How to Install Sideload Launcher on ONN Streaming Device [Bye Bye Ads]

The ONN 4K streaming device is a genuinely solid piece of hardware for the price — Google TV, smooth performance, no real complaints on the spec sheet. The home screen, though? It’s a billboard that also streams video. Promoted apps, banner ads, “suggested” content you never asked for — Google TV’s stock launcher is designed around recommendations, not around you.

I’ve been customizing Android TV and Google TV devices for years, and Sideload Launcher is still my first install on any new ONN box. It strips all of that out and replaces the home screen with something that just shows your apps. No ads. No promoted content. No algorithmic chaos. Just the apps you installed, right there.

The whole process takes 10 minutes. Here’s exactly how I do it.

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What Is Sideload Launcher (And Why You Want It)

Google TV’s home screen is beautiful in screenshots and exhausting in practice. It’s split into rows of promoted apps, continue watching tiles from services you barely use, and recommendations fed by whatever Google thinks you should be watching. Finding an app you actually installed requires scrolling past all of it.

Sideload Launcher solves this by replacing the entire home screen with a clean grid of your installed apps — nothing else. It’s free, lightweight, and has no ads of its own. It doesn’t interfere with any of your streaming apps. It just gets out of the way.

The name sounds scarier than it is. “Sideloading” just means installing an app from outside the Play Store — and on ONN devices, you can do it by flipping one setting. No hacking, no voiding warranties, no technical expertise required.

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What I Tested For

I’ve installed Sideload Launcher on three ONN devices over the past year — an ONN 4K Box, an ONN 4K Stick, and an ONN 4K Pro Box. My goals were straightforward:

• Get a clean home screen that loads my apps without scrolling past ads
• Make sure the launcher stays set after device restarts (this is a known issue — more on that below)
• Confirm the Downloader code still works as of April 2026
• Test the alternative launchers to see if anything edges Sideload Launcher out

Short version: Sideload Launcher still wins for pure minimalism and ease of install. Projectivy Launcher is the better pick if you want more customization. I’ll compare them both below.

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Before You Start: What You’ll Need

• ONN 4K Streaming Box, Stick, or Pro
• Internet connection
• About 10 minutes
• Downloader app (free on Google Play Store)

That’s genuinely it. You don’t need a computer, you don’t need ADB, and you don’t need any technical background beyond “I can navigate a settings menu.”

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Step-by-Step: Install Sideload Launcher on ONN

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The Verdict on Sideload Launcher

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Protecting Your Privacy While Sideloading

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Alternative Launchers: How They Compare

Sideload Launcher isn’t the only option. I tested three alternatives on the same ONN 4K Box to see how they stack up.

Projectivy Launcher — Best for Customization

Projectivy Launcher

Projectivy is what I recommend if you want more than a flat app grid. It installs directly from the Google Play Store — no sideloading, no Downloader, no unknown sources toggle. Just search, install, set as default.

The interface is significantly more customizable than Sideload Launcher: you can organize apps into categories, pin favorites to the top row, adjust the grid layout, and add widgets. There’s a paid premium tier that unlocks additional features, but the free version is genuinely usable.

The downside is it’s more complex. Sideload Launcher is a grid and nothing else. Projectivy gives you options, which means there’s a settings menu to navigate. For most ONN users, that’s a good tradeoff. For users who just want their apps visible immediately — Sideload Launcher is still faster to live with.

Leanback Launcher — Stock-Adjacent

Leanback Launcher is the launcher Google used on Android TV before the Google TV redesign. It’s ad-free, lightweight, and familiar if you’ve used older Android TV devices. Install method is the same as Sideload Launcher — via Downloader. It’s slightly more cluttered than Sideload Launcher’s minimal grid, but less opinionated than Projectivy.

I’d only recommend it if you specifically want the classic Android TV look.

FLauncher — Good Middle Ground

FLauncher uses a vertical app list layout rather than a grid, which some users find easier to navigate with a remote. It’s free, open source, and has no ads. Install requires sideloading, same as Sideload Launcher. See our FLauncher guide for Firestick — most of the setup applies to ONN as well.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

Launcher reverts to stock after restart: This is the most reported issue. Go to Settings → Apps → see all apps → [Stock Google TV Launcher] → Disable. This prevents it from reclaiming default status.

Unknown sources toggle keeps reappearing: You only need to toggle unknown sources once for Downloader. If the prompt appears every time, check that you toggled it for Downloader specifically — not as a global setting.

Downloader code 250931 doesn’t work: TROYPOINT occasionally updates their toolbox. If the code fails, open Downloader’s browser, navigate to troypoint.com, and search for “Sideload Launcher” from there.

Install fails after download: Restart your ONN device and re-toggle the Unknown Sources permission for Downloader. This resolves most installation failures.

Can’t find apps after switching launchers: Your apps are still installed — they’re just not visible if Sideload Launcher hasn’t indexed them yet. Open Sideload Launcher’s settings (if available) or restart the launcher. All installed apps should appear in the grid.

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Summary: What to Do Right Now

If you’ve made it this far, here’s the five-minute version:

1. Install Downloader from the Google Play Store on your ONN device
2. Enable Developer Options (tap Android TV OS Build 7 times in Settings → System → About)
3. Turn on Unknown Sources for Downloader in Settings → Apps → Security & Restrictions
4. Open Downloader, enter code 250931, select Sideload Launcher, download and install
5. Set as default launcher in Settings → Apps → Sideload Launcher → Set as default

If the stock launcher comes back after a restart, disable it in Settings → Apps. Takes 30 seconds.

For complete context on sideloading in general — including how to use the Downloader app for other APKs — our full sideloading guide covers everything in detail (most steps are identical on ONN/Google TV devices).

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What to Install Next

Now that you have a clean launcher, the obvious next question is: what apps should go on it?

For live TV, Unify IPTV is what I run on my ONN box — real channels, reliable streams, and a TiviMate-compatible M3U playlist. It’s the best IPTV option I’ve tested on Google TV hardware.

For movies and TV, check out our best free movie apps guide — the options on that list work just as well on ONN as on any other Android TV device.

And if you’re setting up a VPN (which you should, especially if you’re sideloading apps), Surfshark has a native Google TV app that installs directly from the Play Store. No sideloading required for that one.

Try Unify IPTV — Live TV on Your ONN Device

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See the Full VPN Comparison

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Last updated: April 2026