Alternate Launcher (No Root) on Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo, Pie Info

[schneid]

I may have simply missed it in this thread but why is no one simply using this:
https://xdaforums.com/fire-tv/general/ftvlaunchx-custom-launcher-root-t4037397
@SweenWolf on the Fire TV Forum even created an ATV Launcher for the Shield TV. Which is what I use. U just install FTVLauncherX and then his WolfLauncher and it works really well. Also with FTVLauncherX you can use whatever app you want as a launcher.

I imagine most users find using ADB pretty daunting. It's a wonderful thing but then I started in DOS. Especially now that one can cut and paste from Windows to a Command Prompt.

 

[dk1keith]

I imagine most users find using ADB pretty daunting. It's a wonderful thing but then I started in DOS. Especially now that one can cut and paste from Windows to a Command Prompt.

Definitely not one that finds ADB daunting...lol
I know ADB and Fastboot pretty well. I also started out in DOS which is why ADB seemed straight forward to me. I do like to keep things simple though. I wanted to ensure users knew of another approach to changing the launcher that didn't involve ADB. Just installing a few apps which most are probably comfortable with. Whatever gets it done though..for sure.

 

[MaraDonAlex]

On my Shield TV Pro 2019 (Android 8.2) I installed ATV Launcher. But it crashes/freezes everytime I exit Kodi or press the home button.
I get a blank screen and I have to restart the Shield. I also disabled the default launcher through adb. Any tips?

 

[DBCAB]

On my Shield TV Pro 2019 (Android 8.2) I installed ATV Launcher. But it crashes/freezes everytime I exit Kodi or press the home button.
I get a blank screen and I have to restart the Shield. I also disabled the default launcher through adb. Any tips?

Im not too familiar with the ATV launcher, although we do have a nvidia shield, so its basically capable of running any launcher, if you are having issues with ATV launcher, either try to get the latest update apk from the play store or a reliable source, or try another launcher there are many on the play store right on the shield, The Ha launcher which is what I use and recommend in this thread has a similar interface to the atv launcher. The only thing I can suggest is maybe looking into the settings on the atv launcher, and make sure its set to be the home launcher, also verify the version of kodi you are using is not set up as a home launcher. It might be the home button press is mapped to kodis home screen and the home screen of atv launcher and causing the crash check the settings on the launcher and kodi. I have ha launcher and kodi installed when I hit home it takes me to my launchers main page so not sure what can be causing it other then maybe a button map conflict or the version of Atv launcher you are using.

You can of course simply try one of the many other launchers on the play store and see what you like and what works for you.

 

[MaraDonAlex]

Im not too familiar with the ATV launcher, although we do have a nvidia shield, so its basically capable of running any launcher, if you are having issues with ATV launcher, either try to get the latest update apk from the play store or a reliable source, or try another launcher there are many on the play store right on the shield, The Ha launcher which is what I use and recommend in this thread has a similar interface to the atv launcher. The only thing I can suggest is maybe looking into the settings on the atv launcher, and make sure its set to be the home launcher, also verify the version of kodi you are using is not set up as a home launcher. It might be the home button press is mapped to kodis home screen and the home screen of atv launcher and causing the crash check the settings on the launcher and kodi. I have ha launcher and kodi installed when I hit home it takes me to my launchers main page so not sure what can be causing it other then maybe a button map conflict or the version of Atv launcher you are using.

You can of course simply try one of the many other launchers on the play store and see what you like and what works for you.

I know what caused the problem with all launchers I tried.
It was the following adb command:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tvlauncher

This caused the launcher to freeze. Thanks though.

 

[DBCAB]

I know what caused the problem with all launchers I tried.
It was the following adb command:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tvlauncher

This caused the launcher to freeze. Thanks though.

Yeah The command is type

adb shell

then hit enter

then type

pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tvlauncher

Also if you want to reinstall the default launcher its on the play store for anyone that would like the original one back.

 

[MaraDonAlex]

Yeah The command is type

adb shell

then hit enter

then type

pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tvlauncher

Also if you want to reinstall the default launcher its on the play store for anyone that would like the original one back.

Don't know what the difference is. The launcher isn't uninstalled but disabled. I could enable the default launcher in settings.

 

[cHECKjAM]

Anyone knows a good solid launcher for nvidia shield experience 8.2 that is open source?
I have a rooted nvidia shield 2017 Pro and a nvidia shield 2019 Pro. I would like to sideload apps on this but use a sideload app or launcher that is open source and reliable.

Thanks

 

[DBCAB]

Anyone knows a good solid launcher for nvidia shield experience 8.2 that is open source?
I have a rooted nvidia shield 2017 Pro and a nvidia shield 2019 Pro. I would like to sideload apps on this but use a sideload app or launcher that is open source and reliable.

Thanks

Hi Well there are these 2 apps here

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dxidev.sideload.channel.launcher&hl=en_US&gl=US

It allows you to Create your own Android TV channels to launch your installed sideloaded applications

and

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.tv.sideloadlauncher&hl=en_US&gl=US

a sideload launcher

As for open source I guess you could try searching with google but both of these are reliable and stable, as for sideloading apps to the shield for installation of apps you can also go into the setting on the shield under storage settings and set it up to be accessed on your home network and then just transfer apks to a folder on the shield from pc, you can also use a file explorer type app on the shield to install those apks or to browse to your pc and directly install them from a shared folder.

I realize this doesn't directly answer your question but could help some users reading this have a happy Thanksgiving all.

