People Are Using AI to Make Smart TVs Faster, Safer, and Ad-Free

Individuals are using AI coding tools to turn their slow, ad-filled smart TVs into faster, simpler, and more private devices.

Key points

• He informed TechCrunch that he built the project using DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Claude Opus 5.5 and Claude Sonnet 5.5.
• This Free AI Tool Lets You Search Your Computer by Describing What's Inside.
• The project has been tested on a Fire TV Edition television and Android TV and Google TV devices from Sony, TCL, Philips, Hisense, Xiaomi and Nvidia Shield.
• Offered Claude Code the model number, it identified the TV on wifi, removed 25 Xiaomi packages and wrote a new launcher.
• In a viral post on X, Ryan Doyle remarked he provided Claude Code his TV's product listing and asked, "Can you hack this?"

While others are asking AI assistants to modify their TVs directly, a number of projects have emerged to assist users create these changes. Nevertheless, the process is still experimental and can cause software difficulties if an AI tool disables something significant.

According to TechCrunch, these efforts are becoming more accessible as AI coding assistants support residents customize their televisions without extensive programming experience. Anthropic Pledges 5% of Its Shares to New Public Benefit Fund. AI Is Making Smart TVs Dumb Again.

One open-source project, dumbtv, intends to strip televisions of built-in, viewing tracking and unwanted updates, leaving users with their preferred apps and HDMI inputs.

Another project, cleanyourtv, removes unnecessary software from Android TV and Google TV devices over Wi-Fi. It can additionally replace the default home screen with a cleaner interface resembling Apple TV.

While modifying consumer electronics is not new, AI coding tools have created it easier for residents to customize their devices. The trend additionally reflects growing frustration with smart TV and tracking.

Plenty of modern televisions apply automatic content recognition (ACR) to identify what individuals watch through screenshots, audio samples and other digital fingerprints. This information can be applied to backing targeted advertising and other commercial purposes. No spying – no ads from tv – fully customisable.

To setup just point your agent to this repo – pic.twitter.com/c6R8EhljiA. Muzzammil (@DevMuzzammil) October 18, 2026. Claude Code Support Start the Trend.

Meanwhile, the creator of cleanyourtv, Gathin T., remarked he began the project after becoming frustrated with on his parents' television.

He asked Claude Code to clean up the TV over Wi-Fi and build a basic home screen containing only their apps. As well as some projectors, after publishing the prompt and sharing before-and-after results, he remarked thousands of residents tried similar modifications on televisions from Xiaomi, TCL, Sony, Fire TV and LG.

Meanwhile, the process does not require root access and allows users to restore their televisions to their original factory configuration. Vibe coded my parents' TV this afternoon!

It was showing a ad before you could even obtain to Netflix.

Offered Claude Code the model number, it identified the TV on wifi, removed 25 Xiaomi packages and wrote a new launcher. Looks like an Apple TV now lol pic.twitter.com/E5Q4A1b0yI. Gathin (Ø, G) (@gathint) October 17, 2026. Another Project Uses DeepSeek and Claude.

Developer Muzzammil Yasin Sabuwala created dumbtv after growing tired of and the difficulty of getting straight to the content he wanted to watch.

Notably, the project has been tested on a Fire TV Edition television and Android TV and Google TV devices from Sony, TCL, Philips, Hisense, Xiaomi and Nvidia Shield.

Sabuwala recommends directing an AI coding agent to the dumbtv GitHub repository to obtain kicked off. He additionally aims to maintain the project and add backing for more models.

This Free AI Tool Lets You Search Your Computer by Describing What's Inside. Some Users Are Letting AI Hack Their TVs. Not everyone is relying on dedicated projects to simplify their televisions.

He remarked the AI guided him through removing and unnecessary software, speeding up the interface and customizing the screensaver.

Another X user, Mihir Gupta, remarked he employed Claude Code to disable 25 unnecessary apps, replace a 192MB stock launcher with an 83MB custom launcher and add rotating wallpapers.

This is how fast the TV moves now that Claude deleted all the BS laggy bloatware it comes with pic.twitter.com/g07CEgC1GJ. Ryan Doyle (@doooyle) October 17, 2026. AI Can Brick Your TV, Too.

These modifications are still experimental, and users are testing them throughout different television platforms. Some have additionally noted difficulties getting AI assistants to understand basic requests without more detailed instructions.

More seriously, AI coding agents can create mistakes when changing system software. Disabling essential packages or services can leave a television unable to work properly.

While another became stuck midway through modifying a Fire TV, one user documented bricking an Android TV with Claude.

Users who would rather avoid these risks can customize Android-based televisions with existing home-screen replacements, including ATV Launcher, Projectivy Launcher and FLauncher. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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In short, people Are Using AI to Make Smart TVs Faster, Safer, and Ad is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.