SmartTube
by yuliskov · MIT · open source
A YouTube client made for the TV screen and remote, for Android TVs, TV boxes and sticks: browse and play videos, skip segments with SponsorBlock, change playback speed.
Needs:Android TV or TV box · not for phones
2113 Apps is independent, not affiliated with or endorsed by yuliskov. Official sources: smarttubeapp.github.io · source code on GitHub.
- Version
- 32.56
- Size
- 34.9 MB
- Requires
- Android 4.2+
- Updated
- 2026-09-23
Introduction
SmartTube is an open-source app for watching YouTube on Android TVs, TV boxes and TV sticks, developed by Yuriy Liskov. It is an independent client with its own code, not a modified copy of the YouTube app, and it doesn’t need Google services. The developer lists as supported “all Android TVs and TV boxes”, including NVIDIA Shield and Chromecast with Google TV; it doesn’t run on LG or Samsung TVs, which don’t use Android.
What it does
From the project’s README:
- An interface for the TV remote, with playback up to 8K, at 60 frames per second and in HDR, where the TV or box supports it.
- SponsorBlock, optional: skips video segments in the categories you choose, using the crowd-sourced SponsorBlock database. You can’t submit new segments from the TV.
- Adjustable playback speed, live chat and customizable buttons.
- Limitations the developer lists: comments are unstable, voice search and casting may work less well than in the official apps, and it can’t download videos.
- SmartTube can fetch its own updates, but Android asks you to confirm each install.
The November 2025 incident
In late November 2025, Google Play Protect began blocking SmartTube, and the developer announced that his signing key had been exposed. His README now says: “My development environment was infected by unknown malicious software, as a result of which a few builds may have been affected.” He wiped and rebuilt the machine and moved to a new key and a new package name, org.smarttube.stable; the old app, com.teamsmart.videomanager.tv, no longer receives updates. The old APKs were removed from GitHub.
The README adds that sign-in uses one-time connection codes with limited permissions, so no action is required, but you can revoke SmartTube’s access in your Google account’s security settings, where it appears as YouTube TV or Google Drive.
What goes online
SmartTube loads videos and information from YouTube, which is why F-Droid flags its own build NonFreeNet: it relies on a service that isn’t free software. With SponsorBlock on, it also fetches segment data from SponsorBlock. The developer’s build includes Google’s Firebase Crashlytics for crash reports; our scan found it as the one tracker library.
About this file
- This is the developer’s own build: the universal APK from SmartTube’s GitHub release 32.56, identical to the file GitHub lists for it, and signed with the developer’s new key (SHA-256 fingerprint starting 10:97:35:AA), the same fingerprint he published with release 30.68.
- “Universal” here means 64- and 32-bit ARM, so it also runs on the many TV boxes with a 32-bit system. There is no x86 code in it. For getting the file onto a TV, see how to install APKs on Android TV.
- F-Droid builds its own version under a different package name,
app.smarttube.fdroid, signed with F-Droid’s key and with Firebase removed. It installs next to this one rather than updating it. - SmartTube isn’t on Google Play; the README says it “is not officially published on any app store”.
- The 34.9 MB file runs on Android 4.2 and later (the developer gives 4.3) and declares 20 permissions, 4 of which need your approval.
- SmartTube is licensed under MIT.
What’s inside the APK
Trackers
Code from these SDKs is in the package. That shows it is bundled, not how it is used.
Native code
Runs on 64-bit and older 32-bit ARM phones.
Android versions
Built for Android 14 (target API 34).
Permissions
4 of them need your approval first.
CPU types in this build: arm64-v8a (64-bit ARM, almost every phone since 2017); armeabi-v7a (32-bit ARM, older and budget phones).
Asks you first (4)
Android shows a prompt before the app can use these.
- Show notifications (Android 13+) · POST_NOTIFICATIONS
- Read shared storage (Android 12 and older) · READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
- Record audio with the microphone · RECORD_AUDIO
- Write shared storage (Android 10 and older) · WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
You switch these on in Settings (2)
Special app access. Nothing is granted until you turn it on yourself.
