A developer recently shared his experience on social media, highlighting the impressive transformation of his smart TV, which has been optimized to perform better than it did when it was new, thanks to the innovative Claude Code. Mert Cobanov, a Senior AI Engineer at Refik Anadol Studio, engaged with fellow users on Twitter/X, expressing his astonishment at the “unbelievable” speed and smoothness of his TV’s performance after implementing these changes.
Revitalizing Smart TVs
Cobanov’s motivation for this smart TV debloating stems from a common frustration with many television manufacturers that often equip their devices with underwhelming processors, limited RAM, and slow storage solutions. Even when new, these TVs can struggle with performance, and as updates roll out, the situation can deteriorate further. This has led to a growing market for external devices like set-top boxes and HDMI sticks, such as those offered by Amazon Fire TV, which, while effective, add layers of complexity and additional remotes for users.
In his post, Cobanov detailed how he utilized Claude to connect to his Android TV via ADB, allowing him to streamline the device by deactivating unnecessary applications and installing FLauncher, all without needing root access. “It started controlling the TV, deactivated apps, installed FLauncher. Shortened animation durations,” he explained. The result? A TV that now operates more smoothly than it did four years ago, a feat Cobanov describes as “unbelievable.” He encourages others to explore similar optimizations.
To assist others in achieving comparable results, Cobanov has launched a website titled “Clean up your Android TV,” which outlines a straightforward four-step process to refresh the TV’s operating system. The site includes the exact command he used to enable Claude Code’s functionalities, making it easy for users to replicate the process.
While there are some warnings associated with the debloating process, Cobanov reassures potential users that following his guide ensures nothing is permanently uninstalled. “Every step can be reversed. The agent keeps a list of what it disabled, so telling it ‘re-enable everything you disabled’ is enough,” he notes. Instructions are also provided for restoring any specific app that users may wish to recover after the debloating process.
