If you have a TV or a Chromecast with Google TV, you will already know that one of its differences with Android TV is its interface based on content recommendations. A system that can have its fans, see the case of this humble servant who uses it when he doesn’t know which series or which movie to watch. However, it can also be a bit cumbersome.
If what you are looking for is a simple interface dedicated only to applications, there is a system mode that suits it best. It’s precisely called “apps only” and eliminates any distractions this recommendation system may cause as standard.
Google TV “Apps only” mode
To activate this commented interface in which only applications will appear and not the classic Google TV recommendations, you just have to follow these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Go to section Accounts and Login.
- Choose your Google account.
- From the options that appear, locate and Enable “Apps only mode”.
Once this is done, you can back to home screen and you will see that the recommendations are completely gone. Or almost, since some linked to the streaming platforms you selected when setting up your Google account will appear at the top, but they only take up space.
This is what Google TV looks like with “apps only mode”
In any case, we can say that you can return to classic mode by disabling this option again by following the steps mentioned above. Although if you do it because you were not convinced by this modality that Google offers natively, continue reading because we have other options.
Another interesting option can be a launcher
Google TV is already an Android TV launcher itself, just installed natively. However, on this we can apply one of the launchers for Android TV. Some shine precisely to offer a minimalist style with the protagonist applications, although different from those of Google TV in the aforementioned application-only mode.
Another advantage is that support further customization with additional features. See as examples of shortcuts to remove applications or view their information. One of the most interesting is FLauncher, which can be downloaded for free from Google Play.
Main view of ‘FLauncher’ installed on Google TV
This has a very similar interface to Apple TV, making it the applications are completely protagonists on the screen taking up as much space as possible. However, there are other options such as ‘HALauncher’ or ‘TV Launcher – Smart’ which offer another type of design in which apps are still the main thing.
As for the “apps only” mode, it is possible to return to Google TV launcher. To do this, simply disable or uninstall the applications. And yes, of course, you can reinstall them and delete them again. Everything is done so that in the end the system is always to your liking.
