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Control Android TV / Google TV with ChatGPT + MCP + ADB | Complete Guide by Mohamed LALAH

Mohamed LALAH published a complete Windows guide for controlling Android TV and Google TV devices with ChatGPT using ADB, the Model Context Protocol (MCP), and the ADB MCP Server. The tutorial covers enabling USB debugging, installing Node.js, Git, and Android SDK Platform Tools, cloning the Adb-MCP-Server repository, and configuring ChatGPT Desktop to send commands such as taking screenshots, navigating interfaces, and launching apps. LALAH warns that the setup grants the AI powerful access and should only be used on authorized devices.

read8 min views1 publishedAug 30, 2026

Complete Windows Guide — Tested on a real Android TV device

Guide created, tested and documented by Mohamed LALAH — Secretofnet© 2026 Mohamed LALAH. All rights reserved.

In this tutorial, we will connect an Android TV / Google TV device to ChatGPT using:

  • ADB
  • MCP (Model Context Protocol)
  • ADB MCP Server
  • ChatGPT Desktop
  • Node.js
  • Git

Once everything is configured, ChatGPT can communicate with your Android TV through ADB and perform actions such as:

  • Detect the connected Android TV device
  • Read device information
  • Take screenshots
  • Understand what is displayed on screen
  • Navigate through the Android TV interface
  • Press remote-control keys
  • Launch applications
  • Open YouTube
  • Navigate inside supported applications
  • Inspect the current Android activity
  • And much more

⚠️ This setup gives the AI powerful access to the Android device through ADB.

Only use it on devices that you own or are authorized to control.

You will need:

  • Windows 10 or Windows 11
  • Android TV / Google TV device
  • USB cable or ADB network connection
  • USB Debugging enabled
  • Node.js
  • Git
  • Android SDK Platform Tools (ADB)
  • ChatGPT Desktop for Windows
  • ADB MCP Server

Download the latest official Android SDK Platform Tools:

https://developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools

Extract the ZIP file.

For this tutorial, we use:

C:\adb

The ADB executable should therefore be:

C:\adb\adb.exe

Open Command Prompt and verify ADB:

C:\adb\adb.exe version

On your Android TV / Google TV:

Settings
→ Device Preferences / System
→ About
→ Build

Press Build several times until Developer Options are enabled.

Then open:

Settings
→ Developer Options
→ USB Debugging

Enable:

USB Debugging

Depending on your Android TV version, the names of these menus may be slightly different.

Connect the Android TV device to the computer.

Open Command Prompt and run:

C:\adb\adb.exe devices

The Android TV may display an authorization message.

Choose:

Allow USB debugging

You can also enable:

Always allow from this computer

Run the command again:

C:\adb\adb.exe devices

A correctly connected device should appear similar to:

List of devices attached
XXXXXXXXXXXX    device

If the status is:

unauthorized

check the TV screen and accept the debugging authorization.

Download Node.js from the official website:

https://nodejs.org/en/download

Install the LTS version.

After installation, open a new Command Prompt window.

Check Node.js:

node --version

Then check npm:

npm --version

The ADB MCP Server requires Node.js 18.17 or newer.

Download Git for Windows:

https://git-scm.com/download/win

Install Git.

During installation, the default options are normally suitable.

After installation, open a new Command Prompt and run:

git --version

You should see the installed Git version.

Project used in this tutorial:

https://github.com/francbonet/Adb-MCP-Server

Open Command Prompt.

Go to your user folder:

cd %USERPROFILE%

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/francbonet/Adb-MCP-Server.git adb-mcp-server

Enter the project directory:

cd adb-mcp-server

Run:

npm install

Wait for npm to finish.

You may see dependency warnings or audit messages.

Do not automatically use:

npm audit fix --force

unless you understand the dependency changes it will make.

Run:

npm run build

If the build succeeds, a folder called:

dist

will be created.

Verify it:

dir dist

You should find:

index.js

The important file is:

%USERPROFILE%\adb-mcp-server\dist\index.js

You can test whether Node.js can start the MCP server:

node dist\index.js

It may look like nothing is happening.

This is normal.

The MCP server uses STDIO and waits for an MCP client to communicate with it.

Press:

CTRL + C

to stop the manual test.

ChatGPT Desktop will start the server automatically after we configure MCP.

Download ChatGPT Desktop from the official OpenAI website:

Install and sign in to ChatGPT.

For this local MCP setup, use the desktop application on the same computer that has access to ADB.

Open ChatGPT Desktop settings.

Find:

MCP Servers

Choose:

Add server

Select:

STDIO

Use the following configuration.

ADB Android TV
C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe

Add:

C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\adb-mcp-server\dist\index.js

Replace:

YOUR_USERNAME

with your Windows username.

Example:

C:\Users\John\adb-mcp-server\dist\index.js

Key:

ADB_EXECUTABLE

Value:

C:\adb\adb.exe

On some Windows configurations, ADB launched from ChatGPT/MCP may try to create or access:

C:\.android

This can cause a permission error even though ADB works correctly from a normal Command Prompt.

