Android TV: launching non-standard apps per shortcut (beginner question?)

sbellon · September 19, 2025, 9:40am

Hi all,
please bear with me as I’m very new to the Remote 3. After having configured Android TV for the Nvidia Shield (Pro) and then starting it, I can see lots of pre-defined shortcuts for well-known apps like Netflix, Waipu, ARD, ZDF, etc. on the remote’s screen, but is there a way to add additional shortcuts to this list for apps that are locally installed on the Shield but are not in the pre-defined list?

HarmonyFan · September 19, 2025, 11:08am

Yes you can add a custom string in the source line. You need the App ID, I think from the Play Store, and then:

market://launch?id=App ID

example:

market://launch?id=org.xbmc.kodi

Ralf

sbellon · September 19, 2025, 11:10am

Thanks for the fast response … the App ID is not the problem … but where do I add this?

HarmonyFan · September 19, 2025, 1:12pm

Source command.

sbellon · September 19, 2025, 2:10pm

I really appreciate your help, but I do not understand it. I do not know where this “Source command” feature is hidden in the UI.

I am talking about the predefined shortcuts that appear on the Android TV page when turning on Android TV and then clicking the four square icons on the bottom. Then I get a screen titled with “Apps” and with buttons like Youtube, Prime Video, Plex, Netflix, HBO Max, Max, Emby, Disney+, Apple TV, Spotify, Ziggo, Videoland, Steam Link, Waipu TV, Magenta TV, Zattoo, Pluto TV, ARD Mediathek, ZDF Mediathek, Kodi, 1und1, Arte, Google Play Store, DVB-C/T/S, ATV Inputs, ATV PlayFI, ATV Now on TV, ATV Media, ATV Browser, Quickline TV, and myCANAL. In this list, I would like to add an Android TV app that is not listed there (and if that is possible, also remove apps that are irrelevant for me).

HarmonyFan · September 19, 2025, 2:20pm

You cannot add an app to this list. You can only add other commands to to GUI of an activity with the source command.

Ralf

sbellon · September 19, 2025, 3:14pm

You mean, clicking into Quelle (English Source) in the following screenshot, ignoring the list that opens, and blindly typing the market://launch?id=x.y.z string, hoping you don’t mistype because only the first two/three characters are visible at all?

sbellon · September 19, 2025, 3:28pm

Yes, indeed this works. I would have never guessed that this is an input field because 1) it directly opens the list of choices and 2) does not behave like a text input box at all.

But even by defining an activity with start sequence Android TV and then Source to launch the specified app (which works fine!), then I have to re-do all GUI and key bindings and cannot directly use those of the Android TV entity?

HarmonyFan · September 19, 2025, 4:01pm

No not in entity this can only be changed in the source code. Tip: type string in notepad, copy and then paste in source field.

Ralf

sbellon · September 19, 2025, 4:03pm

Copy&paste did not work for me. Perhaps this is browser and OS dependent.

DasSweater · September 21, 2025, 9:10am

Hi everyone,

I have two apps on my Shield TV that I’d like to launch directly via a shortcut. I’ve tried using market://launch?id=x.y.z, but instead of opening the app, it takes me to the Google Play Store page for that app, where I then have to manually press “Open.”

I’ve worked around it using a macro, but I’m wondering — is this the expected behavior, or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance!

HarmonyFan · September 21, 2025, 9:22am

Unlike Apple TV Android TV does not really have one way to start apps. In the source of the integration you see 2 other methods and with ADB I know a 3rd.

Look at the list and try other ways.

github.com/unfoldedcircle/integration-androidtv

src/apps.py

main

"""Application link and identifier mappings."""


def is_homescreen_app(app_id: str) -> bool:
    """Check if the app is a homescreen app."""
    # make sure each app_id is defined in IdMappings below!
    return app_id in [
        "com.android.systemui",
        "com.google.android.tvlauncher",
        "com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx",
        "com.spocky.projengmenu",  # Projectivity Launcher
    ]


def is_standby_app(app_id: str) -> bool:
    """Check if the app is a standby app."""
    # make sure each app_id is defined in IdMappings below!
    return app_id in ["com.google.android.backdrop", "com.google.android.apps.tv.dreamx"]

This file has been truncated. show original

Which App do you want to start perhaps someone already succeeded.

Ralf

DasSweater · September 21, 2025, 11:34am

Hi Ralf

Thanks – they are Danish streaming apps (DRTV and TV2 Play), so I guess the chances that anyone has looked into them are pretty small Anyways I can live with the macro workaround, just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t doing something wrong.

Martin

HarmonyFan · September 21, 2025, 11:44am

With Martin living there the chances are not the worst.

Does the DR TV app have a red icon with the play symbol and DR written beneath?

Ralf

DasSweater · September 21, 2025, 1:03pm

Good point

Yes, exactly (link to the play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dk.dr.webplayer) and the TV2 Play app is this one (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dk.tv2.tv2playtv).

Martin

HarmonyFan · September 21, 2025, 1:46pm

Hi,

I tried 2 other methods for DRTV and failed. Sorry. But macro is a good alternative I think.

Ralf

DasSweater · September 21, 2025, 3:14pm

Hi Ralf,

Thank you very much for trying - really appreciate it. For now I’ll stick with the macro then

Martin