tv-vibehack: have Claude strip ads and bloat from Android TV over ADB
TL;DR
tv-vibehack (Gathin23/tv-vibehack, MIT) is a repo with a prompt, a minimal launcher and a list of gotchas for using Claude to debloat Android TV/Google TV over ADB: disabling ads, sponsored rows, telemetry and preinstalled apps, and reducing animations so the TV runs faster.
Many Android TV and Google TV sets ship with bloatware, sponsored content rows, home-screen ads and background telemetry that slow the TV down. The traditional cleanup requires knowing ADB and each app's package name. tv-vibehack (Gathin23/tv-vibehack, MIT licence) is a repo of prompts, a minimal launcher and a list of caveats for having Claude do this over ADB: disabling ads, sponsored content, telemetry and preinstalled apps, and reducing animations so the TV runs faster.
The process
- Enable Developer Options on the TV (tap Build 7 times) and turn on USB/Wireless debugging.
- Run Claude Code on a computer on the same Wi-Fi; Claude connects ADB to the TV's IP.
- The prompt asks which streaming apps you use and whether to keep the voice assistant, Chromecast and updates.
- Back up the current package list.
- Disable unneeded packages with
pm disable-user(reversible).
Important caveats
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Disable packages (reversible) | Uninstall system apps, which can break the Home button or HDMI switching |
| Install a new launcher before disabling the stock one | Disable the stock launcher first, which can leave you stuck in the manufacturer's test app |
| Turn off ADB debugging when done | Leave the ADB port open on your home network |
| Keep the family features you use | Disable firmware updates, voice search or casting while still needed |
Supported devices
For Android TV/Google TV (Sony, TCL, Xiaomi, Hisense…). Not applicable to Samsung Tizen, LG webOS or Roku; Fire TV has its own repo.
Why this approach is worth learning from
- Prompt + guardrails + a list of known failures is the product, not just code. Most of the value lies in the recorded "don't do this" experience.
- "Back up first, ask before changing important things" is an agent instruction pattern that applies to any work touching real systems.
- Reversible operations (disable instead of uninstall) reduce risk when the agent guesses wrong.
Risks
- Even though disabling is reversible, disabling an important package by mistake can make the TV unusable until it's re-enabled; make sure you know how to re-enable via ADB.
- ADB open on your home network is an attack surface; turn it off when done.
- Warranty and manufacturer terms may be affected; read them before tinkering.
- Results vary by brand and TV generation.
How to apply it
- Home users: follow it step by step, keep a backup of the package list and try a few apps first.
- Dev: borrow the "prompt + safety constraints + known failures" pattern for other system-tinkering tasks.
- PM/Tech Lead: when delegating risky work to an agent, always require backups, reversible operations and confirmation before dangerous steps.