Let me ask you a question. How often do you accidentally press the Netflix button on your NVIDIA Shield TV remote control?
Almost every time you pick it up, right?
Want to know how to disable or remap the button to do something useful?
This article will walk you through how to disable or change the Netflix button on the NVIDIA Shield remote control using the free Button Mapper app.
Button Mapper App: An Overview
Button Mapper is an app that easily allows you to change the function of most physical buttons on the NVIDIA Shield TV or any other Android TV remote control.
It enables you to launch individual apps, take a screenshot, open the Settings menu, specific apps, or start any of over twenty custom functions.
You can even customize three different functions to a single button, depending on how you press it!
The app also works with other devices like gamepads or other remotes. So you could find it helpful in the future for different scenarios. Best of all, you can do this without root access.
How To Change/Disable Netflix Button
If you’re not a big Netflix user, the new NVIDIA Shield TV remote probably seems like a huge waste of space, but now you can change or disable the button entirely.
Plus, Button Mapper can do all this without making you feel like you should rip the button off the remote.
Here are the steps you need to do it.
Open the Google Play Store and search for Button Mapper.
Click Install to install it on your NVIDIA Shield TV.
The first time you launch the app, you’ll be asked to ‘Enable the app’ as an Accessibility Service. This is a requirement to using the app. If you don’t start the Accessibility Service, you won’t be able to use Button Mapper.
Open the Settings menu and click on Device Preferences.
Under Device Preferences, click on Accessibility.
On the Accessibility tab, scroll down to find a section for Button Mapper. It should show ‘Off’ at this time.
Clicking on Button Mapper takes you to a new page with two options. You can Enable or Disable the app, or change Configuration settings.
Click the toggle switch to Enable the service.
When you do, you’re asked to confirm your decision.
As I mentioned earlier, the permissions Button Mapper needs can also be used to capture any text that you write. If that makes you uncomfortable, you can Cancel and exit the Settings Menu.
Click OK to continue.
Next, click on the Configuration entry to go directly to the Button Mapper app. Alternately, you can open the app from the shortcut on the App Drawer.
Once you’re back in the Button Mapper app, click on ‘Add Button.’
Click Add Buttons again on the next screen.
A pop-up message box appears saying “Press button to add.”
Press and hold the ‘Netflix’ button on your Shield TV remote.
The button’s system name appears underneath the Add Buttons line. Don’t worry that it doesn’t say ‘Netflix.’ This is just how the Shield internally refers to it.
Click on that new line to either disable the Netflix or change the button’s function.
At this point, you may get a popup like the one below implying that this is a Pro feature. While Button Mapper does have special features that are only available to Pro users, simply remapping or disabling a button isn’t one of them.
However, if you feel like supporting the app’s developer, you can click Unlock to upgrade to the Pro version.
Flip the toggle switch to customize the Netflix button.
Here you can select individual options for either a single-press, double-tap, or long-press of the button.
If you want, you can assign three different apps to the same button, depending how you press it.
In my case, I assigned all three functions to open the Settings menu on my NVIDIA Shield. Although this is my daily-driver streaming device, I also use it a lot for testing new apps and writing tutorials. So I’m in the Settings menu quite often.
That’s it. Now, you can exit out of Button Mapper and go back to your home page to test your new button.
Admittedly, it can be annoying to have a “Netflix” button when it does something else. Some resourceful people in the Shield TV Reddit forum created their own custom stickers that fit the button perfectly.
FAQs
This section covers some of the most frequently asked questions about the Button Mapper app and how it works.
Is Button Mapper safe?
Button Mapper uses the Device Administrator permission settings, which do not collect or share your personal information. Accessibility services help make Android TV easier to use. For example, people with visual impairments could enable high-contrast text to make it easier to read. A Text-to-Speech option has the system read out what’s written on the screen.
In this case, the Accessibility features enable Button Mapper to detect when buttons are pressed on the device.
Button Mapper doesn’t use the accessibility services to see what you are typing or collect and share your personal information. As a result, your privacy is well respected, making Button Mapper a safe option for you.
Can I remap the Google Assistant button?
Unfortunately, Button Mapper doesn’t allow the Google Assistant button to be remapped on their application.
However, you can disable or enable this function on your NVIDIA Shield remote.
Here’s how:
- Go to Settings
- Click on Device Preferences
- Scroll down to Google Assistant
- Flip the toggle switch to the ‘off’ position to disable Google Assistant.
If you don’t want this feature enabled, simply turn off the Google Assistant feature. This will automatically disable the feature.
What buttons can I remap on NVIDIA Shield remote?
Many buttons can be remapped on NVIDIA Shield remotes. Some of these actions required a premium app download, but many can be remapped without a premium upgrade.
The power button is a button that Button Mapper does not change or disable. Onscreen buttons are also not supported by Button Mapper.
Here is a list of buttons that are supported:
- Volume buttons (up and down)
- Physical home button
- Back button and recent apps/menu buttons
- Camera buttons
- Customized controls for your phone, headphones, gaming console controllers, and TV remotes
Here is a list of actions that can be remapped:
- Launch any app or shortcut
- Disable the button
- Turn screen off
- Adjust volume or mute
- Last app switch
- Adjust brightness
- WiFi settings
- And many more
While you don’t have to have root access to use Button Mapper, you will have a few additional options if you are.
Actions that can be remapped for root users:
- Now on tap
- Menu button
- Choose custom keycode
- Root command
- Scroll up and down
After a brief hiatus from the industry he's back at the helm of AndroidTVNews.com to bring Android TV and TV boxes to the forefront of the streaming world.
When he's not writing, he spends as much time as he can with his beautiful wife and his bulldog.
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