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Before asking for help, please search this FAQ using your browser’s search function (Ctrl+F or ⌘F).

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Installation & Updates

No, automatic installation is technically not possible.Only the preinstalled app manager (Google PlayStore, Amazon AppStore, etc.) has the required system permission to install apps silently. All other apps, including SmartTube, can only show an installation prompt that requires user confirmation.A workaround using root would be possible but hasn’t been implemented yet.What SmartTube CAN do:
  • Automatically check for updates
  • Notify you when updates are available
  • Download the update file
  • Open the installation prompt (you must confirm)
See the Updating guide for more details.
These updates change significant amounts of code to fix bugs that only affect a few users or specific devices.For affected users: Update to fix your specific issues
For everyone else: No benefit to updating, small risk of new bugs
Updated anyway? Don’t worry, you’ll be fineIf you’re not experiencing issues and the changelog mentions device-specific fixes, you can safely skip that update and wait for the next regular release.
No, SmartTube only works on Android devices.Not compatible with:
  • Samsung Tizen TVs
  • LG webOS TVs
  • Roku devices
  • iOS / Apple TV
  • Any non-Android platform
The app cannot easily be ported to other platforms and there are no plans to do so. Please do not ask.Solution: Connect an Android TV stick or box to your TV:
  • Chromecast with Google TV
  • Amazon Fire TV Stick
  • Xiaomi Mi Box
  • Generic Android TV boxes
See Device-Specific Setup for more information.

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Video Playback & Quality

Buffering issues affect many unofficial YouTube apps, likely due to YouTube server-side behavior.Best solution: Use encrypted DNSSwitch to encrypted DNS like NextDNS:Automatic setup:
  1. Install Intra from F-Droid
  2. Install “AutoStart - No root” to make it autolaunch
Manual setup: Follow this Reddit guideOther solutions:
  • Reduce resolution or change it back
  • Change video format to AVC
  • Increase buffer in settings (recommended: High)
  • Hit back button and replay the video
See Troubleshooting for complete solutions.
It does (by default).If you set a video profile under settings, that acts as a maximum for automatic selection.Check your settings:
  1. Go to Settings > Video player > Video presets
  2. If you selected a specific preset, that’s your maximum quality
  3. Choose “none” to let SmartTube select the highest available quality
Do not confuse quality with bitrate. Lower bitrate with newer codecs = same quality, better compression. See the codec question below.
Yes! SmartTube automatically selects the highest available quality, up to a maximum you set.How to set default resolution:
  1. Go to Settings > Video player > Video presets
  2. Select your preferred maximum (e.g., 1080p, 1440p, 4K)
  3. SmartTube will pick this or the next best available option
  4. You can still change quality manually in each video
Special option:
  • “None”: Remembers your last selection in the video player (no default)
See Video Quality guide for details.
This is planned but not yet available.For now, set a maximum resolution in settings that your bandwidth can handle. Test your speed at fast.com to determine the right setting.Bandwidth recommendations:
  • 5+ Mbps: 1080p
  • 15+ Mbps: 1440p or 4K
  • 25+ Mbps: 4K 60fps
Best choice for most devices: VP9
CodecRecommendationHardware SupportCompression
AV01Best if supportedDevices from 2020+Best (lowest bitrate)
VP9Recommended for mostMost devices since 2015Better
AVCOld/slow hardware onlyAll devicesGood (highest bitrate)
Important: At the same resolution, lower bitrate is better with newer codecs. YouTube targets the same quality regardless of codec. Older codecs have higher bitrate only because they’re less efficient.Use the newest codec your device supports, not the one with highest bitrate.See Video Codecs guide for complete explanation.
AV01: Most TVs and TV boxes do NOT support AV01 because it’s very new (2020+). Your device probably cannot play AV01 at all.VP9: Requires hardware support for smooth playback. Cheap TV boxes without official 4K support will struggle with VP9 at high resolutions.Solution:
  1. Press the HQ button (bottom-left)
  2. Select Video formats
  3. Choose VP9 (if AV01 doesn’t work) or AVC (if VP9 is slow)
If your device has hardware support for a codec, it should play smoothly. Without hardware support, even powerful CPUs may struggle.
Fixing AV01 without hardware support is technically possible but not currently planned.
Yes, HDR works if your hardware supports it.Requirements (all must be met):
  • Your TV must support HDR
  • Your TV box (if using one) must support HDR
  • Your HDMI cable must support HDR (yes, there are different versions!)
  • The specific HDR format must be supported
Known limitation:
  • NVIDIA Shield supports HDR generally, but NOT YouTube’s specific HDR format
If HDR looks dim or washed out: Check this Wired article for display settings.If HDR isn’t working: It’s probably not SmartTube’s fault. Search the web for “HDR” + your device name.See HDR documentation for more details.
Don’t worry - the debug information is incorrect.SmartTube works fine above 1080p. You can verify this by playing a 4K video - it will display in 4K.Also don’t worry if it says “720p” when you have a 1080p display. This is a display detection bug that doesn’t affect actual video playback quality.

