webos-debloat: reversible debloat for rooted LG webOS TVs (hide bloat tiles, stop preloading, turn off promos/ACR)

webos-debloat

One shell script that makes a rooted LG webOS TV lighter and quieter:

• hides bloat tiles and background apps from the launcher
• stops preloading apps the TV keeps in RAM whether or not you open them
• turns off home-screen promotions, promo videos, sports alerts, content recommendations and Live Plus (ACR)

Nothing is deleted and the root filesystem is never touched. It only edits LG's own app block list, the preload manager's policy and a few system settings. So every change can be undone, and firmware updates install as they would on a stock TV.

Status: tested on one TV, not everywhere. It was written on a 2026 LG OLED running webOS 26 (firmware 11.2, US region). On other models and versions it should work in principle: app IDs that aren't installed and settings keys that don't exist are skipped. But it hasn't been tried there. Start with --plan and --dry-run.

Requirements

• Root on the TV via Homebrew Channel. Which rooting method works depends on your firmware; see webosbrew.org.
• A root shell on the TV, either SSH (recommended) or Homebrew Channel's telnet.
• For --install-boot-hook, Homebrew Channel's startup scripts must be enabled. They run /var/lib/webosbrew/init.d/* at boot.

Get the script onto the TV

With SSH enabled in Homebrew Channel:

ssh root@ 'cat > /tmp/webos-debloat.sh' < webos-debloat.sh

With telnet only, serve this folder from your computer and fetch the script from the TV:

python3 -m http.server 8000                     # on your computer
curl -o /tmp/webos-debloat.sh http://:8000/webos-debloat.sh   # on the TV

/tmp is wiped on reboot. That's fine: --install-boot-hook copies the script to /var/lib/webos-debloat/.

Quick start

On the TV:

sh /tmp/webos-debloat.sh --list               # what's installed
sh /tmp/webos-debloat.sh --plan               # what --apply would hide
sh /tmp/webos-debloat.sh --apply              # hide the default categories
sh /tmp/webos-debloat.sh --preload-off        # the step that actually frees RAM
sh /tmp/webos-debloat.sh --settings-off       # promos, alerts, recommendations, ACR
sh /tmp/webos-debloat.sh --install-boot-hook  # keep it applied across reboots
sh /tmp/webos-debloat.sh --status

To see the effect, run grep MemAvailable /proc/meminfo before and after.

Categories

--apply hides the default categories. Pick others with --only a,b,c, or hide single apps with --id .

extras hides the voice assistant and LG account pages, so skip it if you use them. Some apps are never hidden, whatever you ask for (PROTECTED_IDS in the script): Home, Settings, Live TV, inputs, the browser, first-run setup, Homebrew Channel and anything else whose absence is known to break the TV's own UI.

Undo

S=/var/lib/webos-debloat/webos-debloat.sh   # or wherever your copy is
sh $S --remove-boot-hook
sh $S --restore            # un-hide what this script hid (LG's own blocks stay)
sh $S --preload-on
sh $S --settings-restore   # restores the values from before --settings-off

The first run backs up the files it edits to /var/lib/webos-debloat/*.orig and never overwrites those backups.

Things learned along the way

• Hiding is mostly cosmetic. It removes tiles from the app list but doesn't stop processes or free memory. On webOS 26 it also doesn't clean up the content rows inside LG Home.
• The memory goes to preloading. The preload manager keeps some apps resident before anyone opens them. List them with luna-send -n 1 luna://com.webos.service.preloadmanager/getPreloadPolicy '{}'.
  • setPreloadPolicy only lasts until the preload manager reloads, which on webOS 26 also happens a few minutes after boot.
  • The allowedApps map in /var/preferences/webos-preload-manager-conf.json is what persists.
  • The script sets both, and the boot hook replays them.
  • It leaves Home, Live TV and the HDMI inputs preloaded. That is what keeps the Home button and input switching fast.
• "Off" is usually suspend. With the default power settings, turning the TV off suspends it. Boot hooks run only after a real reboot, not on power-on. Everything this script changes is stored in /var, so it doesn't matter here. If you write your own hooks, keep it in mind: on resume webOS launches LG Home with "reason":"boot", which you can watch for with luna-send -i luna://com.webos.service.applicationmanager/getAppLifeEvents '{"subscribe":true}'.
• Settings keys live in /etc/palm/description.categorykeysmap.json (which category each key belongs to) and /etc/palm/defaultSettings.json. That's the place to look for more things to switch off.

Security note

Homebrew Channel's telnet is an unauthenticated root shell open to your whole network. Once you're set up, enable SSH with a key in Homebrew Channel's settings and turn telnet off.

License

MIT. See LICENSE, or the SPDX header in webos-debloat.sh if you only grabbed the script. Not affiliated with LG. Rooting your TV may void its warranty; use at your own risk.