- Install unknown apps · REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES
- Display over other apps · SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW
Granted at install (10)
Low-risk permissions Android grants automatically, plus any we have not classified.
- ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
- ACTION_MANAGE_OVERLAY_PERMISSION
- BLUETOOTH
- FOREGROUND_SERVICE
- FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAYBACK
- INTERNET
- QUICKBOOT_POWERON
- RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED
- REQUEST_DELETE_PACKAGES
- WAKE_LOCK
Defined by other apps (4)
Permissions that belong to another app or to this app itself.
- com.android.providers.tv.permission.READ_EPG_DATA
- com.android.providers.tv.permission.WRITE_EPG_DATA
- org.smarttube.stable.ACCESS_VIDEO_DATA
- org.smarttube.stable.DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION
More Information
- Package name
- org.smarttube.stable
- Version
- 32.56 (build 2446)
- File size
- 34.9 MB (34,922,752 bytes)
- Requires
- Android 4.2 or later
- Category
- Media
- License
- MIT
- Developer
- yuliskov
- Source code
- github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube
- Released
- Sep 23, 2026
- Signer SHA-256
- 109735aa24fe85e2e1623ebb3b1ecc4bf4263f4c6374e4411d646bfa2eda482a
- File SHA-256
- 4a35b90940612e048e4e9cb9e10379f7db1e84f30375994129f10a571ee04ce5
- Checked
- , against the 32.56s release on GitHub · how we check · verify it yourself
Common questions
Is this APK the official SmartTube release?
Yes. It is the file from the project’s 32.56s release on GitHub, byte for byte, and it matches the SHA-256 checksum GitHub publishes for it. It is signed with the certificate we recorded when we first checked SmartTube (SHA-256 109735aa24fe85e2e1623ebb3b1ecc4bf4263f4c6374e4411d646bfa2eda482a); a release signed with a different key would not be published here.
What Android version does SmartTube need?
Android 4.2 or later (API level 17). Version 32.56 is built for Android 14 (target API 34). Runs on 64-bit and older 32-bit ARM phones.
Can SmartTube access the internet?
Yes. The APK requests Android’s internet permission. In total it declares 20 permissions, and 4 of them need your approval first.
Does SmartTube contain trackers?
Yes. Version 32.56 contains code from Google CrashLytics, which matches an Exodus Privacy tracker signature. That shows the code is bundled, not how the app uses it.
Is SmartTube open source?
Yes. SmartTube is released under the MIT licence, and its source code is published at https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube.
What happened to SmartTube in November 2025?
The developer announced that “my digital signature has been exposed” and that malicious software in his development environment meant “a few builds may have been affected”. He wiped the machine, switched to a new signing key and a new package name, and says all builds are now scanned with VirusTotal. The old app gets no more updates; the new one installs as a separate app. He hasn’t published a list of the affected versions.
The developer says not to download SmartTube from APK sites. Why is it here?
His README warns that copies on app stores, APK websites and blogs “were uploaded by other people and may contain malware or ads”. This site is one of those places: the file here is a copy we host, not an official release. What we checked is that it is unchanged: byte for byte the same as his GitHub 32.56 release, signed with the new key he published (SHA-256 starting 10:97:35:AA). If you prefer to follow his advice, use his GitHub releases page.
Does SmartTube work on phones?
It installs, but the developer says it “is not optimized for such and offers no official support”, and that there will not be a phone version. On a phone, use a client such as NewPipe or LibreTube instead.
Recent releases
| Version | Released | Size |
|---|---|---|
| v32.56s · this download | Sep 23, 2026 | 34.9 MB |
| v32.47s | Sep 13, 2026 | 34.9 MB |
| v32.38s | Sep 1, 2026 | 34.9 MB |
| v32.10s | Aug 7, 2026 | 34.9 MB |
| v31.94s | Jun 12, 2026 | 34.9 MB |
Recent releases on the project’s GitHub. We host and check only the newest one. Full changelog.
