on USB debugging.
- Some TVs also need "Network debugging" turned on in Developer options.
Allow the connection. Your TV asks "Allow USB debugging?". Tick "Always allow from this computer", then select Allow. The "computer" is the app itself, on your TV.
Choose your launcher. The app lists the launchers installed on your TV.
Check what changes, then confirm. The app shows you exactly what will change before anything happens. Select "I understand, switch".
Done. Press Home on your remote. It opens your launcher.

Setup videos:

Google TV: https://youtu.be/CRtGNVhxTR8
Android TV: https://youtu.be/Dsx-aDWbOO0

What changes on your TV

Your launcher becomes your home screen. Home, startup and Back to home all open it.
Your TV's own home screen is turned off for you. Nothing is deleted from the TV.
A system update can bring your TV's own home screen back. It depends on your TV's maker. If it happens, the app asks whether to switch again or keep it.

How to undo

Open Launcher Switch and select Bring back the original home. Your TV's own home screen comes back in one step. Your launcher stays installed.

If your launcher was uninstalled, Home opens the app's backup home. Select Bring back the original home there.

How to remove the app

Open Launcher Switch, go to its settings and select Undo and uninstall this app. It puts your TV's own home screen back first, then opens Android's uninstall screen. Select OK.

Please don't remove the app from Android's Settings or from Google Play while the switch is in place. The app is what lets you undo the switch from the TV. If you remove it that way, Home still opens your launcher, but undoing the switch then needs a computer. The steps are below.

If your TV shows a black screen, or the app was removed

A black screen can only happen if both the app and your launcher were removed while the switch was in place. The TV then has no home screen to open, and the remote can't reach Settings. You need a computer to fix it. The same steps bring your TV's own home screen back if only the app was removed.

On a computer, install Android's platform tools: https://developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools
Find your TV's IP address in your router's list of connected devices.
In a terminal, connect to the TV. Replace 192.168.1.50 with your TV's address:
```
adb connect 192.168.1.50:5555
```
If the TV asks "Allow USB debugging?", select Allow.

Turn your TV's own home screen back on.

Android TV:

adb shell pm enable com.google.android.tvlauncher
adb shell cmd package set-home-activity com.google.android.tvlauncher/.MainActivity

Google TV:

adb shell pm enable com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx
adb shell pm enable com.google.android.tungsten.setupwraith
adb shell cmd package set-home-activity com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx/.home.HomeActivity

Press Home on your remote. Your TV's own home screen opens.

Still stuck? Write to us at hello@middlepoint.io with your TV's model.

Contact

Launcher Switch is made by MiddlePoint (MIDDLEPOINT SOLUTIONS S.L.). It is not affiliated with Google or with the makers of any launcher.
hello@middlepoint.io

Launcher Switch privacy policy