Control Android TV with ChatGPT from PC & iPhone using MCP + ADB

🤖 Control Android TV with ChatGPT from PC & iPhone using MCP + ADB

Complete Windows + iPhone Guide Guide created, tested and documented by Mohamed LALAH — Secretofnet Tested: August 2026 © 2026 Mohamed LALAH. All rights reserved.

🎥 Full Video Tutorial

A complete step-by-step video tutorial for this guide is available on my YouTube channel:

Secretofnet

▶️ Watch the full tutorial:
VIDEO_LINK_HERE

The video demonstrates the complete setup from scratch, including:

• Connecting Android TV to Windows with ADB
• Installing and configuring the MCP server
• Connecting MCP to ChatGPT / Codex
• Controlling Android TV using natural-language commands
• Taking Android TV screenshots with AI
• Displaying Android TV screenshots directly inside ChatGPT
• Opening and navigating applications
• Performing multi-step AI Agent tasks
• Controlling Android TV remotely from an iPhone
• Using ChatGPT Remote with the Windows host

📌 Tip: The video and this Gist are designed to be used together.
Watch the video for the full demonstration and use this page to copy the commands and configuration.

📺 What Can This Project Do?

This guide explains how to connect ChatGPT / Codex to an Android TV or Google TV device using:

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

Once configured, the AI can:

• Detect connected Android TV devices
• Read device information
• Take screenshots
• Understand what is visible on the TV
• Navigate Android TV
• Press remote-control buttons
• Launch applications
• Open YouTube
• Navigate inside applications
• Verify the currently active Android application
• Perform multi-step tasks
• Return Android TV screenshots directly inside ChatGPT
• Control the Android TV remotely from an iPhone using ChatGPT Remote

The goal is not simply to replace the remote control.

The interesting part is giving the AI a goal and allowing it to:

See
 ↓
Understand
 ↓
Decide
 ↓
Act
 ↓
Verify

🧠 How Does It Work?

Local control from Windows

ChatGPT / Codex
       ↓
ADB Android TV MCP Server
       ↓
ADB
       ↓
Android TV / Google TV

Remote control from iPhone

📱 ChatGPT on iPhone
          ↓
     Codex Remote
          ↓
💻 ChatGPT / Codex on Windows
          ↓
   adb_android_tv MCP
          ↓
         ADB
          ↓
📺 Android TV / Google TV
          ↓
     Screenshot / Result
          ↓
📱 Back to the iPhone

The iPhone does not connect directly to ADB.

The Windows PC remains the host for:

• Codex
• MCP
• ADB
• The Android TV connection

ChatGPT Remote allows you to continue interacting with that Windows-hosted session from the phone.

⚠️ Important Security Notice

ADB provides powerful access to Android devices.

Use this guide only with devices you own or devices you are authorized to control.

Never expose ADB directly to the public Internet.

Never expose the local MCP STDIO server publicly.

For the iPhone method described later in this guide, the Windows computer remains the local host.

You do not need to expose ADB or the MCP server to the Internet.

💰 Do I Need ChatGPT Plus?

No.

At the time this guide was tested (August 2026), Codex is available on ChatGPT plans including Free and Go, in addition to paid plans.

Codex Remote is also available across ChatGPT plans.

This means you can try this Android TV + MCP project without necessarily having a ChatGPT Plus subscription.

However:

• Usage limits vary depending on your ChatGPT plan.
• Free accounts have lower included usage than paid plans.
• Codex and Remote availability, limits and requirements may change over time.

Always check OpenAI's current documentation for the latest availability and usage limits.

🧰 Required Software

You need:

• Windows 10 or Windows 11
• Android TV / Google TV
• ADB debugging enabled
• Android SDK Platform Tools
• Node.js
• Git
• ChatGPT Desktop / Codex on Windows
• ADB MCP Server

For remote control from a phone:

• iPhone or compatible mobile device
• ChatGPT mobile app
• ChatGPT Remote / Codex Remote available on your account
• Windows host online and connected

1️⃣ Download Android SDK Platform Tools — ADB

Official Google download:

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

Download the Windows version.

Extract the ZIP file.

For this tutorial, we will use:

C:\adb

The ADB executable should therefore be:

C:\adb\adb.exe

Test ADB:

C:\adb\adb.exe version

If ADB displays its version information, continue.