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Features & Functionality

SmartTube has SponsorBlock integration, which can automatically skip sponsored segments and other categories.What it skips (configurable):
  • Sponsor segments
  • Intros
  • Outros
  • Reminders to subscribe
  • Non-music portions in music videos
  • Intermissions/breaks
To configure or disable:
  1. Go to Settings > SponsorBlock
  2. Select which categories to skip
  3. Choose skip behavior (auto-skip, show button, or ignore)
SponsorBlock is crowdsourced and voluntary - it won’t work 100% of the time, but covers most popular videos.See SponsorBlock documentation for details.
Use the loop button 🔁 in the video player to cycle between autoplay modes:
  • Autoplay on: Automatically plays next video
  • Repeat one: Loops current video
  • Autoplay off: Stops after each video
The loop button is visible in the player controls.
Unlike the official YouTube app, SmartTube does not automatically appear on your network.You must manually link your devices:
1

Open SmartTube Settings

Open SmartTube on your TV and go to settings
2

Get TV Code

Go to Remote control (2nd option) and note the code
3

Link Your Phone

  1. Open YouTube app on your phone
  2. Go to Settings > General > Watch on TV
  3. Click Connect using TV code
  4. Enter the code from your TV
Important limitation: You must open SmartTube on the TV before casting. SmartTube cannot automatically wake up the TV.See Casting guide with screenshots.
AFR = Auto Frame RateIt adjusts your TV’s refresh rate to match the video content (e.g., 24fps, 30fps, 60fps).Benefits:
  • Slightly smoother playback
  • Eliminates judder on some displays
Drawbacks:
  • Doesn’t work well on all hardware
  • May cause brief screen blanking when switching
  • Most people barely notice the difference
Recommendation:
  • Turn it on to test if it works on your device
  • Turn it off if it causes issues or you don’t notice improvement
If you don’t know what it does, you can safely keep it off.
Recommendation: HighHigher buffer: ✅ Preloads more video ahead
✅ Smooths out network issues
✅ Prevents buffering pauses
✅ Minimal RAM usage increaseLower buffer:
  • Slightly reduces bandwidth if you often close videos early
  • Not recommended unless you have severe RAM constraints
Set buffer size in Settings > Video player > Buffer size.
No, when you seek backwards (jump back 5 seconds), SmartTube must rebuffer.This may be improved in a future update.Workaround:
  • Use high buffer setting to reduce rebuffering time
  • Minimize seeking backwards when possible
This is a known issue that currently cannot be fixed.It’s a limitation of the video playback engine. Some playback speeds cause frame drops.Workaround: Use normal playback speed (1x) for smooth playback.
No, not with SmartTube.SmartTube is designed for streaming playback only. If you need video downloads, use other tools on different platforms.

