A Google TV update may have broken one of the best ways to avoid home screen ads

Google TV’s interface isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Between sponsored content and limited customization options, many users turn to third-party launchers to clean up the home screen and regain a bit of control. But some Google TV owners say a recent update may have undone that workaround by preventing one popular launcher from replacing the default interface.

In a recent Reddit thread on the Projectivy Launcher subreddit, users report that a Google TV update appears to break the app’s ability to override the stock launcher. Normally, Projectivy can take over the home screen when you press the Home button or wake your device, effectively replacing Google’s default interface. According to several posts in the thread, the override toggle no longer works after the update, meaning the standard Google TV home screen loads instead.

The reports suggest Projectivy itself still functions, but only if you open it manually. In other words, it can still run like a normal app, but it no longer automatically replaces the system launcher. It’s not clear how widespread the issue is right now as the reports appear limited to a handful of Reddit users so far, and a couple of users on the thread state that they haven’t experienced it.

If you have encountered this problem, another post on the same subreddit outlines a possible workaround. According to users there, resetting certain launcher settings and re-enabling the override configuration may restore the expected behavior. The steps involve toggling permissions and reconfiguring Projectivy’s startup behavior, though the fix doesn’t appear to work for everyone. You can see the full instructions here.

Projectivy Launcher is one of the more popular third-party launchers for Google TV and Android TV devices. Many people use it to remove ads and sponsored content from the default interface, gaining more control over layout and customization. We highlighted it as one of our favorite Google TV apps last year, partly because it integrates cleanly with the system and can override the default launcher without slowing things down.

For now, it’s unclear whether the behavior stems from an intentional change in Google TV or simply a bug introduced in a recent update. Either way, if your Google TV device suddenly started reverting to the default home screen, the fix linked above may be worth a try.