Key Points
- A programmer leveraged Claude Code to deactivate 25 Xiaomi applications on his parents’ television and construct a replacement interface.
- The resulting cleanyourtv repository now documents successful configurations for 107 television models spanning 37 manufacturers.
- The software disables applications via Android’s debugging bridge rather than permanently removing them, allowing full reversibility.
- Texas filed suit against Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL in December 2025 regarding television viewing data harvesting.
- Several participants encountered malfunctioning devices, while the repository cautions that network debugging lacks encryption.
Television owners are deploying artificial intelligence coding assistants to eliminate sponsored content, surveillance packages and sluggish manufacturer interfaces from their devices. The movement gained traction across X throughout the weekend, with participants dubbing it “vibe coding” their sets.
Vibe coding refers to articulating desired outcomes in everyday language while allowing AI systems to generate and execute the necessary code. OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy coined the term in 2025.
The Xiaomi Television Modification Process
The most widely circulated demonstration originated from programmer Gathin T. He disclosed on Saturday that his parents’ Xiaomi television displayed a sponsored advertisement before viewers could access Netflix.
He provided Claude Code, Anthropic’s coding assistant, with the television’s model identifier. The AI agent located the device on his home wireless network, deactivated 25 Xiaomi software bundles and constructed a replacement home interface.
The technique utilizes the Android Debug Bridge, abbreviated as ADB, a maintenance utility embedded within Android television operating systems. After developer mode activation, a computer on the identical network can command the device and enumerate all installed applications.
Gathin transformed his instructions into cleanyourtv, an open-source repository. The tool deactivates unwanted applications rather than erasing them permanently, enabling a single restoration script to reverse all modifications. Root access is unnecessary.
By Tuesday, the repository documented verified configurations for 107 television models from 37 manufacturers. It had accumulated 10,700 stars on GitHub. Gathin noted that several thousand individuals cleaned their televisions within 48 hours.
Additional participants extended the approach. Mihir Gupta substituted a 192 MB factory launcher with an 83 MB alternative version. Ansub Khan reported available memory on his parents’ older Android television increased approximately 90%.
A competing repository called dumbtv focuses on Amazon Fire TV devices. It deactivates roughly 65 packages, including surveillance software, and installs a 41 KB launcher without internet permissions.
Television Manufacturers’ Data Collection Practices
Numerous televisions operate Automatic Content Recognition, abbreviated ACR. This software identifies on-screen content, including cable and HDMI sources, then transmits that information enabling manufacturers to distribute targeted advertisements.
Texas initiated litigation against Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL in December 2025. The state contended their televisions can capture display screenshots every 500 milliseconds.
In 2017, Vizio paid $2.2 million resolving allegations it harvested viewing data from 11 million televisions without authorization. Walmart acquired Vizio for approximately $2.3 billion in 2024, with executives highlighting Vizio’s advertising operation as contributing to the acquisition’s attractiveness.
Cleanyourtv operates comprehensively only on Android TV and Google TV devices from manufacturers including Sony, TCL, Hisense, Philips and Xiaomi. Samsung and LG televisions employ distinct operating systems, while Fire TV supports exclusively the cleanup phase.
Not every implementation succeeded. One participant reported bricking his television, while another became stuck during a Fire TV procedure.
The repository’s documentation cautions that network ADB lacks encryption. On certain firmware versions, any device on the same wireless network can assume control of the television, requiring users to deactivate debugging afterward.
Microsoft also discovered this year that concealed instructions could manipulate Claude Code into revealing credentials. Anthropic addressed that vulnerability in May.
As of Tuesday, the cleanyourtv repository had been forked 1,200 times. It maintained 85 open pull requests from contributors.
Get 3 Free Stock Ebooks
Discover top-performing stocks in AI, Crypto, and Technology with expert analysis.
- Top 10 AI Stocks - Leading AI companies
- Top 10 Crypto Stocks - Blockchain leaders
- Top 10 Tech Stocks - Tech giants
