---
title: "Google TV: Installing the SmartTube bridge app without root"
description: How to set up SmartTube's bridge app
aliases: |
    google-tv-smarttube
    smarttube
    smarttube-bridge
tags:
date: 2025-03-08T06:31:19+00:00
updated: 2025-12-10
---
When using SmartTube (aka smarttubenext), to use: 
 - the recommended videos on the google tv home,   
 - voice search,   
 - or the YouTube button some remotes have,   

you need to uninstall the default youtube app and replace it with the smarttube bridge app.     
unfortunately you need root or adb to do this.  
on some devices, you may need root or another method. but the following works for my *Google TV Streamer (4K)* (from 2024).  
adb can be done remotely on a pc if wireless debugging is enabled.  

## 1. 
just open the settings -> system -> developer options -> enable wireless debugging.
then you can connect to the ip on screen on a pc using
```a /<local ip address>/#red
adb connect <local ip address>
```
eg
```a /192.168.0.50/#yellow
adb connect 192.168.0.50
```


then uninstall the official app completely using:
- for root(?)
```
adb shell pm uninstall com.google.android.youtube.tv
```
 - on adb
```
adb uninstall com.google.android.youtube.tv
```


## 2.
then you can install the bridge app on smarttube under 
- Settings -> About -> 'Enable global search'.

- Or you can install the bridge apk remotely by downloading it from here 
https://kutt.it/stn_bridge_atv and running:
```a \"./ATV_SYTV_Bridge.apk"/#yellow
adb install "./ATV_SYTV_Bridge.apk"
```
(you probably have to change the path)

- or using a downloader app (eg *Downloader by AFTVnews*)
and entering 
```
kutt.it/stn_bridge_atv
```



# update 2025-12 note
see smarttube's announcement: https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube/releases/tag/notification  
> Important Announcement
> 
> Friends, it seems that my digital signature has been exposed. This signature protects the app from fake and malicious updates, so there is a risk that someone may try to release counterfeit versions under my name.
> 
> To completely eliminate any threats, I’ve decided to stop using the current signature and switch to a new one. Because of this, the app’s identifier will also change. You don’t need to delete the old app (but it will no longer receive updates) — the new one will install as a separate app and will need to be configured again.
> 
> Thank you for your understanding and attention to security.
>
  
you need to uninstall and re-install the main smarttube app to continue getting updates.  
it might have been automatically uninstalled, in which case you can just install it again  
see the download instructions here: https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube?tab=readme-ov-file#installation