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pengchujin/aerial-tv

A tvOS-style Android TV launcher for China-market TVs such as Xiaomi and TCL, with no ads and Apple TV aerial screensavers.

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What is it?

Aerial replaces the built-in home screen on Android TV devices with a clean, tvOS-inspired launcher. The home screen shows a large clock over your wallpaper, a grid of your apps, and pinned input-source tiles for HDMI, AV, and antenna. It has no recommendation feed or ads.

It is aimed at Xiaomi, TCL and other TVs in the China market that stick to their own launcher and clear third-party apps during standby. Aerial takes over the home screen through an accessibility service, relaunches itself through a notification listener after the system stops it, and can be set as the system screensaver on devices that use the standard Android screensaver. Setup uses ADB and does not require root or disabling system apps; a one-line script handles installation and can be reverted with a restore command.

The screensaver plays 114 Apple TV aerial videos streamed from Apple's servers, alongside photo and clock modes. Wallpapers can come from Bing, built-in gradients, or your own photos, which can be uploaded from a phone by scanning a QR code.

Key features

  • 01Clock and app grid styled after tvOS, with focus animations and a long-press menu for moving or hiding apps.
  • 02Pinned input-source tiles for HDMI, AV and antenna, with CEC device listing.
  • 03Aerial, photo and clock screensavers, with the aerial videos streamed from Apple's servers.
  • 04Bing daily wallpapers, built-in gradients, or your own photos uploaded from a phone.
  • 05Installs via ADB without root, with a restore command to return to the original launcher.
  • 06Tested on Xiaomi, TCL and Sony models with Android 10 to 14.

Use cases

  • Replacing a cluttered Xiaomi or TCL home screen with a minimal one.
  • Showing a photo or aerial screensaver on a TV that is idle in a living room.
  • Pinning HDMI or antenna inputs to the home screen for one-press switching.
  • Keeping a third-party launcher running after standby on TVs that clear background apps.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Turn on ADB debugging on the TV (steps vary by brand, see README)

  2. 2

    Download aerial-standard.apk from the Releases page

  3. 3

    Connect to the TV over the network

    adb connect 192.168.1.20:5555
  4. 4

    Install the APK on the TV

    adb install -r aerial-standard.apk

Things to know

  • Requires ADB debugging on the TV and a computer on the same network for installation.
  • Aerial videos and daily wallpapers need an internet connection.
  • Tested mainly on Xiaomi and TCL TVs; other brands are not verified on real devices.
  • On Xiaomi TVs, Xiaomi's own screensaver can still appear when idle in other apps.

Topics

#android-tv#launcher#smart-tv#adb#kotlin#screensaver#home-screen

FAQ

What is aerial-tv?
A tvOS-style Android TV launcher for China-market TVs such as Xiaomi and TCL, with no ads and Apple TV aerial screensavers. Aerial replaces the built-in home screen on Android TV devices with a clean, tvOS-inspired launcher. The home screen shows a large clock over your wallpaper, a grid of your apps, and pinned input-source tiles for HDMI, AV, and antenna. It has no recommendation feed or ads.
Is aerial-tv free to use? What license does it have?
aerial-tv is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is aerial-tv still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to aerial-tv was on Oct 20, 2026.
What can I use aerial-tv for?
Replacing a cluttered Xiaomi or TCL home screen with a minimal one. Showing a photo or aerial screensaver on a TV that is idle in a living room. Pinning HDMI or antenna inputs to the home screen for one-press switching. Keeping a third-party launcher running after standby on TVs that clear background apps.
How do I install aerial-tv?
Turn on ADB debugging on the TV (steps vary by brand, see README) Download aerial-standard.apk from the Releases page Connect to the TV over the network: adb connect 192.168.1.20:5555 Install the APK on the TV: adb install -r aerial-standard.apk
Where can I get aerial-tv?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/pengchujin/aerial-tv

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