Nine Tweaks for Top Nvidia SHIELD Performance and an Enhanced User Experience

Tweak your Nvidia SHIELD for Maximum Enjoyment

Use these Tweaks to make your SHIELD run even better than when it came from the box

1. Enabling Unknown Sources. Unless you turn on a Setting to Enable Unknown sources, you will only be limited to adding apps from the Google Store on your SHIELD.

Only adding apps from the Google Store is good thing if you want to avoid any chance of downloading an app infected with malware. But, should you want to add free TV apps like Cyberflix and others not found in the Google store. Then you need to enable the setting for installing apps from Unknown Sources.

To turn Unknown sources on, go to Settings (* It's the gear icon in the upper right corner) Settings/ Security Restrictions and move the green slider button to the right.

Then you can download and install apks like these 21 apps and others that are not in the Google Play Store.

2. Let the SHIELD Access and Transfer Files From Your PC - Enabling access to files on your PC to your SHIELD makes it easy to download apks from 3rd party file stores like Aptoid and transfer them to the SHIELD.

To do this you need to purchase a special USB 2.0 A Male To A Male Cable.

Then head over to * Settings / Storage & reset and enable the green slider Using USB (slide it to the right).

Another way which does not require the use of a USB cable is to download the free Android FTP Server app and install it on your SHIELD. You will also need a FTP client app for a PC. Then you can easily drag and drop files to your SHIELD over your home network with no wires.

3. Max Performance - Who wouldn't like their SHIELD running at warp speed? With this setting you can tell the CPU to put the pedal to the metal. But how you use your SHIELD depends which mode you will want to use. Under * Settings / System / Processor mode and choose either Max performance for gaming. Or use Optimized to make the SHIELD run cooler and save a little energy.

4. Turn off WiFi Scanning - A great feature to use if you plan on traveling with a SHEILD Streaming Stick. But if it's constantly sitting at home, there's no need to waste additional resources by having this turned on.

To disable WiFi Scanning go to * Settings / Network and under the menu Scanning always available turn the slider off. (Slide it to the left.)

5. Dim the LED - The Green SHIELD LED on the case looks really cool. But if you have it sitting out in the open the bright light can be distracting. You can dim the LED down or turn it all the way off by going into * Settings / System / LED brightness. Then choose High, Medium, Low or Off.

6. Take Control of The Homescreen - This setting lets you remove or hide Content Recommendations on your Homescreen that are placed there by default. If you never use Vudu you can eliminate it by going to * Settings / Homescreen / Recommendations row. Next the app icons turn the sliders to the left. Turning a recommendation off will eliminate it from being shown on the Homesceen.

7. Tweak the Apps and Game Row Icons - This does the same thing as the prior tweak but this lets you remove some of the default apps which were loaded on the SHIELD when it came from the factory. To adjust go to * Settings / Homesceen / Apps and Game Row. And slide the slider switch to the left for any apps you no longer wish to see on your SHIELD.

8 - Find a Lost SHIELD Remote - In the last model, Nvidia added a feature to help you find a missing remote. Kind of like calling your cell phone when you misplace it. You can do the same thing for a lost remote by pressing a button on the SHIELD. The newer style remote can also be added to an older SHIELD. But it won't give you the lost remote feature.

To find a lost remote, with your phone SHIELD app, go to settings (Look for the 3 dots in the upper left corner) then tap “Find my remote”

There are also button on the SHIELD itself next to the HDMI port. Pressing it will cause your remote to emit a beep letting you hone in on its location.

9. Change the Netflix Button - If you never use the Netflix shortcut on the new remote, you can remap it to another app. But you will need to download the Button Mapper app from Google play.

Then go to * Settings / Device Preference / Accessibility and enable it. Then you can use the button mapper app to assign a button to an app you wish to launch when pressed.

Watch the video for even more tweaks on the new 2019 SHIELD