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Quick Start Guide

Welcome to SmartTube! This guide will help you get started with your new ad-free viewing experience.
Make sure you’ve already installed SmartTube before following this guide.

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First Launch

When you first launch SmartTube, you’ll see the home screen with recommended videos based on your region.
1

Launch SmartTube

Find and open the SmartTube app from your Android TV launcher.The app icon should be visible in your list of installed apps.
2

Wait for update check

SmartTube will automatically check for updates a few seconds after launch.If an update is available, you’ll see a notification with the changelog. You can update now or skip and update later.
It’s recommended to update to the latest version to get the newest features and bug fixes.
3

Explore the home screen

You’ll see recommended videos, trending content, and various content categories.Use your remote’s directional pad to navigate through the interface.

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Signing In (Optional)

Signing in is completely optional. SmartTube works perfectly without a Google account, but signing in allows you to:
  • Access your subscriptions
  • View your watch history
  • Get personalized recommendations
  • Sync your watch progress across devices

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How to Sign In

1

Open Settings

Navigate to the Settings option in the left sidebar (usually at the bottom).
2

Select Accounts

Choose Accounts from the settings menu.
3

Add account

Select Add account and follow the on-screen instructions.You’ll receive a code to enter at a specific URL on your phone or computer.
4

Complete sign-in on another device

  1. On your phone or computer, go to the URL shown on your TV
  2. Enter the code displayed on your TV
  3. Sign in with your Google account
  4. Approve the connection
SmartTube uses one-time connection codes with limited permissions. These codes cannot change your password or access sensitive account information.
5

Wait for confirmation

Your TV will automatically detect when you’ve signed in successfully.Your subscriptions and personalized content will now appear.
You can add multiple accounts and switch between them in the accounts settings.

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Basic Navigation

Get familiar with the SmartTube interface:
  • D-pad (arrows) - Navigate through menus and content
  • OK/Select - Select items and play videos
  • Back - Go back to previous screen
  • Home - Return to Android TV home (video continues in PiP if enabled)
  • Play/Pause - Control video playback

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During Video Playback

  • OK/Select - Show/hide player controls
  • Up arrow - Access video quality and settings
  • Down arrow - Access video description and comments
  • Left/Right arrows - Skip backward/forward
  • Play/Pause - Pause or resume video

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Setting Up Video Quality

Choose the right video quality settings for your device and internet connection:
1

Go to Settings

Navigate to Settings in the left sidebar.
2

Open Video Player settings

Select Video Player from the settings menu.
3

Configure Video Presets

Select Video Presets to choose your default quality:
4

Adjust buffer settings (optional)

In Video Player settings, you can also adjust:
  • Buffer size - Set to “High” for smoother playback (recommended)
  • Hardware acceleration - Keep enabled for best performance

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Changing Quality During Playback

You can change video quality anytime while watching:
  1. Press OK/Select to show player controls
  2. Press Up arrow to access video settings
  3. Select HQ button (quality indicator)
  4. Choose your desired quality and codec

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Remote Control Pairing (Casting)

To cast videos from your phone, you need to link your device to SmartTube. Unlike the official YouTube app, SmartTube doesn’t automatically appear on your network.
1

Open SmartTube Settings on TV

Navigate to Settings in SmartTube.
2

Go to Remote Control

Select Remote control (second option in settings).You’ll see a TV code displayed on screen.
3

Open YouTube app on phone

On your smartphone, open the official YouTube app.
4

Link devices

In the YouTube app:
  1. Go to Settings > General > Watch on TV
  2. Tap Connect using TV code
  3. Enter the code shown on your TV
  4. Confirm the connection
Screenshot guide
5

Start casting

Now when you play videos in the YouTube app on your phone, you’ll see the cast icon. Tap it to cast to SmartTube.
You need to have SmartTube open on your TV before casting. SmartTube cannot automatically wake up your TV.

