[Android TV General] gebxda:
EDIT 2023: As you know, YT Vanced is discontinued. There are alternatives that work similarly as: NewPipe, SmartTubeNext and others (choose and use them with wisely, checking previously reputation and if your selected app is harmful or not).

I keep the original post for archival reference.

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This is not meant to be a comprehensive guide for installing and using YouTube Vanced, but to help with usage experience and what to expect if you try to use this AWESOME YouTube alternative app on an Android TV Smart TV device. I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THIS WOULD WORK IN "ALL" ANDROID TV SMART DEVICE.

I really don't know if there is a special version of Vanced for Android TV, this guide is for the regular app for smartphones.

What do you need?

- You WILL need a keyboard with mouse (trackpad) input for using correctly the app. There are many, expensive and generic (something like the Logitech k600 is great in the expensive side, and the little Chinese ones with RGB and Nokia old batteries should work too).

- Side-load the official app installer (Vanced Manager) in your TV (depending the manufacturer this is easy or not to do).

- Recommended: "Sideload Launcher" app by the great Chainfire (on the Android TV Google Play store), to be able to easily launch Youtube Vanced in your TV.

The app:

Here is the official thread:

https://xdaforums.com/t/app-mod-root-nonroot-youtube-vanced-edition.3758757/

- You can side-load the Vanced Manager apk and install it in your TV.

- It can be directly downloaded from your TV if you have the possibility or can be downloaded elsewhere and copied with a pen drive.

- Then, the TV could have a way to install apps directly (mine does, a TCL) or you can use, for example, FX File Explorer that can be obtained from the Android TV Google Play store. It may ask for permission to install the Vanced Manager depending the way you do it, or give the 3rd. party app the permission to install it.

- Note that if you have activated "developer options" and configured to force-close any app on the device other than the main active one, Vanced Manager will fail when attempting to install the app.

The main problem using Vanced Manager in an Android TV:

- As is not meant to be used in a TV but in touchscreen devices, once installed, you can't even pass the main screen with a "regular" remote. This is because how inputs are detected. So, here is when the keyboard with a trackpad starts to be essential.

- Using a keyboard with "mouse input" you can pass the main screen and correctly download and install Vanced Manager. It's necessary to allow "unknown sources" and give permission to Vanced Manager for installing the app.

What to expect once installed:

- You need to configure it extensively and to your liking (In my case I disable all publicity and configure the general quality of the videos. I just want to see videos and nothing more with YouTube in a TV).

- Depending on the configuration it could be keeping the videos running in the background when you try to watch other things. This is solvable completely with the correct configuration in the app.

- Sometimes the inputs are not detected correctly, but with a "mouse input" available, it works almost perfectly. I recommend to activate accessibility controls to easily skip parts.

- "Youtube shorts" can be seen, but the app stretches to widescreen the videos and rotates the controls.

- If "full screen" is pressed accidentally, the app rotates the screen. This is solved by pressing "right click" mouse input equivalent in your keyboard (the "back" function). The curiosity of this is that everywhere it's said that you "can't see comments on YouTube for Android TV", but with this behavior of the app, you can! (but rotated :giggle: ).

- You can "navigate" the list of videos with "two fingers scroll" or moving up and down with a cursor, if it's available in the keyboard [it may not be with a "regular" cursor (arrows) but a "directional" one (like a pad)].

Conclusions:

- For me, YouTube Vanced is amazing and even essential for many reasons that are not the focus of this guide.

- The few quirks of trying to using it in a type of device that the app is not meant to be used (like having a keyboard with trackpad as "mandatory") are totally surpassed by the benefits of having Vanced usable in a Smart TV.

Hope you'll be able to enjoy Vanced on your TV, and please give support to The Vanced Team!