More users say Claude Code helped them strip ads and bloatware from their TVs and build custom launchers
I just vibe-coded my TV It showed an ad before I could even open Netflix. Gave Claude Code the model number. It found the TV on Wi-Fi, removed 25 Xiaomi packages and built this launcher. Basically an Apple TV now.
Context
People using coding agents to modify devices they own shows how far these tools now reach beyond writing code, along with the risks of changing device software.
These are first hand anecdotes from users and have not been verified. Neither post names the exact steps or the risks, such as voiding a warranty or breaking updates.
Deep dive
On October 17, 0xProbability posted that they vibe coded their TV after it showed an ad before they could even open Netflix. The post quoted Ryan Doyle's October 16 post about hacking his TV with Claude Code.
0xProbability wrote that they gave Claude Code the TV's model number, that it found the TV on the home network, removed 25 Xiaomi packages and built a new launcher, and that it is basically an Apple TV now. The attached video shows a home screen called luma with a large landscape image and a row of app tiles including YouTube, Netflix, SoundCloud and TED.
On October 18, Mihir Gupta posted that he saw people vibe coding their TVs and tried it because his had become unbearably slow. He wrote that in one afternoon with Claude Code he disabled 25 bloat apps and replaced the 192 MB stock launcher with a custom 83 MB one with rotating wallpapers. His before and after image shows a Google TV home screen labeled sponsored hero ad beside a cleaner dock of streaming apps.
Neither user explained exactly what they changed, whether it can be undone, or how it affects software updates, and the claims have not been independently checked.
What to expect next
Watch whether TV makers such as Xiaomi or Google respond, for example by restricting developer access or by offering ways to turn off ads and sponsored content.
Also watch whether users share the scripts or launchers they built, and whether problems such as broken updates or lost features appear over time. The trend may spread to other devices with locked down software, such as routers, cars and smart speakers.