The default Google TV interface works well, but it dedicates a significant amount of screen space to recommendations, featured content, and promotional material.
Monet Launcher replaces that interface with a cleaner home screen focused on your applications, wallpapers, widgets, and preferred content. It works on Google TV and Android TV devices, including Walmart’s onn streaming devices.
The free version is already surprisingly capable, while Premium primarily unlocks additional customization for users who want more control over how their TV looks and behaves.
In this blog post, we will compare the free and Premium versions of Monet Launcher, review its features and customization options, and determine whether it is a good alternative launcher for Google TV devices such as the onn 4K Pro.
- What Is Monet Launcher?
- Why Use It on an onn Streaming Device?
- Monet Free
- Monet Premium
- Free vs. Premium
- Premium Pricing
- Setting Monet as Your Home Screen
- Customization
- Backup and Restore Monet to Another TV
- Privacy
- Advantages
- Limitations
- Is Premium Worth It?
- Overall Rating
- Conclusion
- Additional Resources
What Is Monet Launcher?
Monet Launcher is an alternative home-screen application for Android TV and Google TV.
Instead of the standard Google TV interface, Monet can provide:
- A cleaner application-focused home screen
- No advertisements or sponsored rows
- Material You styling
- Dynamic colors based on the wallpaper
- Custom application rows
- Continue Watching integration
- Widgets
- Live wallpapers
- Application folders
- Hidden applications
- A favorites dock
- Screensaver options
It is designed specifically for televisions and works well with a remote and D-pad.
The launcher officially supports Android TV 8.0 and newer, including devices such as:
- onn 4K and 4K Pro
- Google TV Streamer
- Chromecast with Google TV
- NVIDIA Shield
- Xiaomi Mi Box
- Sony Google TV
- TCL Google TV
- Hisense Google TV
Why Use It on an onn Streaming Device?
The onn streaming devices provide excellent hardware for the price, but they still use Google’s standard Google TV home screen.
Installing Monet allows you to keep the benefits of the onn device while replacing the home screen with something much simpler.
Instead of turning on the TV and seeing large content recommendations, you can create a home screen centered around applications such as:
- TiviMate
- Plex
- Jellyfin
- YouTube
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Prime Video
- Spotify
- Kodi
This makes an onn 4K or 4K Pro feel considerably more personalized.
Monet Free
The free version is more than a basic trial.
Core functionality includes an ad-free launcher, Material You styling, dynamic colors, application organization, widgets, and many of the features necessary to replace the normal Google TV home screen.
The launcher also includes live weather and ambient wallpaper options, including scenes that can react to local weather and time of day.
Other available functionality includes:
- Continue Watching integration
- Live TV and HDMI rows on compatible devices
- Application folders
- Hidden applications
- Adjustable application grids
- Clock and date widgets
- Weather information
- Network and Bluetooth status
- Now Playing controls
- Light and dark themes
There is also:
- No mandatory Monet account
- No advertising
- No sponsored content
For someone who simply wants to remove the clutter from Google TV, the free version may be all that is necessary.
Monet Premium
Premium is intended more for users who want to extensively customize the launcher.
The developer describes Premium as unlocking the advanced customization features available within Monet.
Depending on the current version, these can include additional control over areas such as:
- Wallpapers and backgrounds
- Colors and themes
- Application appearance
- Custom rows
- Icons and tile styles
- Screensaver customization
- Profiles
- Layout options
- Advanced launcher behavior
Monet is also being actively developed, so new customization options are being added frequently.
Because the feature set changes fairly quickly, check:
Monet > Settings > Premium
before purchasing to see exactly which options are currently included with Premium.
Free vs. Premium
For most users, the decision is fairly simple.
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Replace Google TV home screen | Yes | Yes |
| Ad-free interface | Yes | Yes |
| Material You design | Yes | Yes |
| Application organization | Yes | Yes |
| Widgets | Yes | Yes |
| Live weather features | Yes | Yes |
| Basic customization | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced customization | Limited | Yes |
| Additional appearance controls | Limited | Yes |
| One-time purchase | N/A | Yes |
The important point is that Premium is not required to make Monet useful.
The free version provides the primary benefit: replacing Google’s increasingly busy home screen with something cleaner.
Premium is mainly for users who enjoy customizing every aspect of their interface.
Premium Pricing
Premium uses a one-time purchase rather than a recurring subscription.
The developer also provides a direct licensing option for sideloaded installations.
At the time of this review, the direct Premium license is:
$4.99 one time
One direct license can currently activate up to five televisions.
Google Play pricing may vary depending on your country and account.
For only a few dollars, Premium is reasonably priced compared with many applications that require monthly or yearly subscriptions.
Setting Monet as Your Home Screen
Install Monet directly from the Google Play Store on the onn device.
Search for:
Monet Launcher - Android TV
After installation:
- Open Monet.