2️⃣ Enable Developer Options on Android TV

On your Android TV / Google TV device, open:

Settings
→ Device Preferences / System
→ About
→ Build

Press Build several times until Developer Options are enabled.

Then open:

Settings
→ Developer Options

Enable:

USB Debugging

Depending on the Android TV / Google TV version, the names and locations of these options may be slightly different.

3️⃣ Connect Android TV to Windows

Connect the Android TV device to your computer using the appropriate ADB connection method.

Open Command Prompt.

Run:

C:\adb\adb.exe devices

The Android TV may display:

Allow USB debugging?

Accept the RSA authorization request.

You can optionally select:

Always allow from this computer

Then run again:

C:\adb\adb.exe devices

Expected result:

List of devices attached
XXXXXXXXXXXX    device

If you see:

unauthorized

check the Android TV screen and approve the debugging request.

4️⃣ Test the Android TV Connection

Run:

C:\adb\adb.exe devices -l

You can also retrieve information manually.

Device model

C:\adb\adb.exe shell getprop ro.product.model

Manufacturer

C:\adb\adb.exe shell getprop ro.product.manufacturer

Android version

C:\adb\adb.exe shell getprop ro.build.version.release

Android SDK

C:\adb\adb.exe shell getprop ro.build.version.sdk

If these commands return information from your Android TV, the ADB connection is working.

5️⃣ Install Node.js

Official website:

https://nodejs.org/en/download

Install the current LTS version.

The ADB MCP Server used in this tutorial requires Node.js 18.17 or newer.

After installation, open Command Prompt.

Check Node.js:

node --version

Check npm:

npm --version

Both commands should return version numbers.

6️⃣ Install Git for Windows

Official website:

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

Install Git.

Then check:

git --version

If the Git version appears, continue.

7️⃣ Download the ADB MCP Server

We use the following open-source project:

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

Open Command Prompt.

Go to your Windows user directory:

cd %USERPROFILE%

Clone the project:

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

Enter the project folder:

cd adb-mcp-server

8️⃣ Install MCP Server Dependencies

Run:

npm install

Wait until installation finishes.

You may see npm warnings or security audit messages.

Do not automatically run:

npm audit fix --force

unless you understand the dependency changes it may make.

9️⃣ Build the MCP Server

Run:

npm run build

After the build completes, check:

dir dist

You should see files including:

index.js

The important file is:

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

Replace:

YOUR_USERNAME

with your actual Windows username.

🔟 Optional Manual MCP Server Test

You can test the MCP server manually.

From:

C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\adb-mcp-server

run:

node dist\index.js

The terminal may appear to stay idle.

This can be completely normal.

The MCP server uses STDIO and is waiting for an MCP client.

To stop it:

CTRL + C

1️⃣1️⃣ Install ChatGPT Desktop

Official download:

https://chatgpt.com/download/

Install ChatGPT on the same Windows PC that has access to your Android TV through ADB.

Sign in to your ChatGPT account.

Open Codex / the supported desktop coding workflow.

1️⃣2️⃣ Configure the MCP Server in ChatGPT / Codex

Open the MCP Server configuration.

Choose:

Add Server

Select:

STDIO

Use the following configuration.

Name

ADB Android TV

Command

C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe

Argument

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

Replace:

YOUR_USERNAME

with your actual Windows username.

1️⃣3️⃣ Configure the ADB Environment Variable

Add the following environment variable:

Variable

ADB_EXECUTABLE

Value

C:\adb\adb.exe

This tells the MCP server exactly which ADB executable to use.

⚠️ Windows Fix — .android Permission Problem

On some Windows configurations, ADB launched through Codex/MCP may attempt to access:

C:\.android

This can generate a permission error.

If this happens, add another environment variable:

Variable

ANDROID_USER_HOME

Value

C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME

You can find your Windows user path with:

echo %USERPROFILE%

Your MCP environment should then contain:

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

Save the MCP configuration.

Restart/re-enable the MCP server if necessary.

This additional variable was required during our Windows testing when ADB attempted to use C:\.android.

1️⃣4️⃣ First MCP Test — Detect Android TV

Now we stop giving ADB commands manually and let the AI use MCP.

Use this prompt:

Use only the adb_android_tv MCP server.

Do not use Terminal.

Run list_devices and tell me which Android devices are connected.

Do not change anything on the device.

If everything is configured correctly, the AI should detect your Android TV.

1️⃣5️⃣ Get Android TV Information With AI

Use:

Use only adb_android_tv MCP.

