Organize Apps on Android TV: A Simple Guide

Organizing Apps on Android TV (Android 6.0 and Above)

Android TV represents a significant improvement over basic Chromecast functionality. However, prior to the Marshmallow update (Android 6.0), users lacked the ability to personalize the arrangement of applications on their home screens—a notable oversight by Google.

Now, with the latest Android TV version widely available on many popular devices, customizing your app order is straightforward. This guide will demonstrate the process.

Understanding the Limitations

Before rearranging icons, it’s important to understand that you cannot move apps between different categories. Games will remain within the “Games” section, and applications will stay in the “Apps” section, and so forth.

Furthermore, custom sections—such as the “SHIELD Hub” found on NVIDIA’s SHIELD Android TV—may not be editable.

Rearranging App Icons

Using your remote, navigate to the section you wish to reorganize. Select the desired icon and press and hold the “select” button.

The background will darken, and only the section being edited will be visible.

Utilize the arrow keys on your remote to reposition the icon to your preferred location. Once positioned, press the “select” button to finalize the move.

To move additional icons, simply select them and repeat the process. This is all there is to it.

Uninstalling Apps

From this screen, you can also uninstall applications and games. Move the icon downwards to the trash can icon located at the bottom of the screen.

Saving Your Changes

When finished, choose the “Save & Exit” option, or press the back button on your remote. Ensure that you have “dropped” the moved icon before exiting, or your changes will not be saved.

The Importance of Customization

Although a simple feature, many users were previously unaware of this capability, as it wasn’t present in earlier iterations of Android TV.

Google recognized that as the selection of Android TV apps and games expanded, home screen organization became an essential feature for a positive user experience.

Android TV offers a streamlined experience, and this customization option further enhances its usability.