- Complete the initial setup.
- Choose your wallpaper and layout.
- Select your favorite applications.
- Configure the desired rows.
- Enable the appropriate launcher or accessibility options when prompted.
Monet includes an optional Accessibility Service that can help it remain in the foreground when you press the Home button or wake the device from standby.
The service is optional and is specifically used for launcher behavior.
Customization
Customization is where Monet really stands out.
You can adjust areas such as:
- Wallpaper
- Accent colors
- App rows
- Favorites
- Grid size
- App labels
- Tile size
- Icon appearance
- Widgets
- Status information
- Screensavers
Custom wallpapers can include images and videos, while Monet also supports several built-in and online wallpaper sources.
The interface can therefore range from extremely minimal to something much more visually detailed.
Backup and Restore Monet to Another TV
One of Monet Launcher’s most useful features is the ability to transfer your configuration to another Google TV or Android TV device.
This is especially convenient when setting up multiple onn streaming devices because you do not have to manually recreate your app rows, layout, colors, widgets, and other launcher settings.
Create a Setup Code
On the TV that is already configured:
- Open Monet Launcher.
- Open Settings.
- Select Setup code.
- Generate or display the setup code.
- Write down or photograph the code.
A Monet setup code may look similar to:
MONET-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
The Setup Code feature was introduced in Monet 1.0.62 and is designed to share the launcher configuration as a short offline code.
Restore the Setup on the New TV
Install Monet Launcher on the new Google TV device and then:
- Open Monet Launcher.
- Open Settings.
- Select Setup code.
- Choose the option to import or restore a setup.
- Enter the code generated by the original TV.
- Confirm the import.
- Allow Monet to apply the configuration.
The new device should now use the same general Monet layout and settings as the original TV.
This makes it easy to configure one onn streaming device exactly how you want it and then reuse that configuration on additional TVs.
Wallpaper Consideration
The Setup Code does not include the actual wallpaper file.
If you are using a custom image, GIF, or video wallpaper, transfer that file separately to the new device and select it again after restoring the setup.
For built-in Monet wallpapers, simply select the same wallpaper on the new TV if necessary.
Traditional Backup and Restore
Monet also supports traditional configuration backups in addition to Setup Codes. Current versions can back up and restore settings even on devices without a separate file manager.
A traditional backup is useful when you want to keep a recoverable copy of your configuration, while the Setup Code is generally the easiest option for copying the same launcher configuration to another TV.
Privacy
Another advantage is Monet’s privacy-focused design.
The launcher advertises:
- No ads
- No sponsored rows
- No mandatory account
- No traditional advertising tracking
The Google Play listing states that data is not shared with third parties, although the Play Store disclosure currently indicates that device or other IDs may be collected.
Review the current Google Play listing if privacy is a primary concern.
Advantages
Monet’s strongest advantages include:
- Clean Google TV replacement
- Free version is genuinely useful
- No advertising
- Material You design
- Excellent customization
- Great fit for onn streaming devices
- Live wallpapers
- Widgets
- Continue Watching integration
- Active development
- One-time Premium purchase
- No subscription required
Limitations
There are a few considerations:
- Some Google TV devices make replacing the stock launcher more difficult than others.
- Continue Watching support depends on what information individual streaming applications expose.
- Certain advanced settings require Premium.
- Features are changing quickly as the application develops.
- Heavy customization can take some time to configure.
- A major Google TV update could affect third-party launcher behavior.
For these reasons, I recommend configuring Monet gradually rather than changing every setting immediately.
Is Premium Worth It?
For most users, start with the free version.
The free edition already solves the biggest Google TV problem: the cluttered home screen.
Use it for a while and determine whether you actually want the additional customization.
Premium makes sense if you:
- Regularly customize your home screen.
- Want more control over wallpapers and appearance.
- Have multiple Google TV devices.
- Want access to the complete feature set.
- Want to support continued development.
At approximately $5 as a one-time purchase, Premium is inexpensive enough that it becomes an easy upgrade if Monet becomes your permanent launcher.
Overall Rating
Rating: 9/10
Monet is one of the better alternative launchers available for Google TV.
It looks modern, runs well on devices such as the onn 4K Pro, removes much of the clutter from the stock Google TV interface, and provides enough functionality in the free version that there is no pressure to immediately upgrade.
Premium adds additional customization without requiring another recurring subscription.
For anyone setting up an onn Google TV device and looking for a cleaner home screen, Monet Launcher is definitely worth trying.
Conclusion
Google TV provides an excellent application ecosystem, but its default home screen is increasingly focused on recommendations and promoted content.
Monet Launcher keeps the Google TV platform while replacing the home screen with a cleaner and much more customizable interface.
Start with the free version. If you enjoy the launcher and want greater control over its appearance and behavior, the inexpensive one-time Premium upgrade is worth considering.
