The home screen of the platform now has a large featured section advertising shows on services you may not subscribe to, along with algorithmically curated recommendations and trailers. There’s also a smaller row of apps in the midst of everything, which can make it hard to find what you’re actually looking for. If you’ve been a victim of Google TV’s redesign, know that you can get rid of the clutter by downloading a launcher. These apps act like a coat of paint on an operating system, changing its appearance while leaving the actual functioning intact. You can also create custom categories to organize your apps. For example, you can keep your sports services in one list, your TV and movie services in another, and your system utilities at the bottom. There are several options available for download at the Google Play Store. These are our favorites. There are a few other nice features, like a shortcut to the system settings and the ability to choose a wallpaper from the built-in gallery, or set one up from a USB drive. FLauncher really doesn’t look like much, but it does everything you need, meaning you’ll never need to see the default home screen ever again. The main customization you get with Launchy Launcher is the ability to add wallpaper, either by choosing one of your own photos using a USB drive or by browsing a free collection of images. This app may seem like it’s way too basic, but you can really make it look great with just a few button presses. Sure, Launchy Launcher is not going to provide enough customization options for all users, but for some, it’s going to be just right. All some people need is a list of apps, after all. Basically, you hold down the Home button and have Dashboard show up above whatever you’re watching. That way, you’ll be able to browse your apps without stopping playback. Your most recent apps are at the top and below you’ll see a grid of apps you can re-order however you like. There’s also quick access to your HDMI ports and other inputs, your TV’s display settings, and a button for launching your TV’s screensaver. Finally, and more interestingly, you’ll be able to see the IP address for your device, which is useful if you’re troubleshooting network issues. This makes Kodi a pretty good, unconventional launcher, especially if you’re already using it to watch TV shows and movies you’ve got saved locally in a hard drive, for example. There’s not a lot else to it, really—you can mark certain apps as favorites and access system settings from a dedicated button. But that’s about it. The real appeal here is nostalgia and a user interface designed with the uttermost simplicity. It helps that Kodi is also highly customizable. For example, there’s no end to the list of skins you can download and fidget with, and you can obsessively tweak everything about how the application works— color scheme, which features do and don’t show up, and even the user interface sounds.
