Stream console-quality games to an Android TV or Google TV without owning the console. Our pick of the seven cloud gaming apps that actually work on the couch in 2026, from GeForce NOW to Moonlight.
Lost the Fire TV remote again? These seven Android apps turn any phone into a full Fire TV controller, with keyboards, mice, and voice search.
Plex, Jellyfin, or both? These 7 Android apps for playing back your home media library cover the official clients, the better third-party players, and the picks for offline travel.
Amazon's Vega OS takes consumer control away in exchange for speed. We ranked 7 Fire TV launcher alternatives you can sideload to take that control back.
Smart TVs phone home all day. We tested 7 Android apps and DNS-based tools that filter ACR, ad pixels, and trackers across every device on the home network.
Smart TVs scrape what you watch and ship it to ad networks. Seven Android apps that block smart TV tracking at the network level, from AdGuard to NextDNS and Pi-hole.
Tired of ads on your home screen? We tested 7 Google TV alternatives, from Apple TV and Roku to launcher apps that strip the cruft.
Watching the World Cup 2026 on the big screen? Eight Smart TV and streaming-device apps for every match, from free Tubi to FOX One, Peacock, and 4K on Fubo.
Play M3U playlists and live TV streams on Android phones and Android TV boxes. Eight tested IPTV apps including TiviMate, IPTV Smarters, OttPlayer, and Kodi.
Free, ad-supported live TV on Android phones and Android TV. Eight tested apps including Pluto TV, Tubi, Plex, Xumo, and Samsung TV Plus.
HappyMod is built for phones, not TV firmware. Here's what 'HappyMod for Fire TV' sideloads actually do, why the catalogue misbehaves on a leanback OS, and the legitimate TV paths.
HD Hub is built for phones, not TV firmware. Here's what 'HD Hub for Fire TV' sideloads actually install, why the downloader misbehaves on a leanback box, and the legit TV offline-video paths.
Roku still has The Roku Channel, but Google TV runs apps Roku can't. These are the eight Google TV apps to install first when migrating from a Roku stick or TV.
The Fire TV Stick is an Android box in a tiny shell. We tested 10 apps that fix the launcher, replace the YouTube app, sideload everything else, and keep ads out.
A monitor plus a cheap Android stick is often better than a proper smart TV. We tested six apps that turn a basic display into a full streaming hub.
The default Android TV home screen is a row of ads. These six replacement launchers put your apps and live content back where you can find them, on Nvidia Shield, Fire TV and Google TV.
Sideloading, media libraries, ad-free YouTube and a real file manager. These eight apps turn an Nvidia Shield, Fire TV or Chromecast with Google TV into a serious media box.
Smart TV Cast para Chromecast mirrors a phone to a TV in one tap, but ads, premium upsells, and shaky DRM handling push many users to look elsewhere. We tested 7 alternatives.
Universal TV Remote Control works for most brands, but ads, missing IR support on newer phones, and a paywall on advanced buttons push people to other remote apps. We tested 7 Universal TV Remote Control alternatives.
If you self-host on a NAS or a Raspberry Pi, you need a DLNA or UPnP client on your phone. Seven Android picks for streaming, casting, and serving media around the house.
Plex's price hike has more people moving ripped Blu-rays back to local files. Seven local video player apps for Android that play any format, including ripped movies, DVDs, and large MKV files.
Fire TV sticks slow down after a year of installs and cached video data. These seven apps clear storage, sideload fresh tools, and bring a sluggish Fire TV stick back to life.
When the original remote is lost, dead, or just bad, the phone can do the job. Our pick of seven Android apps that control smart TVs from major brands in 2026.
