yuliskov/SmartTube

If you watch YouTube on an Android TV and are tired of ads and limited playback controls, SmartTube is worth a look. It is not on any app store, so you install it by sideloading an APK; the README's own guide covers the common paths.

The problem

On a stock Android TV, YouTube viewing means the official app: pre-roll and mid-roll ads, a remote-controlled UI with few playback options, and no built-in sponsor skipping. SmartTube replaces that client. After sideloading, you open it on the TV and watch the same YouTube content, but with ad blocking, SponsorBlock segments skipped, adjustable playback speed and a configurable interface built for a remote. The practical change is that the TV session becomes closer to a desktop browser with an ad blocker than to the default TV app.

What's different

SmartTube is a full alternate YouTube client, not a wrapper that opens the official app. The README lists SponsorBlock, adjustable speed, 8K support, 60fps, HDR compatibility, live chat and customisable buttons, and says it does not require Google Services project instructions. On a TV, the difference that matters most is the codec and resolution handling: the FAQ recommends AV1 where the device supports it, VP9 on most hardware, and AVC only for old or slow chips, noting that lower bitrate at the same quoted resolution is expected rather than a quality downgrade codec guide. That advice also exposes the main trade-off: the best format depends on the device, and picking an unsupported one produces a "video profile is not supported" error until you switch formats.

The project is explicitly aimed at TVs and boxes, not phones or tablets. A commenter on Hacker News described using it for a couple of years and said installation on a typical Android TV via the Downloader app is "really not hard" once you follow the warning to install from the project's own site rather than app stores comment, 2024-10-30. Another commenter, replying to a casting comparison, valued the on-TV feature set, including adjustable speed and SponsorBlock by default comment, 2024-10-30.

Who should try it

A good fit is someone with an Android TV, Google TV device, Fire TV device released before October 2025, or NVIDIA Shield who wants ad-free viewing and granular playback control without replacing the TV. A poor fit is anyone on a Samsung Tizen, LG webOS or Apple TV set, since the project only runs on Android; the README suggests a TV stick or box for those TVs. Phone and tablet users get no official optimisation or support, even if the app technically runs. If you rely on casting from the official YouTube app, voice search, or comments, the README warns that those areas may be less smooth than the official app.

Requirements and limitations

You need an Android TV or box running Android 4.3 or newer, and you must sideload the APK because there is no app-store listing installation guide. The README warns that APKs from app stores, APK sites and blogs were uploaded by others and may contain malware or ads. Chromecast with Google TV blocks sideloading by default, so you must enable developer options and allow unknown sources first. Xiaomi devices with Chinese firmware may block the beta version; the stable release is the recommended workaround.

The compatibility picture is changing: Fire TV devices released from October 2025 run Amazon's VegaOS instead of Android and are not supported. Comments are described as unstable, and voice search and casting performance can vary by device. Codec selection also needs per-device tuning, as above. These are ongoing considerations, not one-time setup steps.

The README states SmartTube is not officially published on any app store; install from the project's own release channels releases rather than third-party APK mirrors.

HotRepo's take

HotRepo's history is thin: one daily-board observation on 2026-10-25, when the repository had 35,504 stars and gained 76 that day. That single dated snapshot says nothing about whether interest is rising or fading; persistence cannot be judged from it. The more useful check before committing is device compatibility. Confirm your TV or box runs Android and is not a newer VegaOS Fire TV, then verify that the codec your hardware supports matches the formats the app offers for the videos you watch.