How do you tune your Google TV settings?
Change a handful of Google TV defaults to declutter the home screen, speed up the interface and steady your streams.
Short answer
Go to Settings > Accounts & Sign In, pick your profile and turn off video previews, and switch on Apps Only mode if you want a bare home screen. Scroll to the bottom of the home screen and use Manage Services to mute recommendations. In System > About, press OK seven times on the build number, then disable animations under Developer options.
What you need
Step by step
Pick which services suggest content
Scroll to the very bottom of the home screen and open Manage Services. Toggle home screen recommendations on or off for each app in the list. This is where you can enable a subscription you skipped during setup, or silence a service you never watch.
Turn off automatic video previews
Open Settings > Accounts & Sign In, select your own profile and scroll down to switch off video previews. Trailers in the top band of the home screen will no longer autoplay before you choose them. It cuts the distraction and makes the interface smoother on lower-powered hardware.
Disable animations for speed
In Settings > System > About, highlight the Android TV OS Build Number and press the OK button on the remote seven times. Return to system settings, open Developer options and set Window animation scale, Transition animation scale and Animator duration scale to Animation off. The difference is noticeable on budget devices.
Switch on Apps Only mode
If you want the home screen fully stripped down, go to Settings > Accounts & Sign In, select your profile, turn on the Apps Only mode switch and confirm with Turn on. Only your apps stay on the home screen. In this mode Google Assistant and Google Home integration are disabled and you cannot download new apps.
Create a separate profile for the household
From Settings > Accounts & Sign In choose Add account and use the QR code shown on screen to sign in the other person's Google account. Everyone's recommendations and watchlist then stay in their own profile, so the main profile's history is not mixed up.
Set a custom DNS
Go to Settings > Network & Internet, select the Wi-Fi network you are connected to, open IP settings and choose Static. Leave the IP address, gateway and network prefix length as they are and press Next through them, then enter a server such as 1.1.1.1 in the DNS field. This can reduce stuttering and slow app launches in some apps.
Tips
Watch out
Custom DNS servers can cause sign-in and content loading problems in some apps. If the internet drops entirely, open Network & Internet, forget the network and reconnect; that restores automatic DHCP and the default DNS settings.
Frequently asked questions
+I opened Developer options by accident, is that a problem?
No. The menu simply becomes visible and changes nothing on its own. As long as you do not touch the settings inside, the device keeps working normally.
+How do I turn Apps Only mode back off?
Go to Settings > Accounts & Sign In, select the same profile and switch off the Apps Only mode toggle. The home screen and Google Assistant return to normal.
+If streams keep freezing, is DNS to blame?
Not always. Check your internet speed and Wi-Fi signal first; if every app struggles it is usually the network, and if only one app does it is usually the service itself.
+Are these settings the same on Android TV?
Mostly, since Google TV is an interface built on top of Android TV. Home screen specific options like Apps Only mode and Manage Services may be missing on older Android TV versions.
+Do I need the other person's password to add their profile?
No. With the QR code method they sign in from their own phone, so you never have to type the password on the TV.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 12 Eylül 2026. tell us. Menu names follow the English Google TV interface; wording may differ slightly by device manufacturer and software version.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.