The Google TV Streamer is Google’s latest TV streaming hardware. With newer hardware, an updated form factor, and added convenience features like a built-in Ethernet port, the Streamer is an improvement over the outgoing Chromecast with Google TV model in almost every way. But Google TV itself really leans towards content recommendations, which creates an interface that can get a little overwhelming.

To simplify things, you can enable a stripped-down “apps-only” mode that removes many of the bells and whistles (and ads), giving you a more muted home screen that can be easier to navigate. Here’s what enabling Apps Mode does and how to set it up on your Google TV Streamer.

What is Google TV’s only app mode?

Google TV’s Apps mode is a stripped-down interface designed to put your apps front and center, with additional functionality and features minimized or disabled. Apps Only mode hides most content recommendations and ads from the Google TV interface, but does not affect the interface or content of individual apps. The large strip of non-personalized content recommendations from Google TV’s standard interface is still present in app-only mode, but other content suggestions are removed from the interface.

Apps-only mode also disables some important Google TV features. Switching to apps-only mode removes Google TV’s normal For You, Live, Apps and Library tabs and replaces them with a single tab labeled Home. This means you cannot access live channels or purchased movies or TV shows from your home screen. In app-only mode, live channels can be accessed through individual apps (such as Pluto TV), and content purchased through Google Play can be found within the YouTube app. Apps-only mode prevents you from installing new apps directly from Google TV, but you can add new ones using the Play Store web interface.

Google Assistant is not available when only apps are enabled. Google TV’s recently added Google Home integration is also disabled in app-only mode; if your Google TV Streamer’s customizable button is set to open the Google Home panel, it will do nothing when the apps-only mode is active.

Here’s how to enable app-only mode on Google TV Streamer

The app-only mode option is tucked several layers deep into Google TV’s system settings, but it’s easy to enable if you know where to look. Here’s how to enable apps-only mode on your Google TV Streamer. (If you’re using another Google TV device like Chromecast with Google TV, the process is the same.)

1. Press and hold the Google TV Streamer remote’s Home button to open the Quick Settings panel, then click All settings.

   

2. Scroll down and click Accounts and Profiles.

   

3. Click on the profile for which you want to enable only apps.

   

4. Scroll down.

   

5. Click on Apps mode only.

   

6. A full screen confirmation dialog will appear. Click Turn on.

   

If you want to turn off app-only mode again, the process is identical. Following the steps above while only apps are active will restore the default Google TV interface and functionality.

Apps only are a compromise

While apps-only mode provides a simpler Google TV experience and significantly reduces the number of ads the operating system shows you, the trade-off is pretty steep: most features outside of opening the apps you already have installed are disabled. But if you find Google TV’s standard interface too cluttered and all you need is access to your streaming services, the apps-only mode might be worth a try.

Google TV Streamer

Google TV Streamer is basically a refined Chromecast with Google TV. Enabling apps-only mode makes Streamer’s interface easier to navigate, but it also disables various features like Google Assistant access, Google Home integration, and even quick access to your purchased Google TV content.