Put the bridge on your TV
in about two minutes.

On your TV

Works on Android TV and Google TV — Sony, TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi, Chromecast w/ Google TV, Nvidia Shield, and similar.

1. Allow installs from your browser

   Open Settings → Apps → Security & restrictions → Unknown sources (or Install unknown apps on newer Google TV) and enable it for your TV's browser.

   On most TVs the browser is called TV Bee, Puffin, or just Browser. On Chromecast w/ Google TV, you can install Puffin TV Browser from the Play Store if there's no built-in one.

2. Open the TV's browser and go to this page

   Type tv.djwizard.ai/install into the browser's address bar. Land here. Click the purple Download button above.

3. Install the APK when the download finishes

   The TV's installer will pop up. Tap Install. If it warns about an unknown developer, accept — this is expected for any app not on the Play Store yet.

4. Open TVWizard Bridge and tap Pair

   The bridge connects to the relay and shows a 6-digit code plus a QR you can scan with your phone. That kicks off the claim flow — tv.djwizard.ai/claim on your phone or laptop.

   Also grant the Accessibility permission if you want tv_observe (screen read-back). The bridge surfaces a one-tap notification for it.

If Play Protect blocks the install

Almost everyone hits this on the first install. The bypass is one of three paths depending on what dialog your TV shows.

1. Path A — "Install anyway" button is right there

   Most TVs (Sony, TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi) show a Play Protect dialog with a small "More details" link. Tap it → "Install anyway" appears. Done. The whole detour is under 10 seconds.

2. Path B — Only "OK" / "Got it" shows, no override

   Newer Google TV builds (Chromecast 2024+, some Sony 2025) hide the override behind a Play Protect setting. Disable scanning long enough to install:

   1. Settings → Apps → See all apps → Google Play Protect (sometimes under Security & privacy).

   2. Open it. Top-right gear / settings icon → toggle off Scan apps with Play Protect.

   3. Re-run the install. The warning is gone.

   4. Toggle Play Protect back on. Apps already installed stay installed — Protect just stops scanning new ones.

3. Path C — ADB from a laptop on the same Wi-Fi

   If A and B both fail, this always works. Power-user path:

   1. On the TV: Settings → Device Preferences → About → tap "Build" 7 times to enable Developer Options.

   2. Developer Options → ADB debugging → on. Network ADB → on. Note the IP shown.

   3. On a laptop: adb connect <tv-ip>:5555 then adb install tvwizard-bridge-v0.5.1-release.apk. Bypasses Play Protect entirely — ADB is the developer install path.

Why does this happen? Play Protect is suspicious of any sideloaded app that requests Android's AccessibilityService — that permission is the most common malware vector (clipboard sniffers, banking trojans). We genuinely need it for the tv_observe tool that reads the TV's screen state back so your AI knows what's on. Once we're on the Play Store the warning disappears for everyone — we're working on it.

Other gotchas

1. "App not installed because package conflicts"

   You're upgrading from v0.4.x (debug-signed) to v0.5.0 (release-signed). Android refuses to swap signing keys on an upgrade.

   Uninstall the old TVWizard Bridge first (Settings → Apps → TVWizard Bridge → Uninstall), then install v0.5.0. Future updates after v0.5.0 will upgrade in place normally — this is a one-time pain.

2. "Unknown sources" toggle isn't where the docs say

   Android puts it in different places by version. On Android 12+: Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps, then pick your browser (or Downloader). On older: Settings → Security → Unknown sources (single global toggle).

3. Cert verification (paranoid mode)

   The APK is signed with one stable production key. The certificate SHA-256 fingerprint shown above the Troubleshooting section will match every release going forward. If you ever see a different fingerprint, do not install — email us and we'll investigate.