VYS TVTCL TV Guard closes your VPN
You turn on the VPN on your TCL TV, open a streaming app and a little later the VPN is off again. That is usually not the VPN's fault, but TV Guard: a TCL component that closes apps in the background.
What TV Guard does
TV Guard is on many TCL TVs with Google TV and Android TV. It is meant to keep memory free by closing apps that run in the background. A VPN app runs in the background all the time: as soon as you open another app, TV Guard treats the VPN as unnecessary and closes it.
In the TV's log this shows up as a series of closures by TV Guard. On a TCL Smart TV Pro we examined it happened dozens of times; after TV Guard was turned off, zero times.
Why the normal settings do not help
- TV Guard is a fixed part of the TV. You cannot remove it like a normal app.
- Setting a VPN app to "connect automatically" only half helps: the app starts again, but is closed again with the next app.
- An "always on" VPN forces all traffic through the VPN, even when it is briefly gone. Then you sometimes have no internet at all.
How to turn off TV Guard with VYS TV
- Turn on the developer options and USB debugging on the TV (see turning on developer options).
- Connect the VYS TV app on your iPhone to the TV.
- Under Set up, tap Turn off TV Guard.
TV Guard then remains as a system component, but no longer closes apps. If it is on again after a major system update, tap the button again. With Optimise TV speed the app also makes sure your VPN apps may keep running in the background.
Restoring
Everything can be restored. Before every change VYS TV makes a backup, and with Back to original the TV is as it was, including TV Guard.
VYS TV does this for you
The app on your iPhone makes your Android TV or Google TV faster, with only your own apps, and restores everything if you want.
Questions
Is turning off TV Guard safe?
Yes. TV Guard only frees memory by closing apps; the TV works just as well without it. With Back to original you turn it on again.
Does this work on other brands too?
TV Guard is TCL's. Other TVs close apps when memory runs low; see VPN on your TV keeps stopping for what helps there.
Do I need to do this after every restart?
No, it stays off after a restart. Only a major system update can bring TV Guard back.
Further reading
VPN on your TV keeps stopping
Why a VPN on Android TV and Google TV drops when you switch apps, and what to do about it.
Slow TCL TV: how to make it fast again
The TCL start page, extra TCL apps and TV Guard make a TCL TV slow. How to clean that up.
Enable developer options on your TV
For each brand, the steps to enable developer options and USB debugging, and where to find the IP address.