 

[Alendrew11]

LaunchX app launcher

I may have simply missed it in this thread but why is no one simply using this:
https://xdaforums.com/fire-tv/general/ftvlaunchx-custom-launcher-root-t4037397
SweenWolf on the Fire TV Forum even created an ATV Launcher for the Shield TV. Which is what I use. U just install FTVLauncherX and then his WolfLauncher and it works really well. Also with FTVLauncherX you can use whatever app you want as a launcher.

Thanks for sharing this information. I am also a great user of FTVLauncherX. It makes all my apps awesome....

 

[Alendrew11]

LaunchX app launcher

I may have simply missed it in this thread but why is no one simply using this:
https://xdaforums.com/fire-tv/general/ftvlaunchx-custom-launcher-root-t4037397
@SweenWolf on the Fire TV Forum even created an ATV Launcher for the Shield TV. Which is what I use. U just install FTVLauncherX and then his WolfLauncher and it works really well. Also with FTVLauncherX you can use whatever app you want as a launcher.

Thanks for sharing this information. I am also a great user of FTVLauncherX. It makes all my apps awesome....

 

[savelbys]

Hello,

i'm using the newest Nvidia Shield TV Pro at the newest update with the Wolf Launcher (https://www.techdoctoruk.com/sdm_downloads/wolf-launcher-for-shield-tv-atv-mod/)
I´m using the Launcher Manager too (https://www.techdoctoruk.com/sdm_downloads/launcher-manager-shield-tv/) and disabled the stock one.

i'm also increased the size from the Shield TV to 4K (because original it is at Full HD and looks very blurry)
with the following commands through adbLink:

wm size 3840x2160
wm density 355
settings put system font_scale 0.75
reboot

Now i have experienced crashes/freezes with the Plex App. When i want to configure an Application, it crashes too.

Anyone have that problem too? Is the Wolf Launcher stable/good or is that because the 4K increase?

I have read many times that the Launchers overall are making problems...
Is there no stable/good Launcher out there? The original Android TV Launcher is annoying

 

[Zacharybinx34]

Does this work well on top of Lineage OS Full Android for Nvidia Shield TV?

 

[DBCAB]

Does this work well on top of Lineage OS Full Android for Nvidia Shield TV?

I Have Stock non rooted Nvidia shield, so I cant say what works with lineage OS. Im assuming any launcher will run and can be set to be the home launcher on a rooted system and that disabling the home launcher would not be necessary. You could just disable or uninstall it because you are rooted , but yes the command will work in much the same way if you would like to use adb to disable the home launcher vs another method.

 

[DBCAB]

Hello,

i'm using the newest Nvidia Shield TV Pro at the newest update with the Wolf Launcher (https://www.techdoctoruk.com/sdm_downloads/wolf-launcher-for-shield-tv-atv-mod/)
I´m using the Launcher Manager too (https://www.techdoctoruk.com/sdm_downloads/launcher-manager-shield-tv/) and disabled the stock one.

i'm also increased the size from the Shield TV to 4K (because original it is at Full HD and looks very blurry)
with the following commands through adbLink:

wm size 3840x2160
wm density 355
settings put system font_scale 0.75
reboot

Now i have experienced crashes/freezes with the Plex App. When i want to configure an Application, it crashes too.

Anyone have that problem too? Is the Wolf Launcher stable/good or is that because the 4K increase?

I have read many times that the Launchers overall are making problems...
Is there no stable/good Launcher out there? The original Android TV Launcher is annoying

There are quite a few tv launchers, try the play store on the Shield and search and try a few till you find a stable one you like heres a few from google play search https://play.google.com/store/search?q=android tv launchers

As for the Plex thing that would probably be a question for a Plex forum, you could try to update Plex on the shield make sure its the latest version and that the shield is also on the latest version or reverse the changes you made through adb link and test it to see if it still crashes to determine if that caused the issue.

 

[masivb]

I wonder if this methodology would work to get the old noguat launcher on pie since most of the launchers you mentioned are old from noguat, oreo era also

https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/android-tv-launcher-android-tv/android-tv-launcher-android-tv-1-1-7-3300609-release/

I will test

 

[Eagle00Eye]

Hello,

i'm using the newest Nvidia Shield TV Pro at the newest update with the Wolf Launcher (https://www.techdoctoruk.com/sdm_downloads/wolf-launcher-for-shield-tv-atv-mod/)
I´m using the Launcher Manager too (https://www.techdoctoruk.com/sdm_downloads/launcher-manager-shield-tv/) and disabled the stock one.

i'm also increased the size from the Shield TV to 4K (because original it is at Full HD and looks very blurry)
with the following commands through adbLink:

wm size 3840x2160
wm density 355
settings put system font_scale 0.75
reboot

Now i have experienced crashes/freezes with the Plex App. When i want to configure an Application, it crashes too.

Anyone have that problem too? Is the Wolf Launcher stable/good or is that because the 4K increase?

I have read many times that the Launchers overall are making problems...
Is there no stable/good Launcher out there? The original Android TV Launcher is annoying

I have your exact issue. did you ever get a fix for it. I am using Sideload Channel Launcher 3 and have disabled the stock launcher via ADB also.

When using "wm size 3840x2160" and "wm density 640" I also experience random crashes in the Plex app. Or once the movie is playing it will start to stutter and the remote wont work.
I have to hard reset the shield every time.

This is so frustrating because the upscaled icons look amazing. I really don't want to have to go back. I experience the crashing on Wolf launcher also. so its not launcher related.

I also reverted back to stock Size and Density and for 2 days I experienced zero issues. so its definitely the ADB commands.

HELP!!!!

Edit: After a bit of troubleshooting the command that is causing the crashing is the wm density command. anything other than the default 320 is causing plex to crash every now and then.