ADB - Android Debug Bridge¶

Requirements:

ADB Addon

This guide walks you though how to configure Android Debug Bridge for controlling Android TV through Home Assistant.

Initially you will need to install the add-on through the Home Assistant Supervisor Add-on Store. Once the Add-on is installed you will need to configure your devices as per the example below.

    devices:
    - 1.2.3.4
    - 4.3.2.1
    reconnect_timeout: 30
    log_level: info
    keys_path: /config/.androidkeys

I would recommend you create a path in you config folder for the .androidkeys to be stored as this will help you in the future should you ever need to move your instance.

Once the configuration is in place start the add-on and check the logs for any errors.

Configuring your Android TV¶

In this example I will be using the Shield TV to enable Network debugging.

Enable developer options - On you Android TV, go to Settings > About SHIELD, scroll to the bottom and tap Build Number several times.
Enable network debugging - On you device in Settings > Developer Options enable Network Debugging.
Add the following configuration to your home assistant configuration.

media_player:

  - platform: androidtv
    host: 1.2.3.4
    name: "Living Room Super Shield"
    adb_server_ip: 127.0.0.1
    adb_server_port: 5037

Restart Home Assistant.
Restart ADB in Home Assistant.
Allow Home Assistant to access to your device, remember the check the box to always remember this device.

Connect to the container running ADB¶

If you are using Home Assistant backed Ubuntu or other debian based OS this next step is done in Bash, if you are running the enclosed Home Assistant OS install the Terminal & SSH plugin.

Open you command line Shell to bash into the container.

docker exec -it addon_a0d7b954_adb /bin/bash

List all installed Packages and Activities¶

This section explains how you can query ADB for applications running on you Android TV

Connect to ADB Shell.
```
adb -s 1.2.3.4:5555 shell
```
Type in the following command to list all packages and their associated files.
```
pm list packages
```

To filter the output based on the package name.

pm list packages | grep com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom.nvidia

To find all activities published by a package, use the following command & replace com.symbol.wfc.voice by the name of the package to process.
```
dumpsys package | grep -Eo "^[[:space:]]+[0-9a-f]+[[:space:]]+com.nvidia.bbciplayer.launch/[^[:space:]]+" | grep -oE "[^[:space:]]+$"
```

List installed Packages and Activities¶

    pm list packages | sed -e "s/package://" | while read x; do cmd package resolve-activity --brief $x | tail -n 1 | grep -v "No activity found"; done

Output

com.plexapp.android/com.plexapp.plex.activities.SplashActivity
android/com.android.internal.app.ResolverActivity
com.nvidia.tegrazone3/com.nvidia.tegrazone.MainActivity
com.android.documentsui/.LauncherActivity
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.activity.LoginActivity
com.silicondust.view/.App
com.plexapp.mediaserver.smb/com.plexapp.mediaserver.ui.main.MainActivity
com.android.vending/com.google.android.finsky.tvmainactivity.TvMainActivity
nextapp.fx/.ui.ExplorerActivity
com.onemainstream.skynews.android/.common.splash.SplashActivity
com.google.android.tv/com.android.tv.TvActivity
com.nvidia.inputviewer/.AccessorySelectionActivity
com.android.gallery3d/.app.GalleryActivity
com.nvidia.ota/.ui.LauncherActivity
com.ubnt.unifi.protect/com.ubnt.sections.splash.SplashActivity
com.google.android.youtube.tv/com.google.android.apps.youtube.tv.activity.ShellActivity
com.google.android.tv.remote.service/.settings.SettingsActivity
com.valvesoftware.steamlink/.SteamShellActivity
com.netflix.ninja/.MainActivity

Make a list of your applications and the options available, you'll need this later, I have exported a few Apps below as examples.