Select the connected Android TV as the active device.

Use get_device_info and tell me:

- Device model
- Manufacturer
- Android version
- SDK level
- Resolution
- Density
- Serial number

Do not use Terminal.

The AI should retrieve the information directly through MCP.

1️⃣6️⃣ Take Your First Android TV Screenshot

Use:

Use only adb_android_tv MCP.

Take a screenshot of the current Android TV screen.

Tell me what is visible.

Do not press any button.
Do not change anything.
Do not use Terminal.

ChatGPT can now use the Android TV screenshot to understand what is currently displayed.

1️⃣7️⃣ Display the Android TV Screenshot Inside ChatGPT

This is much more interesting than receiving only a text description.

Use:

Use only the adb_android_tv MCP server.

Take a screenshot of the current Android TV screen.

Do not only describe the image.

Display or attach the screenshot image itself in your reply.

Then write a short description below the image.

Do not press any button.
Do not change anything.
Do not use Terminal.

When supported by the current MCP client, the actual Android TV screenshot can appear directly inside the ChatGPT conversation.

1️⃣8️⃣ Test Android TV Navigation

Example:

Use only adb_android_tv MCP.

Press HOME.

Wait for the Android TV interface to load.

Take a screenshot.

Display the screenshot in the conversation.

Verify that the Android TV Home screen appeared.

Do not use Terminal.

1️⃣9️⃣ Open an Android TV Application

Example:

Use only adb_android_tv MCP.

Open the application I request on Android TV.

Wait until the application fully loads.

Take a screenshot.

Display the screenshot.

Verify that the correct application is running.

Do not use Terminal.

2️⃣0️⃣ Open YouTube

Use:

Use only adb_android_tv MCP.

Open YouTube on Android TV.

Wait until it loads.

Take a screenshot.

Display the screenshot.

Verify that YouTube opened successfully.

Do not use Terminal.

A common Android TV YouTube package is:

com.google.android.youtube.tv

2️⃣1️⃣ Navigate to a YouTube Channel

For example:

Use only adb_android_tv MCP.

Open YouTube and navigate to the channel named Secretofnet.

Use search or any appropriate navigation method.

Decide the navigation steps yourself.

When you reach the channel:

1. Take a screenshot.
2. Display the screenshot.
3. Verify that it is the correct channel.

Do not use Terminal.

This is where the AI starts behaving more like an agent instead of a simple remote control.

2️⃣2️⃣ Find and Play a Specific Video

Example:

Use only adb_android_tv MCP.

Find the video about Android TV Dashboard on the Secretofnet channel.

Identify the correct video using the available title, thumbnail and interface information.

Open the correct video.

Start playback.

Verify that playback started.

Decide the navigation steps yourself.

Do not ask me how many times to press Left, Right or OK.

Do not use Terminal.

2️⃣3️⃣ Multi-Step AI Agent Test

This is one of the best demonstrations of the project.

Use:

Use only adb_android_tv MCP.

Complete this task by yourself:

1. Pause the current YouTube video.
2. Return to Android TV Home.
3. Open SecretoTools TV.
4. Wait until it fully loads.
5. Take a screenshot.
6. Display the screenshot in the conversation.
7. Describe the interface.
8. Verify that the correct application is active.

Decide the required navigation steps yourself.

Do not use Terminal.
Do not change Android system settings.

The important idea is:

Goal
 ↓
AI decides the steps
 ↓
MCP executes the actions
 ↓
AI sees the result
 ↓
AI verifies success

📱 2️⃣4️⃣ Control Android TV From iPhone With ChatGPT Remote

Now we reach one of the most interesting parts of this project.

You can send the instruction from the ChatGPT app on your iPhone while the Windows computer remains the host connected to Android TV.

Architecture:

📱 iPhone
     ↓
ChatGPT Remote
     ↓
💻 Windows / Codex
     ↓
🧩 adb_android_tv MCP
     ↓
🔧 ADB
     ↓
📺 Android TV

The iPhone does not need its own ADB installation.

The iPhone is also not connecting directly to the local MCP server.

The Windows PC remains the machine running:

Codex
+
MCP
+
ADB

2️⃣5️⃣ Prepare ChatGPT Remote

On your Windows PC:

1. Open ChatGPT / Codex.
2. Sign in to your ChatGPT account.
3. Make sure your MCP configuration is working.
4. Keep the Windows host online.
5. Enable/allow Remote Control if requested.

