GoKawiilSideload Launcher for Android TV gets first major update in 8 years
Developer Chainfire has released version 2.0 of Sideload Launcher, a free third-party Android TV launcher that displays sideloaded, unofficial-source, and phone/tablet apps alongside standard ones. The update introduces a redesigned interface, a cleaner app list, and new customization and sorting options, while keeping the app free of ads and tracking and functional without internet access.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The update ends an eight-year gap in development for a tool that Chainfire says is still used by hundreds of thousands of people, suggesting continued demand for ad-free, no-tracking alternatives to Google's increasingly cluttered Google TV interface. Chainfire's return, framed jokingly as wanting to 'give millions of users a heart attack,' could signal renewed interest in maintaining niche Android utilities long after their initial popularity peaked.
- Sideload Launcher 2.0 is its first major update in about eight years.
- The launcher lets users access sideloaded and non-Play Store apps on Android TV without ads or tracking.
- Developer Chainfire, known for SuperSU, announced the revival with a redesigned UI and new customization features.
Chromecast with Google TV — If you're customizing your Android TV experience with launchers like Sideload Launcher, a Chromecast with Google TV is the perfect open platform to tinker with. It readily supports sideloading APKs and swapping launchers, giving you full control over your home screen experience. It's a great low-cost way to get an ad-friendly (or ad-free, with the right launcher) TV interface exactly how you want it.
See Chromecast with Google TV on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: androidauthority.com, 2026-09-29
Published there as: “This iconic ad-free Android TV launcher is finally getting a makeover after nearly a decade”
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