---
title: "I had AI reverse-engineer TCL's BrowseHere and build a private, open-source alternative: Sofa TV Browser"
url: "https://reamcp.dev/en/cases/i-had-ai-reverse-engineer-tcl-s-browsehere-and-build-a-priva-01307e"
source: "https://github.com/sonalder-darlene/sofa-tv-browser"
source_type: "github"
repo: "https://github.com/sonalder-darlene/sofa-tv-browser"
author: "sonalder"
author_handle: "sonalder"
stars: 5
category: "App feature recreation"
categories: ["app-recreation"]
tags: ["android", "androidtv", "apk", "browser", "claude", "privacy"]
added: "2026-10-20T02:43:46.375Z"
updated: "2026-10-19T15:13:00Z"
locale: "en"
content_locale: "en"
---

# I had AI reverse-engineer TCL's BrowseHere and build a private, open-source alternative: Sofa TV Browser

Developer describes using REA (a reverse-engineering skill for AI agents) to inspect TCL's BrowseHere APK, finding Firebase analytics, TCL ads and pre-ticked data-sharing settings, then having Claude build Sofa TV Browser — an open-source, GPL-3.0 Android TV browser with remote-friendly UX, tracker blocking, no analytics and no backend. Hosted on GitHub, distributed as an APK.

## Description

Reddit post in r/AndroidTVApps presenting Sofa TV Browser, a privacy-focused open-source TV browser. The author states REA dug through TCL's BrowseHere APK and surfaced Firebase analytics including visited sites, TCL ads, and a pre-ticked data-sharing option in many countries. Sofa TV Browser reimplements remote-friendly UX (D-pad mouse pointer, Back-button menu, home tiles, voice search, resumable downloads, per-site ad/tracker blocking using the StevenBlack hosts list) without using any TCL code, images or text. Under 1 MB, Android 7.0+, GPL-3.0, distributed via GitHub APK/Obtainium rather than the Play Store; pages render through the TV's Android System WebView. Tabs, find-in-page, reader mode and phone-based typing are still missing. Repository: https://github.com/sonalder-darlene/sofa-tv-browser

## Original README

Okay, first let's be honest: this app is vibe-coded. I wanted to try REA ("reverse engineer anything"), a reverse-engineering skill for AI agents, and Claude wrote basically all of the code. If that's not your thing, no hard feelings, just skip to the next post :) Now that this is out of the way, let me introduce Sofa TV Browser. A web browser on a TV is never going to be great, but sometimes you need one. I tried a bunch and the least clunky for me was BrowseHere, from TCL. Let's be honest, it's decent, and I used it for months. Privacy-wise it's not atrocious but not great either: when REA dug through the APK, it found Firebase analytics that include the sites you visit, TCL's own ads, and a "share data" box that's pre-ticked in a lot of countries (in the EU it's unticked) and even worse shit. So on a free afternoon I asked for a browser with the same remote-friendly UX, but built around privacy. The first try was already impressive. I gave feedback and asked for changes, and in less than an afternoon I had something really solid. It only borrows how BrowseHere works with the remote and some UX choices for menus: there's no TCL code, image or text in it. https://preview.redd.it/teynpl1crhwh1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=6f40834e62df99a63cddafd085136c98ee916c8a What it does: A mouse pointer on the D-pad, and a menu on the Back button (address, bookmarks, history, zoom, "Browse as" desktop, mobile or TV) A home screen with your own tiles and your most visited sites Controls for fullscreen video, downloads that resume, voice search Ad and tracker blocking with the StevenBlack hosts list (around 71,000 domains), switchable per site, and third-party cookies blocked No account, no analytics, no ads, no servers of its own. Checking GitHub for updates is opt-in, it asks you at first start Under 1 MB, Android 7.0+, GPL-3.0 https://preview.redd.it/jt8ielhorhwh1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=ff085a08083b2a3c9679616f028e0fbc3e666334 https://preview.redd.it/mpa1qnjsrhwh1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=7efda7a9f05335d3062252ff523ca53c6fc97140 Pages are shown by your TV's own Android System WebView (Chrome's engine), so security fixes for the engine come from Google through the Play Store, not from me, not from Claude. Not there yet: tabs, find in page, reader mode, typing from your phone. It's not on the Play Store. The APK is on GitHub (Play Protect will complain because it doesn't know me, "More details → Install anyway" works), and Obtainium can keep it updated. I will try to add it on F-Droid later. https://github.com/sonalder-darlene/sofa-tv-browser If you try it, tell me what breaks and which sites are a pain with the remote, what improvments you would like to have, etc... Star the repo & open issues!   submitted by   /u/sonalder   to   r/AndroidTVApps [link]   [comments]