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User Interface & Experience

The official YouTube and YouTube Kids UIs are far ahead of SmartTube’s interface.Why it’s difficult:
  • Requires skilled developer(s) dedicated to UI work
  • Needs long-term maintenance (features, bug fixes)
  • All done for free (SmartTube is open source)
  • SmartTube currently follows Google’s official Android TV app template
The reality: It’s Google’s fault the template is somewhat ugly. 😂Want to help? If you’re skilled in Android TV UI development and willing to dedicate significant free time, please contribute!
Yes, it can be, but someone needs to do it (see above FAQ).SmartTube uses:
  • Google’s officially recommended design template for TV apps
  • The official, preinstalled Android TV keyboard
Sadly, Google did a really bad job with the search page and keyboard design.Future possibility: Maybe a future update will add an embedded keyboard similar to the official YouTube app. But for now, it is what it is due to:
  • Lack of development time
  • Following Google’s official (but poor) recommendations

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Account & Features

No, this is not possible.SmartTube literally does not have any code to display ads. It is programmed to be completely unable to show any ads - YouTube cannot slip anything through.Adding this functionality would actually take development time and effort, which is instead spent on:
  • Adding useful features
  • Fixing bugs
  • Improving performance
If you want to support creators, consider YouTube Premium or direct support (Patreon, memberships, etc.).

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Mobile & Other Platforms

Big No. This app is not for smartphones. We offer zero support for phones.Why not:
  • Not optimized for portrait mode
  • Touch scrolling doesn’t work properly
  • UI designed for TV remotes, not touchscreens
  • There will never be a phone version
Alternatives for smartphones:What you CAN do: Cast videos from your smartphone to a TV/TV box running SmartTube. See Casting guide.
Maybe, but with strict requirements:Requirements:
  • Must be an Android device
  • Must have a large screen
  • Must have a TV remote, controller, or keyboard
NOT supported:
  • Touch input
  • Mouse/touchpad scrolling
  • Touchscreen-only use
Some users reported great success, including on car entertainment systems.Please share your success stories with us!

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Technical Issues

Solution:
  1. Wait 5 seconds - the video should start playing automatically
  2. Press play button if waiting doesn’t help
Other possible causes:
  • USB audio device attached (try disconnecting it)
  • Disk storage is full (free up space)
See Troubleshooting guide for details.
Your device doesn’t support the selected codec (usually AV01).Solution:
  1. Press the HQ button (bottom-left)
  2. Select Video formats
  3. Choose VP9 or AVC (not AV01)
AV01 is NOT supported on most devices. VP9 is the best choice for most Android TV devices.See Video Codecs guide.
This is a known bug when watching:
  • Unlisted videos
  • Your own videos
Status: Confirmed bug being worked on.Workaround: Use official YouTube app for unlisted content, or cast from your phone.
Your IP address range is blocked by YouTube for unauthenticated viewing.Solutions:
  • Sign in to your YouTube account
  • Change your network/internet connection
  • Wait (temporary blocks may lift)
  • Use a VPN to change IP (may violate YouTube ToS)
This is a YouTube-side restriction, not a SmartTube issue.
This is a firmware or Android OS issue, not specific to SmartTube.Possible causes:
  • Buggy firmware
  • Buggy custom ROM
  • Hardware problems
Troubleshooting:
  1. Reboot your device
  2. Clear SmartTube cache (Settings > Apps > SmartTube > Clear cache)
  3. Reinstall SmartTube
  4. Factory reset (last resort - backup first!)
This issue is nearly impossible to debug since it’s device-specific. We cannot help beyond these general steps.
Recent “Google app for Android TV” updates cause voice search bugs.Solution:
  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Google app for Android TV
  2. Select Uninstall updates
  3. Voice search should now work
See Device-Specific Setup.

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Still Have Questions?

Before asking for help:
  1. ✅ Search this FAQ with Ctrl+F / ⌘F
  2. ✅ Check the Troubleshooting guide
  3. ✅ Read Device-Specific Setup
  4. ✅ Browse recent chat history in support channels
Getting help:The international community is friendly and helpful - don’t worry if your English isn’t perfect!

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