Some of the best features on your Google TV aren’t visible out of the box, and the Developer Options menu is one of them. Enabling it gives you the ability to remove bloatware, install custom apps, and tweak animations to speed up performance.
How to Enable Developer Options on a Google TV
Developer Options on Google TV are tucked away in the settings, much like they are on Android phones and tablets. While they’re primarily intended for developers and advanced users, there are some useful tools inside that anyone can utilize.
To get started, you’ll first need to enable the Developer Options menu on your Google TV:
Enabling Developer Options won’t immediately change how your TV looks or performs, but it unlocks a set of useful features that are normally hidden.
Your Google TV comes with a set of pre-installed apps, many of which you might never use. Some are added by Google, others by the TV manufacturer. These “bloatware” apps can clutter up your home screen, take up storage space, and even run in the background without you noticing.
Thankfully, there’s a way to get rid of those unwanted apps now that you’ve enabled Developer Options:
ADB TV also displays system apps, so be careful not to delete anything essential. Deleting the wrong one could affect how your TV works or even break essential features.
Once you’ve cleared out the bloatware, you can install new apps—even ones not available on the Play Store. To do this, openADB TVand go to theInstalltab. Now, pair your phone with the TV using the on-screen code. After pairing, simply download APK files to your phone (sticking totrustworthy APK sites) and use the app to install them directly on your TV.
Alternatively, you cantransfer APK files from your Android phone to your TVand install them manually. Either way, you’re no longer limited to the apps available on the Play Store.
2Speed Up Navigation
If your Google TV feels a little sluggish when moving between menus or opening apps, you’re probably not imagining it. By default, Google TV uses smooth visual transitions to create a polished experience. However, those subtle animations can slow performance down, especially on older models or those with lower-end hardware.
Reducing or turning off these animations is one of the easiest ways tomake your Google TV run faster. Here’s how:
Once you make these changes, your TV won’t waste resources on visual effects, which will help improve performance. You’ll notice the difference right away while navigating menus and launching apps.
1Limit Background Processes
Google TV runs on Android, so it manages apps much like a smartphone—allowing some to keep running in the background even after you’ve left them. This makes it easy to jump back in without restarting the app.
While this isn’t a problem with just a few apps running in the background, having too many can slow the system down. One way to improve performance is by limiting how many background processes are allowed to run:
This setting tells your system to reduce background activity and focus on the task at hand. That way, your TV stays responsive, and the apps you’re actively using get the performance boost they need.
Unlocking the Developer Options menu on your Google TV brings several benefits. Plus, it’s completely safe as long as you’re careful, so there’s no reason not to try it. You’ll be able to sideload more apps, tweak performance settings, and make your device run faster and smoother. It’s just one ofthe Google TV settings you should look into.