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Essential Settings to Configure

Customize SmartTube to your preferences:
SmartTube includes SponsorBlock to automatically skip sponsored segments:
  1. Go to Settings > SponsorBlock
  2. Enable/disable categories:
    • Sponsor - Paid promotions
    • Intro - Intro sequences
    • Outro - Outro sequences and credits
    • Interaction - Subscribe reminders
    • Self Promotion - Unpaid self-promotion
    • Music: Non-Music Section - Non-music parts in music videos
  3. Choose skip behavior:
    • Auto-skip - Skips automatically
    • Show skip button - Shows button to skip manually
    • Don’t skip - Just highlights on timeline
SponsorBlock is crowdsourced. New videos may not have segments yet, and sometimes the SponsorBlock servers may be offline.
Control how videos play in sequence:
  1. Look for the loop button 🔁 in the video player (top row)
  2. Click it to cycle through modes:
    • Autoplay - Plays next recommended video
    • Loop playlist - Repeats current playlist
    • Loop one - Repeats current video
    • Stop after video - Stops playback after each video
Or configure default in Settings > Video Player > Autoplay
Enable Picture-in-Picture mode:
  1. Go to Settings > General > Background playback
  2. Select Picture in picture
  3. Configure activation:
    • Home button - PiP when pressing home
    • Back button - PiP when pressing back
Now videos will continue playing in a small window when you exit SmartTube.
Customize the app appearance:Settings > General:
  • Language - Change app language
  • Country - Affects recommendations and trending
  • Theme - Choose light or dark theme
  • Scale UI - Adjust interface size
Settings > Player buttons:
  • Customize which buttons appear in the video player
  • Rearrange button order
  • Show/hide specific controls
Configure subtitle appearance:
  1. While playing a video, press OK to show controls
  2. Press Up arrow and select CC (closed captions)
  3. Choose subtitle language and style
Or set defaults in Settings > Video Player > Subtitles

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Tips for First-Time Users

No Ads by Design

SmartTube is programmed to be unable to display ads. You won’t see any video ads, banners, or intermissions - ever.

Updates Are Built-In

SmartTube checks for updates automatically. You’ll get a notification when updates are available. No need to reinstall manually.

Signing In Is Optional

You don’t need a Google account to use SmartTube. Sign in only if you want subscriptions and personalized recommendations.

Use the Highest Codec Your Device Supports

Newer codecs (VP9, AV1) offer better quality at lower bandwidth. Don’t worry about lower bitrates - that’s a feature, not a bug!

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Common Misconceptions

Lower bitrate ≠ worse qualityAt the same resolution, modern codecs (AV1, VP9) have lower bitrates than AVC because they’re more efficient. YouTube targets the same quality regardless of codec. Using AV1 or VP9 gives you the same quality with less bandwidth usage!
Recommendations are based on your country and watch historyIf you see unrelated recommendations, you can:
  • Change your country in settings
  • Sign in to get personalized recommendations based on your watch history
  • Clear your watch history to start fresh

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Troubleshooting Common First-Launch Issues

Solution:
  1. Wait 5 seconds for the video to buffer
  2. If still not working, press the HQ button
  3. Select Video formats
  4. Choose VP9 instead of AV01
Most devices don’t support AV01. VP9 works on almost all devices from 2015+.
Possible solutions:
  1. Lower the video quality
  2. Change codec to AVC (more compatible)
  3. Increase buffer size in settings
  4. Check your internet connection speed
  5. Try a different DNS (like NextDNS)
See the troubleshooting guide for detailed solutions.
Possible causes:
  • App installed to SD card/external storage
  • Corrupted installation
  • Insufficient storage space
Solution: Uninstall and reinstall SmartTube to internal storage.
Solution: You need to sign in with your Google account to access subscriptions and watch history.See Signing In above for instructions.

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Next Steps

Now that you’re set up, explore more features:

Features Overview

Discover all the features SmartTube offers

Video Quality Guide

Deep dive into codecs, resolution, and optimization

SponsorBlock

Learn how to skip sponsored segments automatically

Settings

Customize SmartTube to match your preferences

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Need Help?

Before asking for help, check the FAQ - most common questions are answered there!
Join the friendly international community: Enjoy your ad-free viewing experience! 🎉

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