Discovered App Activities¶

BBC iPlayer¶

com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.MainPlayerActivity
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.DeepLinkActivity
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.MainNewsActivity
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.MainPlayerActivity
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.BaseWebViewActivity
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.MainPlayerActivity
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.CatalTestActivity
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.MainSportActivity
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.Channels.InitializeChannelsReceiver
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.Channels.InitializeChannelsReceiver
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.Channels.InitializeChannelsReceiver
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.Channels.InitializeChannelsReceiver
com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.Channels.InitializeChannelsReceiver

BBC News¶

com.nvidia.bbciplayer.launch/com.nvidia.bbciplayer.LaunchNewsActivity

BBC Sport¶

com.nvidia.bbciplayer.launchsport/com.nvidia.bbciplayer.LaunchSportActivity

HD Home Run¶

com.silicondust.view/.App

GeForce Now¶

com.nvidia.tegrazone3/com.nvidia.tegrazone.MainActivity

ITV Player¶

air.ITVMobilePlayer/com.itv.tenft.itvhub.RecommendationActivity
air.ITVMobilePlayer/com.itv.tenft.itvhub.MainActivity
air.ITVMobilePlayer/com.itv.tenft.itvhub.WatchNextActivity
air.ITVMobilePlayer/com.itv.tenft.itvhub.MainActivity
air.ITVMobilePlayer/com.itv.tenft.itvhub.GlobalSearchActivity
air.ITVMobilePlayer/com.itv.tenft.itvhub.MainActivity
air.ITVMobilePlayer/com.itv.tenft.itvhub.receiver.UpdateCatalogueReceiver
air.ITVMobilePlayer/com.itv.tenft.itvhub.receiver.UpdateCatalogueReceiver

Leanback Launcher¶

com.google.android.tvlauncher/.MainActivity

com.google.android.tvlauncher/.appsview.RemoveAppLinkActivity
com.google.android.tvlauncher/.settings.OpenSourceActivity
com.google.android.tvlauncher/.appsview.AddAppLinkActivity
com.google.android.tvlauncher/.inputs.InputsPanelActivity
com.google.android.tvlauncher/.appsview.AppsViewActivity
com.google.android.tvlauncher/.settings.HomeScreenSettingsActivity
com.google.android.tvlauncher/.settings.HomeScreenSettingsActivity
com.google.android.tvlauncher/.notifications.NotificationsSidePanelActivity
com.google.android.tvlauncher/.appsview.data.MarketUpdateReceiver

Nest¶

com.nest.android/net.openid.appauth.RedirectUriReceiverActivity
com.nest.android/com.nestlabs.android.framework.deeplink.DeepLinkRoutingActivity
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.activity.LoginActivity
com.nest.android/com.nestlabs.android.framework.deeplink.DeepLinkRoutingActivity
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.activity.LoginActivity
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.tv.home.TvHomeActivity
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.goose.RegisterGeofencesWithOSBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.goose.healthcheck.GeofenceHealthChangeBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.goose.reporting.ReportGeofenceTransitionBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.google.android.gms.measurement.AppMeasurementInstallReferrerReceiver
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.goose.healthcheck.GeofenceHealthChangeBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.nestlabs.android.notificationdisplay.UpdateNotificationChannelsBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.google.firebase.iid.FirebaseInstanceIdReceiver
com.nest.android/com.nestlabs.android.notificationdisplay.UpdateNotificationChannelsBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.goose.RegisterGeofencesWithOSBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.goose.RegisterGeofencesWithOSBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.nestlabs.android.notificationdisplay.UpdateNotificationChannelsBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.goose.RegisterGeofencesWithOSBroadcastReceiver
com.nest.android/com.google.firebase.messaging.FirebaseMessagingService
com.nest.android/com.obsidian.v4.gcm.NestFirebaseMessagingService

Netflix¶

com.netflix.ninja/.MainActivity

Plex Media Server¶

com.plexapp.android/com.plexapp.plex.activities.SplashActivity

Prime Video¶

com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom/com.amazon.ignition.IgnitionActivity
com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom/com.amazon.ignition.receiver.RunOnInstallReceiver
com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom/com.amazon.ignition.receiver.LocaleChangeReceiver
com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom/com.amazon.ignition.receiver.TimeChangedReceiver
com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom/com.amazon.ignition.receiver.BootUpReceiver
com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom/com.amazon.ignition.receiver.AppUpdateReceiver

com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom.nvidia/com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom.migrator.FileMigrationService

