The Nvidia Shield still does most things right, but the stock Android TV home screen turned into a sponsored-tile carousel two firmware revisions ago. Fire TV’s home is worse. Google TV’s For You row recommends paid rentals before the apps you opened yesterday. Replacing the launcher is the cheapest upgrade you can give any Android TV box in 2026.
We tested six of the best Android TV launcher apps in 2026, ranked on how cleanly they replace the home screen, whether they handle screensavers and notifications correctly, and how much customisation they let you do without sinking a Saturday into setup.
What to look for in an Android TV launcher
A launcher is not just a wallpaper. It controls how you reach every app, how recently used items surface, and what happens when the box wakes up.
- Set as default. The launcher must register as a HOME app so the home button on the remote actually opens it.
- App ordering. Pin, hide, reorder, and group. The stock launcher’s “recently used” row is not enough.
- Channels and rows support. Apps push content rows (recent Netflix episodes, YouTube subscriptions). Several launchers ignore them. The best ones let you toggle channels on or off per app.
- Live TV and DVR tiles. If you use a tuner or an IPTV app, the launcher should show the current programme.
- Performance on cheap boxes. A launcher that runs hot wakes the box from sleep slowly. Look for sub-second launch.
- Wallpapers and screensavers. Custom video walls and Aerial-style cinemagraphs make a difference on a big screen.
Quick comparison
| Launcher | Best for | Free plan | Paid tier | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projectivy Launcher | Most customisable | Yes | Pro one-time | No |
| FLauncher | Clean open-source pick | Yes | Free | Yes |
| ATV Launcher | Lightweight quick switch | Yes, ad-supported | Pro removes ads | No |
| HALauncher | Old-school grid replacement | Yes | Pro removes ads | No |
| Square Home | Windows-tile style | Yes | Premium one-time | No |
| Android TV Launcher | Google’s stock launcher | Yes | Free | No |
The 6 best Android TV launcher apps in 2026
1. Projectivy Launcher — best overall and most customisable
Projectivy Launcher is the launcher that ships with several mid-range Android TV boxes for a reason. It supports channels (so a Netflix or Plex row still works), groups apps into folders, plays a video wall as the background, and lets you set per-app overrides for screensaver and audio. The Pro upgrade unlocks weather widgets, custom screensavers and broader theming, but the free tier already does more than most paid launchers.
Where it falls short: First-time setup runs through a long settings tree. The wallpaper-and-screensaver picker can be slow on a 2 GB box.
Pricing:
- Free with all core features.
- Pro: One-time payment unlocks widgets, custom screensavers and themes.
Platforms: Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV.
Bottom line: Projectivy Launcher is the launcher to install first on any Android TV box, full stop.
2. FLauncher — best open-source replacement
FLauncher is the open-source, no-account, no-ads alternative. The grid layout puts every installed app on one screen, you can hide system apps you never use, and the categories feature groups apps automatically. There is no telemetry, no recommendation row, and the source is on GitHub.
Where it falls short: No support for app content channels, so streaming apps cannot push tiles. Theming is light compared to Projectivy.
Pricing:
- Free, open-source, no ads.
Platforms: Android TV.
Bottom line: FLauncher is the right pick if you want a quiet, clean launcher with no commercial layer at all.
3. ATV Launcher — best lightweight quick switch
ATV Launcher keeps the cognitive load low. A single row of recent apps, an app drawer one click away, customisable backgrounds, and a system-info widget. It loads near-instantly on weak hardware, which makes it the launcher of choice for sub-$50 boxes.
Where it falls short: Ad-supported on the free tier. Less feature-rich than Projectivy or HALauncher.
Pricing:
- Free, ad-supported.
- Pro: One-time payment removes ads and unlocks more layouts.
Platforms: Android TV, Android tablets, Google TV.
Bottom line: ATV Launcher is the lightest replacement, ideal if your box has 1 to 2 GB of RAM.
4. HALauncher — best for the classic Android TV grid
HALauncher restores the grid-of-apps layout from the early Android TV days, with a customisable favourites row, weather and clock at the top, and a no-nonsense settings shortcut. It is the closest thing to Google’s old Leanback launcher, before the home screen turned into a recommendation feed.
Where it falls short: Ads on the free tier are unobtrusive but present. No app channels.
Pricing:
- Free, ad-supported.
- Pro: One-time payment removes ads.
Platforms: Android TV.
Bottom line: HALauncher is the launcher to choose if you liked the old Android TV layout and just want it back.
5. Square Home — best tile-style alternative
Square Home brings the Windows Phone live-tile layout to Android TV. Tiles can show information (weather, calendar, recent images), resize from small to large, and group into pages. It is divisive (people love it or hate it), but on a 4K screen the tile grid uses space better than a one-row recents list.
Where it falls short: Designed for phones first, so a few menus assume touch. Premium upgrade is required to remove the tile limit.
Pricing:
- Free with a tile cap.
- Premium: One-time payment removes the cap and unlocks all themes.
Platforms: Android TV, Android, Fire TV.
Bottom line: Square Home is the unconventional pick that pays off if you have a wall-sized display and want every tile to show live info.
6. Android TV Launcher — best fallback when nothing else fits
Android TV Launcher is Google’s own stock launcher, packaged so you can sideload it back onto a box that shipped with a vendor skin. It is the right pick when a third-party launcher misbehaves with your remote or your set-top box’s vendor app, and it is the only launcher guaranteed to render every Channels row from every Play Store app.
Where it falls short: Sponsored content row, recommendation feed you cannot turn off in stock form, and the Google TV variant pushes paid rentals.
Pricing:
- Free, ad-supported via the recommendation row.
Platforms: Android TV, Google TV.
Bottom line: Keep Android TV Launcher installed as a fallback even if you use Projectivy or FLauncher day-to-day.
How to pick the right one
- If you want the strongest all-round replacement: Projectivy Launcher.
- If open-source, no-ads, no-account matter most: FLauncher.
- If your box is old and underpowered: ATV Launcher.
- If you miss the Leanback grid: HALauncher.
- If you want live tiles on a big TV: Square Home.
- If you need to roll back to Google’s own home screen: Android TV Launcher.
FAQ
Will a third-party launcher void any Shield warranty or break OTA updates? No. Launchers are normal apps. They register as the HOME activity and Android routes the home button to them. Nvidia, Google and Amazon firmware updates install normally.
How do I set a launcher as the default? After installing, press the home button on the remote. Android asks which launcher to use and lets you set the new one as default. If it does not ask, open Settings, Apps, Default apps, Home app, and select the launcher.
Can I keep the stock launcher and a third-party one? Yes. The stock launcher stays installed. Tap the icon to switch back at any time, or use a launcher switcher app.
Do these launchers work on Fire TV? Projectivy and Square Home install on Fire TV via Aptoide TV or the Downloader app. Fire OS lets you set a default launcher in Settings, Applications, Manage Installed Applications.
Why does my new launcher not show channels from Netflix or Plex? Channels are an Android TV API. Projectivy and the stock Android TV Launcher support it. FLauncher, ATV Launcher, HALauncher and Square Home do not, by design.
