Chromecast with Google TV is now serving some users with full-screen, auto-playing video ads for physical goods on the home screen. Read on!

Reddit users thevincentasteroid and MMD3_ posted about an auto-playing video ad (with sound) on the home screen. The ad is for Chicken Tender Wraps from Carl’s Jr. When it begins auto-playing, it pushes all the other UI elements out of focus and goes almost full-screen, returning to the home screen after it has played through once.

  • xonigo@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    10 months ago

    Download another launcher, set it as default home, and forget about google’s excessive ads. Depending on your model, you may need to run an ADB command. You may need to get a remote remapper app to remap the home button to open the launcher

    I am using this one for my android tv https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spocky.projengmenu

    And flauncher for my chromecast https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.efesser.flauncher

    • Osiris@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      10 months ago

      Ive been using ivy on my Chromecast it’s good, but Flauncher looks more like what I want.
      Protip for Chromecast users - disable the stock launcher via adb to set a new default

    • Gamera8ID@discuss.onlineEnglish
      0·
      10 months ago

      While I am normally a fan of tendies, this ad was the final straw for me with the GoogleTV launcher. I’d been in app-only mode, but now I’m rocking Project Ivy instead. Thanks for the recommendation!

    • ToRA@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      10 months ago

      Thanks!

      I tried both of these just now and Flauncher is very rough around the edges. Spooky’s Projectivy Launcher is great, though! I do miss being able to quickly change users by long-pressing the home button, though.

      Edit: though

    • ToppestOfDogs@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      10 months ago

      I wanna piggyback onto this comment to say that you can change the home launcher on a Chromecast With Google TV (And some other Android TV boxes) by downloading another launcher first (I use FLauncher) and disabling the default home launcher.

      1.Download FLauncher first

      2.Enable USB debugging

      3.ADB into your TV’s IP from a computer

      4.adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx

      This will disable the original launcher

      5.adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tungsten.setupwraith

      This will disable the service that re-enables the launcher

      This will cause the home button on the remote to fall back to whatever other home app is installed. No button remapping needed. It will also break the YouTube button, but not the Netflix button.