On your iPhone:

1. Install or update the ChatGPT app.
2. Sign in using the same ChatGPT account.
3. Open the Remote section.
4. Complete the Remote setup if required.
5. Select your Windows computer.
6. Open the existing Codex conversation.

The Windows computer should appear as an online Remote host.

2️⃣6️⃣ Test Android TV From iPhone — Read Only

Start with a safe test.

From the ChatGPT Remote conversation on your iPhone, send:

Use only the adb_android_tv MCP server.

Do not use Terminal.

Take a screenshot of the current Android TV screen.

Tell me what is visible.

Do not press any button.
Do not change anything.

If everything is working, the instruction sent from the iPhone reaches the Windows-hosted Codex session.

Codex then uses:

MCP → ADB → Android TV

2️⃣7️⃣ Control Android TV From iPhone

Now try a real action.

Example:

Use only the adb_android_tv MCP server.

Do not use Terminal.

Open SecretoTools TV on Android TV.

Wait until the application fully loads.

Take a screenshot.

Verify that the application is running.

Complete the task by yourself.

You should see the Android TV respond without touching the PC keyboard or the Android TV remote.

📸 2️⃣8️⃣ Return the Android TV Screenshot to the iPhone

Now complete the feedback loop.

From the iPhone, use:

Use only the adb_android_tv MCP server.

Take a screenshot of the current Android TV screen.

Do not only describe the image.

Display or attach the screenshot itself in your response.

Then write a short description below it.

Do not use Terminal.

If supported by the current client, the actual Android TV screenshot should appear inside the ChatGPT conversation on the iPhone.

The complete process becomes:

📱 iPhone command
        ↓
💻 Windows Codex
        ↓
🧩 MCP
        ↓
🔧 ADB
        ↓
📺 Android TV
        ↓
📸 Screenshot
        ↓
💻 Windows Codex
        ↓
📱 Screenshot appears on iPhone

This is a complete closed-loop AI control workflow.

🎤 2️⃣9️⃣ Use Voice Input From iPhone

You can make the demonstration even more natural by using ChatGPT's voice/dictation input on the iPhone.

For example, say:

Open YouTube on my Android TV,
go to the Secretofnet channel,
take a screenshot when you arrive,
and show me the screenshot here.

The Windows PC must remain available as the Remote host.

The AI can then execute the task through the Windows-hosted MCP connection.

🤖 3️⃣0️⃣ Advanced AI Agent Prompt

Once everything is working, try a more autonomous task:

Use only the adb_android_tv MCP server.

Do not use Terminal.

Complete the following goal autonomously:

1. Return to the Android TV Home screen.
2. Open YouTube.
3. Navigate to the Secretofnet channel.
4. Verify that you reached the correct channel.
5. Take a screenshot.
6. Display the screenshot in this conversation.
7. Return to the Android TV Home screen.
8. Open SecretoTools TV.
9. Wait for it to load.
10. Verify that SecretoTools TV is active.
11. Take a final screenshot.
12. Display the final screenshot and summarize what you did.

Decide the navigation steps yourself.

Do not ask me how many times to press navigation buttons unless you cannot continue safely.

This demonstrates the difference between:

Traditional Remote Control

and:

AI Agent Control

🛠 Useful ADB MCP Tools

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

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

Available tools may change as the project is updated.

🧯 Troubleshooting

Android TV Is Not Detected

Run:

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

Device Shows unauthorized

Check your Android TV screen.

Accept:

Allow USB debugging

Then run:

C:\adb\adb.exe devices

ADB Command Is Not Found

Use the complete path:

C:\adb\adb.exe devices

Or:

cd C:\adb
adb devices

Multiple ADB Versions Are Installed

Check:

where adb

If multiple ADB executables appear, use the full path of the version you want in:

ADB_EXECUTABLE

Example:

ADB_EXECUTABLE=C:\adb\adb.exe

Check Node.js

Run:

node --version
npm --version

Check Git

Run:

git --version

Rebuild the MCP Server

Run:

cd %USERPROFILE%\adb-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
dir dist

MCP Server Appears Frozen

If you manually run:

node dist\index.js

and nothing appears to happen, this may be normal.

The server is waiting for an MCP STDIO client.

Stop it with:

CTRL + C

Codex Tries to Use Terminal Instead of MCP

Be explicit in your prompt:

Use only the adb_android_tv MCP server.

