AT4K strips the promotional tiles from Google TV's home screen and replaces them with a compact, Apple TV inspired grid that surfaces the apps and inputs you actually use. The third-party launcher, available free on Google Play with an optional one-time $5 premium unlock, puts a clock and quick settings at the top, a row for shows you are watching, a primary row of five app thumbnails, and a full app list and input icons beneath. Wired called the change a restoration of basic utility, clearing promotional clutter from Google TV's landing experience.

"The default home screen, though, is a mess," Wired said.

AT4K answers that mess with a deliberately simple layout. At the top right of the screen it shows a clock and quick links to application settings, system settings, and connectivity settings. Below that is a row of thumbnails for shows you're currently watching, followed by a primary row of five application thumbnails that the app highlights for easy access. Beneath the primary row AT4K shows the full list of installed apps and icons for any physical inputs attached to the TV. The app also offers a simple colour scheme option and a Controls menu that lets users enable the accessibility permissions necessary to make AT4K the system default launcher.

What changes for users

The practical result is that the things you actually use rise to the surface and promoted content falls away. Wired noted users can hide streaming service thumbnails entirely if they prefer, and recommended that people move frequently used apps and input devices into the top row for one-press access. The free version of AT4K contains no advertisements; a one-time $5 premium unlock opens additional customisations but, according to Wired, the base feature set will be enough for most people.

Mastheads

Installation and first-run behaviour are straightforward. You can install AT4K from Google Play either by visiting the store in a web browser or by installing directly on the television. To make it the active home screen, grant accessibility access through Google TV's settings; that permission prompts the system to accept the replacement, after which AT4K launches when the TV powers on and whenever you back out of another app. Personalisation happens on-device: select an icon, press and hold the enter button, choose Move App, and use the remote's arrow keys to place the app where you want it.

Speed and responsiveness tips

If Google TV still feels sluggish after switching launchers, there are additional tweaks that can improve responsiveness. One set of steps is to clear app caches via Settings > System > Storage > Internal shared storage > Apps > See All Apps. Another is to enable Developer options and reduce the Window Animation Scale, Transition Animation Scale, and Animator Duration Scale from 1x to 0.5x. Those changes reduce the visual latencies in animations and can make both the native interface and third-party launchers feel snappier.

The technical fixes aren't part of AT4K itself, but they're workarounds that users who want both a clean home screen and faster navigation can try. Between the launcher's pared back interface and the developer animation tweaks, the experience of moving between apps, inputs and content can feel noticeably quicker simply because the system is doing less work rendering large promotional tiles and heavy animations.

AT4K's design choices are functional rather than purely cosmetic. The emphasis on a compact, predictable grid and on showing the inputs you actually use echoes the way a set top remote is meant to behave: fast to navigate, quick to surface the task you want to complete. Wired's review framed that return to fundamentals as the app's most important contribution, describing AT4K as restoring basic utility to Google TV by removing the clutter of promotional content from the landing experience.

The app also keeps friction low for people who want to revert. Because AT4K relies on accessibility permission to become the system launcher, reverting to Google's default is a matter of revoking that permission in system settings.

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AT4K is available now on Google Play, free with no advertisements and an optional $5 premium unlock. To make it the default launcher on Google TV, grant the app accessibility permission in system settings. Originally reported by wired.com.

This article was created with AI assistance.