Owners are using AI coding tools to remove ads and clutter from TVs they already own, but results vary by model and a wrong change can break the set.
A developer known as Gathin says he used an AI coding tool to clean up his parents' Xiaomi TV in one afternoon. An ad appeared before viewers could even open Netflix. Now, he says, the set looks like an Apple TV. Similar projects are spreading, though they come with real risks.
On 17 October, Gathin shared his project on X. He gave Claude Code, Anthropic's AI coding tool, the TV's model number. According to his post, the tool found the TV over Wi-Fi, disabled 25 Xiaomi software packages and built a new home screen, known as a launcher.
His project is called CleanYourTV. It is meant for Android TV and Google TV devices. A second project, dumbtv, takes a similar approach. Its developer, Muzzammil Yasin Sabuwala, told TechCrunch he wanted people to reach their shows without needless ads and clutter.
CleanYourTV disables selected manufacturer software rather than deleting it. It first backs up the list of installed packages and settings, and it includes a restore script meant to undo the changes.
Owners need a few things:
USB debugging is a setting that lets a computer control the TV. Some devices also need network debugging turned on.
TechCrunch reported that some users ran into trouble. One said they had bricked an Android TV, meaning it stopped working. Another got stuck halfway through changing a Fire TV. These are user reports, and the cause of each problem has not been independently confirmed.
CleanYourTV's own documentation warns that disabling the wrong system part can cause a crash loop on some devices, where the TV keeps failing over and over. Compatibility depends on the model and its software version. Dumbtv was tested on Fire TV Edition and on Android TV or Google TV sets from Sony, TCL, Philips, Hisense, Xiaomi and Nvidia Shield, but it is still a work in progress.
Even when it works, ads and tracking may not disappear completely. The results depend on the device, its operating system and the changes made.
A 20 October report by Jason Koebler of 404 Media described people using AI to turn smart picture frames into calendars, remove ads from baby monitors and revive bricked Lululemon mirrors with new software. Open-source researcher Mike Nolan warned that AI-built replacements can be hard to maintain and may not be reliable enough for long-term use.
Anyone tempted should treat this as an experiment. Back up first, confirm a restore option exists, and check whether your exact model has been tested. A new TV may still be the safer choice if the set is important to the household.
AI tools may rid an old TV of ads and save a replacement, but results vary by model, so back up first and make sure you can undo the changes.
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