Do not use Terminal.
Do not execute ADB commands directly.

ADB Tries to Use C:\.android

If you receive a permission error related to:

C:\.android

add this MCP environment variable:

ANDROID_USER_HOME=C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME

Then restart/re-enable the MCP server.

Screenshot Is Analyzed but Not Displayed

If ChatGPT describes the screenshot but does not display the image, explicitly request:

Display or attach the screenshot image itself in your reply.

Do not only describe it.

YouTube Video Screenshot Appears Black

In some cases, the video rendering/protected layer may not appear correctly in an ADB screenshot.

Therefore, the video area may appear black even when playback is working.

Use additional verification such as:

• Current activity
• UI state
• Playback state
• Other MCP information

instead of relying only on the captured video frame.

ChatGPT Remote Cannot See the Windows PC

Check:

• ChatGPT / Codex is running on Windows
• Windows is online
• The same ChatGPT account is signed in
• Remote Control is enabled
• The mobile app is updated
• The desktop app is updated
• The Windows host appears online

Remote availability and interface details can change as ChatGPT is updated.

🔐 Security Recommendations

Keep the following rules in mind:

• Only authorize computers you trust with ADB.
• Use this setup only on devices you own or are authorized to control.
• Never expose ADB directly to the public Internet.
• Never expose the local STDIO MCP server publicly.
• Do not open unnecessary ADB ports on your router.
• Be careful with application installation and removal.
• Be careful with file deletion.
• Avoid changing Android system settings unnecessarily.
• Review important AI actions before allowing destructive operations.
• Disable USB Debugging when you no longer need it.

✅ Successfully Tested

This workflow was successfully tested in August 2026 with:

Windows 11
Xiaomi Mi Box 4
Android 9
SDK 28
1920 × 1080
ADB
Node.js
ADB MCP Server
ChatGPT / Codex Desktop
ChatGPT Remote
iPhone

Successful tests included:

✓ Detect Android TV

✓ Read Android TV device information

✓ Capture Android TV screenshots

✓ Understand the Android TV interface

✓ Display screenshots directly inside ChatGPT

✓ Navigate Android TV

✓ Press Android TV navigation controls

✓ Launch applications

✓ Open YouTube

✓ Navigate to a YouTube channel

✓ Find a specific YouTube video

✓ Start video playback

✓ Pause playback

✓ Return to Android TV Home

✓ Launch another Android TV application

✓ Verify the active Android application

✓ Perform multi-step AI Agent tasks

✓ Send Android TV commands from an iPhone

✓ Control Android TV through ChatGPT Remote

✓ Return an Android TV screenshot to the iPhone

✓ Display the actual Android TV screenshot inside ChatGPT on iPhone

🔗 Downloads & Official Links

ChatGPT Desktop

https://chatgpt.com/download/

Android SDK Platform Tools

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

Node.js

https://nodejs.org/en/download

Git for Windows

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

ADB MCP Server

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

OpenAI — ChatGPT Work and Codex

https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001275

🎥 Full Secretofnet Video Tutorial

A complete video tutorial explaining this project from start to finish is available on my YouTube channel:

Secretofnet

▶️ Watch the video:
VIDEO_LINK_HERE

The video shows the complete process in practice, while this Gist provides the commands, configuration and prompts that you can copy.

If you found this project useful, you can share the original video and the original link to this Gist.

❤️ Credits & Copyright

Tutorial created, tested and documented by:

Mohamed LALAH — Secretofnet

© 2026 Mohamed LALAH. All rights reserved.

This tutorial represents the author's own testing procedure, documentation, 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 Gist
• The original Secretofnet YouTube video

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

Mohamed LALAH — Secretofnet

⭐ Final Note

The most powerful part of this setup is not simply controlling Android TV with ADB.

It is allowing an AI agent to understand a goal, decide what actions are required, perform those actions and verify the result.

Understand
    ↓
Decide
    ↓
Act
    ↓
See the Result
    ↓
Verify

And with ChatGPT Remote:

📱 iPhone
    ↓
🤖 ChatGPT
    ↓
💻 Windows / Codex
    ↓
🧩 MCP
    ↓
🔧 ADB
    ↓
📺 Android TV
    ↓
📸 Screenshot
    ↓
📱 Back to iPhone

This turns Android TV control into a real AI Agent workflow.

Mohamed LALAH — Secretofnet
Guide created and tested — August 2026