Set up with your TV in reach.
You stay in control of debugging, authorization and the exact changes. Check the firmware first.
Install the verified phone APK
Download only the production release from the TVPilot download page. On your Android phone, allow your browser or file manager to install unknown apps if Android asks. Open the APK and review the installer prompt. You can turn that install permission off afterward.
A missing verified release means there is nothing to install from this site yet. Never substitute a debug APK from a test folder.
Prepare the TV
Keep the TV and phone on the same trusted Wi-Fi. In TV Settings → About, press Build seven times to enable Developer options. Enable USB debugging; Xiaomi may also require MiTV debugging. Find the TV’s local IP address in Network settings.
Network ADB must actually be supported. This implementation uses authenticated network ADB, typically port 5555. Android 11+ wireless debugging pairing codes are not supported here.
Sign in and pair locally
Sign in to TVPilot with Google, choose Pair a TV and enter the TV’s address and ADB port. Accept “Allow USB debugging?” on the physical TV only for a phone you trust.
Pairing can install or update the small TV companion. The current Home choice is recorded and preserved. The app checks the exact device and firmware before enabling supported changes.
Choose apps and review
Select one to four installed dock apps, arrange their order, then choose title, color and visibility. Hiding an app changes Home visibility; optional disabling stops a reviewed app for the TV user. They are different actions.
Screensaver changes, third-party AdGuard DNS and Xiaomi Home fallback are optional, with separate disclosures. DNS can affect playback and does not guarantee ad blocking. Review the actual resolved Home action before Apply.
Back up, then Apply
Keep both devices on and connected. A local restore record and account backup precede the reviewed changes. The app reads values back and stops if it cannot confirm an operation.
Do not treat a partial or conflict result as success. Use its recorded recovery options. Account backup availability does not mean an offline TV is reachable.
Check, then turn debugging off
Check Home, D-pad/OK/Back, volume, Settings, streaming picture and sound, casting and your TV inputs. Turn USB debugging and MiTV debugging off when finished. The app cannot remotely verify your physical remote or an unconnected HDMI source.
Restore a recorded setup
Choose the matching TV’s restore point and review its recorded Home, package and setting values. Keep the TV on, reconnect over the local network, enable debugging again and accept authorization if prompted. Restore reverses recorded changes only; previously disabled apps remain in their saved state. Conflicts are shown and left unchanged.
Restore is not a factory reset. Additional companion/launcher APKs stay installed. Original historical-backup import and its separate inverse are advanced recovery paths, distinct from normal restore points.