topic Re: App sorting query in Android TV

App sorting query

mobilyuk — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:22:33 GMT

I have a strange issue on the TV.

I can't seem to add or delete apps to the 'my apps' section on the home screen. I can sort by most recent but not add or delete. the bizarre thing is when I press discover I can see apps in another menu called my apps which shows apps that are not on the home screen or in playstore e.g. BBC sport and BBC iPlayer. How do I add these to the home screen without going into the discover menu?

Re: App sorting query

Owen_G — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 09:07:34 GMT

Hi mobilyuk. Thanks for your message. We are looking into this and someone will get back to you shortly. ^Owen

Re: App sorting query

jumpsuit — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 12:02:58 GMT

Hi @mobilyuk and welcome to the Community

Just out of interest which TV do you have?

There is a feature on Android TV that allows you to re-order

your apps and game rows on the home screen, but not an option to remove.

You may have seen this already. but.....

If you go into settings - system preferences - Home screen - apps and games row - re-order apps row

you will see the re-order options if you haven't customised the apps on the home screen yet.

**Make sure you uncheck 'sort automatically by recent usage' in the apps and game row section to view the re-order apps row option.**

Any apps that you have installed should disappear from the home screen / apps row once uninstalled.

Hope this helps.

Re: App sorting query

Jecht_Sin — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 06:54:10 GMT

@mobilyuk If you click and hold (with an app selected) the central button in the remote you go into an interface that allows to manually reorder and uninstall (only) the user apps. The ones that are not pre-installed as system apps to be clear. Just be aware that using it the automatic re-order may get disabled.

Otherwise to remove an app you must go into Settings/Apps and then click on each app you want to remove. There you find either the options Uninstall/Disable or nothing.

The apps not showing in Home usually are the apps you sideloaded (installed an external apk from a File Manager) because not available in Google Play. It usually happens with apps not meant for Android TV, only for mobile. They must have in their resources the Androd TV icon (and I suppose something in the Manifest telling that they are working with Android TV). All system apps (like Amazon Video, not the services) should show. I am surprised the BBC apps do not (I am not from UK, I can't really test it).

Anyway, if you want a way to have an icon for apps that aren't showing you can download TV App Repo. What it does is to create a second app visible in Home, even with a custom icon you can supply if you like, that once clicked will launch the sideloaded app.

Re: App sorting query

mobilyuk — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 10:36:54 GMT

It's bizarre as I haven't side loaded any apps, they just automatically appeared when I logged in with my Google account.

I am struggling to see the benefits of Android TV at the moment!