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9 Tips and Tricks For Android

TV Box Owners
By WirelesSHack | April 2, 2020

Android TV boxes have become very popular

for streaming media and playing games.

While they are mainly used as entertainment

units they are capable of much more.

Here we list some of our favorite tips and

tricks to help keep your box running fast,
and some features that can come in handy.

Tips and Tricks For Android TV

Box Owners

1. Turn O! the On-Screen

Keyboard

If you use a keyboard to control your box

there is no need for the On-Screen Keyboard
that pops up constantly when typing.

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While it may not be a problem for occasional

typing the popup screen can be annoying
when a lot of typing is done.

There is a simple !x for this using the Null

app from the Google Play Store that turns it
o".

After is installs go to Setting–>Keyboard–

>Current Keyboard and select the Null
Keyboard option.

2. Install a Retro Game

Emulator
Installing a retro game emulator turns an
Android TV box into a nice arcade game box.

There are several emulators available with

the most popular called Happy Chick.

It is an app which allows you to download

and play pretty much all of the classic games
such as Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Neo Geo
or pretty much all of the old formats even
PlayStation 1 games.

The games are downloaded and played

directly thought the Happy Chick app.

I would recommend getting a good

Bluetooth controller made for Android such
as the GameSir G4S Bluetooth Gaming
Controller.

Other controllers such as PS3 units will also

work but can have lag at times.

3. Use Aptoide TV to Install

Apps
Aptoide TV is an alternative to the Google
Play Store and Amazon App store.

It gives a great alternative from being tied to

the big brand names which often block or
limit what can be installed.

This includes many top APKs along with

games and much more.

Aptoide works on almost any Android device

including Fire TV Sticks which gives a great
way to break free from Amazon and install
what you want.

Read Here for How To Install Aptoide TV

4. Stop Overheating with USB

Cooling Fan
Many android TV boxes are prone to
overheating mainly when playing games.

There are many ways to help keep a unit

from overheating with a USB Cooling Fan a
quick simple low-cost !x.

The fan simply plugs into the USB port on

the unit and the box sits on top.

There are many USB Fans available such as

the ELUTENG 1500RPM unit.

5. Close All Background Apps

Having apps running in the background using
up unnecessary memory causing slowdowns
which can be freed up for better use.

Android TV does a good job at memory

management, but sometimes apps don’t
close right, or have an error and keep
running in the background.

Some apps can still be running in the

background even after powering down a
unit.

It is easy enough to close out of background

apps depending on the controller used.

Closing Background Apps with a Remote

Control
Some boxes don’t work with this method if it
doesn’t work for you read the keyboard
method next.

Using a standard remote control look for the

symbol with three lines.

Once the button is pressed all the

background apps will pop up in minimized
boxes.

Using the arrow keys go to the app you want

to close and click the right arrow key.

Clicking the Right arrow key will close the

app, do this for each one you want to close.

Closing Background Apps With a Keyboard

An alternative method is to use a keyboard.
This method has worked on all the units I
have tested.

It can be any keyboard from the small mini

ones to large USB keyboards.

Press the ALT key and keep it pressed.

While holding the ALT Key press the TAB key

once and the background apps will come up.

Keep holding the ALT key and press the back

arrow button

Keep pressing the back arrow to close each

app running in the background.

6. Edit MS O"ce Documents

While Android TV boxes do a great job
playing videos and playing games, they can
do a lot more such as edit and work with
Microsoft O#ce documents.

It is free to do and simply requires

downloading an app from the Play Store.

There are several apps available with one of

the best being Smart O#ce 3.

To get it go to the Play Store and search for

Smart O#ce 3 and install it.

Using Smart O#ce you can view, edit,

create, print, save as a PDF and share MS
O#ce documents.

7. Use a Mini Keyboard Remote

Control
The standard remote controls that come
with Android TV boxes can be limiting at
times.

A much better way is to use a mini keyboard

with a touch-pad or one of the many other
types of controllers.

The onscreen keyboard does work but it is

much faster and easier to have a small
keyboard to type with.

There are many low-cost keyboards available

in all shapes and sizes.

Read Here for Our Picks for Best Mini

Keyboards and Remote Controls.

8. Hook Up a USB Web Cam

Android TV boxes make for great video
chatting devices.

They plug into a USB slot and stream the

video on a TV, which is a nice feature if you
do a lot of Skyping with friends or relatives.

Not all Web cameras work with Android but

many will. I use a Logitech HD Pro Webcam
C920 which works very well.

If you already have a Web Cam it likely will

work, be sure it has a built-in microphone to
pick up audio since most android boxes will
not have a built-in mic.

9. Use a Keyboard to Restart

an Android TV Box
If you use a Keyboard there is no need to
physically get up to restart a unit having
problems.

Like desktop or laptop computers Pressing

Ctrl+Alt+Del will reset the box.

Most small mini keyboards will have the

controls all located on one button that
simply requires pressing it plus the FN Key.

Pressing each Ctrl+Alt+Del key individually

also works just as well.

Summary
The above tips are just a few of the many
things that can be done with an Android TV
box.

There is no doubt many more good ideas

such as adding a printer or USB hub.

While most will continue to use their boxes

for entertainment, keep in mind they are
nothing more than small computers that can
do many things a standard computer can do.

Do you have any favorite tips or tricks? Let

us know in the comments below.

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41 thoughts on “9 Tips and Tricks For Android TV

Box Owners”

Noell Whailer
March 5, 2020

I use my TV box’s browser & would like to !nd out

how to bind cut/paste to the extra buttons
on the USB mouse I use,it would help for
completing 2FA codes –

Allowing me to do a ctl,-c & v from across the room

with out having to buy a mini keyboard,

Reply ↓

Maggie
February 8, 2020

Anybody knows why Ctrl+Tab does not show all

the open apps windows to close them by clicking
on the “X” corner on new boxes? This needs to be a
MUST, which all older boxes do have. All my
previous boxes work with that shortcut to show all
open windows so that they can be closed
individually, but no the new boxes with Android 9.
Is it that there is a new option?

Reply ↓

Hatem Rateb
March 3, 2020

It’s Alt + Tab not control

Reply ↓

Joe
April 9, 2020

I’m trying to download moviebox pro app , I get to

the download link and when I click ok nothing
happens , the remote is brand new is it broke ??
What am I doing wrong ?? When I put the arrow on
other links it works but for that link it does not,
any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you

Reply ↓

Paul
October 5, 2019

Remote on H96 pro plus didn’t work properly on

home screen so…I pressed ctrl+alt+delete, it went
to black screen then re-set and wow the remote
worked on home screen again and also in kodi.