Free My TV is an open-source home screen replacement for Google TV, Android TV, LG webOS and Samsung Tizen televisions. The project is published on GitHub under the account simbasjungles. According to its README, the home screen shows no sponsored rows or ads, lists trending picks from apps already installed, and can be reverted with one button.
What does Free My TV change on the TV?
It replaces the home screen and the screensaver, and it turns off several built-in apps and services without uninstalling them. The README says the home screen has no sponsored rows, banners or autoplaying promos. Instead, it shows the streaming apps you choose on a shelf, plus three trending picks refreshed every hour from apps already installed on the TV.
The project also adds a weather and crypto price card, a day and night theme that follows the sunset in your city, and a screensaver that shows full-screen photos of the picks. On Google TV and Android TV, you can send up to 100 of your own photos from a computer.
The README makes performance claims: 60 frames per second on the TV's own chip, and 96 MB of memory use compared with 242 MB for the stock home screen. The project says it measured this on a 98-inch TCL Google TV running Android 14. These are the maker's figures, and the source does not include an independent measurement.
Reverting is designed to be simple. In the TV's Free My TV menu, choosing Home Screen and then Original restores the factory home screen, screensaver and apps. The README also says that if the new home screen crashes three times within five minutes, it switches back by itself.
What do you need before you start?
All platforms need a computer on the same Wi-Fi network as the TV. The README estimates about ten minutes for the Google TV route. The requirements differ by brand, so check the section for your TV before you begin.
Google TV and Android TV
You need a Google TV or Android TV running Android 8 or newer. The README recommends an AI coding assistant for the setup, and it describes these steps:
- On the TV, open Settings, System, About and press the Android TV OS build entry seven times to turn on developer mode.
- Open Settings, System, Developer options and turn on USB debugging.
- Note the TV's IP address under Settings, Network and Internet.
- On your computer, open Claude Code, Codex or Antigravity and ask it to install Free My TV on that IP address, naming your city. The README says the assistant asks before anything important.
- On the TV, open Free My TV, then Home Screen, then Free My TV. When the TV asks to allow USB debugging, tick Always allow and accept.
The manual route needs a JDK 17 or newer, the Android SDK command-line tools with build-tools 34 and platform android-34, and adb. The README also lists several install problems. On Android 14, Google Play Protect may block the app with a message about an older Android version, and you can choose More details and then Install anyway. Chromecast with Google TV on Android 14 keeps port 5555 closed unless you use Wireless debugging first.
LG webOS
The README says you need an LG TV running webOS 3 or newer, Python 3 on your computer, and a free LG developer account. You turn on Developer Mode through the LG Content Store, then enable Key Server and note the passphrase it shows. Developer Mode lasts about 40 days, and the README says you must open the Developer Mode app and press EXTEND to keep it active.
Samsung Tizen
The README says the Samsung build works on TVs from 2017 or newer (Tizen 3 or later). You install it through TizenBrew Installer, which the README describes as the community's installer for Samsung TVs. On 2023 and newer models, you sign in to your Samsung account once so the app can be signed for your TV.
Who it is for and where it falls short
Free My TV suits people who own a supported TV, are comfortable turning on developer mode, and have a computer nearby for setup. It is also aimed at users who want the picks and the screensaver to reflect their own apps and city.
The limits are clear in the README. Several features depend on a TMDB developer key that you create yourself. The Samsung and webOS builds do not include the trending picks unless you build the app with your own key. Some preinstalled apps can be turned off but not removed, and on Google TV the Assistant's answers for films and shows can be limited because Google TV's home app is switched off. Free My TV also needs ADB access, which the README acknowledges is fragile on some devices. TCL TVs block background running by default, so the README asks you to allow it with a command.
On maturity, the GitHub API lists the latest release as v1.1.0, dated 2026-10-22, and the last commit as pushed on 2026-10-24. That suggests active work, but the project is recent. The README does not describe a long support history, and the performance and compatibility claims come from the maker.
The Watchmode key is optional. With it, a pick can open the title's page in the streaming app. The README says this works where the app accepts web addresses for titles, and names Prime Video and JioHotstar as tested. Where it does not work, the pick opens the app home page.
Bottom line: Free My TV is worth trying if you own a Google TV, Android TV, LG webOS or Samsung Tizen set and can reach developer mode. Keep the reset path in mind before you install, and wait for independent reports if you need a stable setup on a TV you cannot easily restore.
Source and verification: The information comes from the project's README on GitHub, which the source record dates to 2026-10-21. The repository figures come from the GitHub API as of 2026-10-24: 4,152 stars, 663 forks, an MIT licence, Java as the main language, the latest release v1.1.0 dated 2026-10-22, and the last commit pushed on 2026-10-24. The speed, memory and compatibility claims are the maker's own and have not been independently verified.
Frequently asked questions
Is Free My TV free to use?
The GitHub API lists the repository as MIT-licensed as of 2026-10-24. The README says the TMDB developer key is free, and the optional Watchmode free plan includes 2,500 credits a month.
Does Free My TV work on a 2016 Samsung TV?
The README says 2015 and 2016 Samsung models, which run Orsay or Tizen 2, cannot run it. It adds that a Google TV streamer connected over HDMI can run it.
Related: Android TV Cleanup with Claude Code or Codex: What to Know · Ayakaleaf Pro: A Free, Self-Hosted Alternative to Overleaf
Comments (0)