Sky News¶

com.onemainstream.skynews.android/.common.splash.SplashActivity

Steam¶

com.valvesoftware.steamlink/.SteamShellActivity

UniFI Protect¶

com.ubnt.unifi.protect/com.ubnt.sections.splash.SplashActivity

Windscribe VPN¶

com.windscribe.vpn/.LaunchVPN
com.windscribe.vpn/.splash.SplashActivity
com.windscribe.vpn/.bootreceiver.WindscribeBootReceiver
com.windscribe.vpn/.bootreceiver.WindscribeBootReceiver
com.windscribe.vpn/com.google.android.gms.measurement.AppMeasurementInstallReferrerReceiver
com.windscribe.vpn/com.google.firebase.iid.FirebaseInstanceIdReceiver
com.windscribe.vpn/.bootreceiver.WindscribeBootReceiver
com.windscribe.vpn/de.blinkt.openvpn.core.OpenVPNService
com.windscribe.vpn/.firebasecloud.WindscribeCloudMessaging
com.windscribe.vpn/com.google.firebase.messaging.FirebaseMessagingService

Youtube¶

com.google.android.youtube.tv/com.google.android.apps.youtube.tv.activity.ShellActivity

Configuration in Home Assistant.¶

Create a table of values for your Android TV apps using the confguration below, please change the apps to meet your configuration.

media_player:

  - platform: androidtv
    host: !secret shield_shield_tv_ip
    name: "shield Shield"
    adb_server_ip: 127.0.0.1
    adb_server_port: 5037
    apps:
      "com.google.android.tvlauncher": "Home"
      "com.netflix.ninja": "Netflix"
      "com.google.android.youtube.tv": "Youtube"
      "com.google.android.tv": "Live Channels"
      "com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom": "Amazon Video"
      "com.plexapp.android": "Plex"
      "com.nvidia.bbciplayer": "iPlayer"
      "com.nvidia.bbciplayer.launch": "BBC News"
      "com.silicondust.view": "HD HomeRun"

Create a script¶

To launch Android TV apps from home Assistant you need to create a script. I have created some examples below.

script:

## Leanback Launcher
  adb_open_shield_leanback:
    sequence:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          entity_id: media_player.shield_shield_adb
          command: HOME

## Plex
  adb_open_shield_plex:
    sequence:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          entity_id: media_player.shield_shield_adb
          command: "monkey -p com.plexapp.android -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1"

## Netflix
  adb_open_shield_netflix:
    sequence:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          entity_id: media_player.shield_shield_adb
          command: "am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d -n com.netflix.ninja/.MainActivity"

## Youtube
  adb_open_shield_youtube:
    sequence:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          entity_id: media_player.shield_shield_adb
          command: "am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d -n com.google.android.youtube.tv/com.google.android.apps.youtube.tv.activity.ShellActivity"

## Amazon Video
  adb_open_shield_amazon:
    sequence:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          entity_id: media_player.shield_shield_adb
          command: "am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d -n com.amazon.amazonvideo.livingroom/com.amazon.ignition.IgnitionActivity"

## iPlayer
  adb_open_shield_iplayer:
    sequence:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          entity_id: media_player.shield_shield_adb
          command:  "am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d -n com.nvidia.bbciplayer/.MainPlayerActivity"

## BBC News
  adb_open_shield_bbc_news:
    sequence:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          entity_id: media_player.shield_shield_adb
          command: "am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d -n com.nvidia.bbciplayer.launch/com.nvidia.bbciplayer.LaunchNewsActivity"

## HD Homerun
  adb_open_shield_hd_hr:
    sequence:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          entity_id: media_player.shield_shield_adb
          command: "am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d -n com.silicondust.view/.App"

Further working examples can be found on this GitHub.