If you encounter this problem, add another MCP environment variable.

Key:

ANDROID_USER_HOME

Value:

C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME

Example:

C:\Users\John

Your MCP environment variables should then contain:

ADB_EXECUTABLE = C:\adb\adb.exe
ANDROID_USER_HOME = C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME

Save the MCP configuration.

If necessary, disable and re-enable the MCP server or restart ChatGPT Desktop.

Before allowing ChatGPT to control anything, start with a read-only test.

You can ask ChatGPT:

Use only the ADB Android TV MCP server.

List the connected Android devices and tell me the device model and Android version.

Do not change anything on the device.

If everything is working correctly, ChatGPT should detect your Android TV.

If multiple Android devices are connected, ask ChatGPT to select the Android TV device.

Example:

Use the ADB Android TV MCP server.

Select my Android TV as the active device and show me its device information.

Do not change any settings.

The MCP server can retrieve information such as:

  • Manufacturer
  • Model
  • Android version
  • SDK level
  • Display resolution
  • Display density
  • Build information
  • Device serial

Now try:

Use the ADB Android TV MCP server.

Take a screenshot of the current Android TV screen and tell me what you can see.

Do not press any button or change anything.

ChatGPT can capture the Android TV screen through ADB and analyze the screenshot.

This creates an important feedback loop:

ChatGPT
   ↓
MCP
   ↓
ADB
   ↓
Android TV
   ↓
Screenshot
   ↓
ChatGPT

The AI can therefore perform an action, capture the result and verify what happened.

Once screenshots work, try a simple command:

Go to the Android TV Home screen.

Or:

Move one position to the right.

Or:

Press OK.

Or:

Press Back.

The MCP server can translate these requests into Android key events.

You can ask ChatGPT:

Open YouTube on my Android TV.

ChatGPT can find or use the application's Android package and launch it through ADB.

For Android TV YouTube, the package is commonly:

com.google.android.youtube.tv

You can also ask:

Open YouTube and confirm that it launched successfully.

ChatGPT can check the currently active Android activity to verify the result.

Example prompt:

Use only the ADB Android TV MCP server.

Open YouTube, take a screenshot, analyze the interface and navigate to my channel.

After every important action, verify the result before continuing.

This is much more interesting than simply sending remote-control commands.

The AI can:

See → Decide → Act → Verify

You can say:

Find the application named SecretoTools TV and open it.

Then confirm that the application is running.

The AI can launch the application and verify its current Android activity.

Depending on the version of ADB MCP Server, available tools can include:

list_devices
select_device
get_device_info
screenshot
dump_ui
get_current_activity
press_key
press_key_sequence
tap
swipe
type_text
launch_app
stop_app
get_logcat
install_apk
uninstall_app

Some operations are much more powerful than others.

Always verify the target device before allowing destructive operations.

Copy this prompt into ChatGPT Desktop:

Use only the ADB Android TV MCP server.

First detect the connected Android TV and select it as the active device.

Before performing any action, confirm that you are controlling the correct device.

Take a screenshot and analyze the current screen.

For navigation, application launching and screenshots, use MCP only.

Do not install or uninstall applications.
Do not change system settings.
Do not delete files.
Do not run destructive operations.

After each important action, verify the result with a screenshot or the current Android activity.

Run:

C:\adb\adb.exe devices

If the device is unauthorized, accept the USB debugging prompt on the TV.

Run:

C:\adb\adb.exe kill-server
C:\adb\adb.exe start-server
C:\adb\adb.exe devices

Check Node.js:

node --version

Check the MCP build:

cd %USERPROFILE%\adb-mcp-server
npm run build

Verify:

dir dist

Make sure this file exists:

dist\index.js

Add:

ANDROID_USER_HOME

to the MCP environment variables.

Example:

ANDROID_USER_HOME = C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME

Then restart or reconnect the MCP server.

ADB provides powerful access to Android devices.

Do not:

  • Expose ADB publicly to the Internet.
  • Connect unknown devices.
  • Accept unknown debugging computers.
  • Give an AI unrestricted destructive permissions without understanding the consequences.
  • Allow installation, uninstallation or system changes unless you intend to perform them.

For normal testing, keep the MCP server and ADB connection local to your computer.

This tutorial uses third-party open-source software.

The ADB MCP Server project used in this guide is:

https://github.com/francbonet/Adb-MCP-Server

Android SDK Platform Tools are provided by Google:

https://developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools

Node.js:

Git:

ChatGPT:

Please check the respective project pages and licenses for the latest information.

Tutorial written, tested and documented by:

© 2026 Mohamed LALAH. All rights reserved.

This tutorial represents the author's own documentation, testing procedure, explanations and workflow.

Third-party applications, trademarks and open-source projects mentioned in this guide remain the property of their respective owners and are subject to their respective licenses.

You are welcome to share the original link to this guide.

Please do not copy, reproduce or republish the complete tutorial on another website, video description, repository or document without proper attribution to:

Mohamed LALAH — Secretofnet

Technology • Android TV • Google TV • Tutorials • Tools

Guide created and tested in 2026.

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