Android on CatosTV

Setting up Android

Open Settings → Android and select Set up Android TV.
Choose an app store: - Google Play is the official Play Store, used with your Google account. You need to register the TV with Google once. See Google Play certification. - Aurora Store installs the same apps from Google Play without a Google account. Choose it if you prefer not to sign in to Google on the TV.
CatosTV downloads Android (about 1 GB) and sets it up. The page shows each step and the download progress. Setup takes a few minutes.

After setup, Android starts in the background whenever the TV starts, so Android apps open quickly.

Google Play only allows sign-in on certified devices. A TV box you have built yourself isn't certified, so you need to register it once:

In Settings → Android, Google Play certification shows a long number, the device ID. If it shows Waiting for Android…, give Android a few minutes after its first start.
On a phone or computer, go to google.com/android/uncertified, sign in with the Google account you will use on the TV, and enter the device ID.
Wait a few minutes, sometimes longer, then sign in to Google Play on the TV. If sign-in still fails, restart the TV once and try again.

Aurora Store doesn't need this registration.

From an app store. Open Google Play or Aurora Store from Home and install apps as usual. Within a few seconds, each new app gets its own tile with its icon on Home and in Apps.
From a USB drive. Copy the .apk file to a USB drive and connect it to the TV. Go to Settings → Android → Install an APK. CatosTV lists the APK files it finds, and you can open folders. Select a file and press OK to install it.

Apps made for Android TV, or that work well with a remote, give the best experience. Phone apps will open, but some expect a touch screen.

Opening. Press OK on the app's tile, as with any other app.
Back. Goes back within the app. On the app's first screen, Back returns to CatosTV Home. On a keyboard, Esc is Back.
Home. The Home key, or Guide on a controller, always returns to CatosTV Home. The app keeps running and stays in Recents.
Switching apps. Open another app from Home, or return to one from Recents. Android apps resume where you left them.
Controllers. While an Android app or game is in front, every button goes to it, except Guide, which always returns to CatosTV Home.
Quick settings. F10, or the Settings key on a TV remote, opens Quick settings over Android apps, with volume, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Back to app and Close.
Uninstalling. Press and hold OK on the app's tile and select Uninstall.

An app stops responding. When Android reports that an app isn't responding, CatosTV closes it and shows a message. Open the app again to start it fresh.
An app crashes or won't open. Close it in Recents and open it again. If the problem continues, uninstall the app and install it again.
Android won't start, or every app crashes. Go to Settings → Android → Reset Android. This removes all Android apps, accounts and app data, then sets Android up again, which takes a few minutes. CatosTV itself, your media and your settings are not affected. A copy of the previous Android data is kept until the next reset. If you use Google Play, register the TV again with the new device ID shown on the page.

Graphics. On Intel and AMD graphics, Android uses the GPU. With NVIDIA's driver, the open NVIDIA driver or safe graphics, Android draws in software instead. Most apps run well this way, but 3D games and very high resolutions can be slow. Catfyn, CatosTV's own video player, is not affected.
Streaming services. Some streaming apps require a certified device or hardware copy protection. They may refuse to start or play only at reduced quality. Each service decides this, and CatosTV can't change it.
Casting to Android apps. Android's built-in Chromecast receiver isn't available. CatosTV's own casting, DLNA and YouTube's Link with TV code, still works. See the manual.
Storage. Android apps and their data are stored on CatosTV's disk. Settings → System shows how much space is left.