People Are Asking AI to Clean the Junk Off Their TVs

By Evan · Monday, October 19, 2026 · 4-minute read

The short version

One man had an AI helper called Claude Code remove 25 built-in programs from his parents' TV and write a new home screen. Others showed theirs off too. It usually works only on Android or Google TVs, and it is best left to a tech-savvy family member.

The ad before Netflix

You turn on the TV to watch your show. But first, an ad fills the screen. You didn’t ask for it, and you can’t skip it.

That’s what one man’s parents were stuck with. “It was showing a sponsored ad before you could even get to Netflix,” he wrote.

So he asked an AI helper to fix it. And this past week, people on X showed they’d been doing the same thing.

How it started

On October 16, Ryan Doyle posted on X: “Hacked my TV with Claude Code today.” Claude Code is the name of the AI helper he used.

Doyle says his TV lost its ads, its junk apps and its slow, laggy menus. He also got a new screensaver that shows his calendar and the weather.

That evening, he posted a short video showing how fast his TV moves now. About 27,000 people liked it.

The post that took off

The next day, October 17, a man who goes by Gathin posted about his parents’ Xiaomi TV.

“Vibe coded my parents’ TV this afternoon!” he wrote. (“Vibe coding” is internet slang for having an AI write the computer code for you.)

He gave the AI helper the TV’s model number. He says it found the TV on the home Wi-Fi, removed 25 of the TV maker’s built-in programs, and wrote a brand-new home screen.

His verdict: “Looks like an Apple TV now lol.”

By Monday, about 26,800 people had liked his post. X counted about 4.9 million views.

He even shared his instructions online. His first try took an afternoon. With his instructions, some people report it takes about fifteen minutes.

Think of it like this

Picture your TV’s home screen as a living room someone else decorated. There are billboards on the walls and a closet stuffed with boxes you never open.

These folks hired an AI handyman. It cleared out the clutter, took down the billboards, and put up one neat menu with just the things they watch.

But this handyman can’t just walk in the front door. Someone has to let it in from a computer on the same Wi-Fi.

The crazy things people did with it

A “new” TV for Mom and Dad. On October 17, @justansub said his parents’ old Android TV was full of junk and sponsored rows they couldn’t turn off. He says the AI helper switched off the junk and the tracking, removed 11 apps nobody used, and built a home screen with just the apps his parents actually use. “Honestly it feels like a new TV now,” he wrote.

A “Movie” button that dims the lights. On October 18, @0xProbabillity posted a video of a home screen he says he made for his TV with AI. Press “Movie,” he says, and the lights dim and Netflix opens.

Wedding photos on the TV. Also on October 18, @realkieranlewis said his TV was “almost unusable” before. He says the AI helper fixed it in about 45 minutes. Now, his new home screen rotates through his wedding photos.

Before you get any ideas

This is a fascinating trend, not a weekend project for most of us. Here’s why.

  • It takes a computer. People run the AI helper on a computer on the same Wi-Fi as the TV, after turning on a hidden setting on the TV. This is best left to a tech-savvy family member.
  • It won’t work on every TV. It usually works on TVs that run Android TV or Google TV, like Sony, TCL, Xiaomi and Hisense. It doesn’t work on Samsung, LG or Roku TVs, which run different systems.
  • Things can go wrong. The tech site It’s FOSS warns that removing the wrong built-in program can break the TV’s Home button, or stop it from switching to your cable box or other inputs. It suggests switching apps off rather than deleting them.
  • You might lose updates. Many of these cleanups also switch off the TV maker’s updates, It’s FOSS says, so the TV stops getting fixes. It also says to turn that hidden setting back off when you’re done, so it isn’t left open on your home network.

Sources

This story was in the issue of Monday, October 19, 2026.