I lost the remote after removing something

This is the scenario that frightens people most and the most annoying: you remove a package, the remote stops responding, and the usual way to fix anything on a television is... the remote.

The good news: if you left ADB connected, it is one command away.

If you still have ADB connected

Reinstate whatever you removed last:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.the.package.you.removed

And reboot:

adb shell reboot

This is why we insist on one at a time: remove fifteen packages at once and this moment becomes an hour of trial and error.

If you already closed the connection

First, reconnect. Network debugging stays on unless the television rebooted:

adb connect 192.168.1.45:5555

If the set restarted and lost debugging, you need to get into the settings some other way. Options, easiest first:

A remote app. The manufacturer's official phone app, or Google TV / Android TV Remote, connect over the network and usually still work even when the infrared receiver is out of action.

A USB keyboard or mouse. Nearly all Android TVs have a USB port and accept generic peripherals. A cheap mouse gives you full control back.

A remote from another set of the same brand. Infrared codes are shared within a range more often than you would think.

The last resort

Factory reset by buttons. Almost every television has a physical combination: normally holding the set's own button while plugging it in. The exact combination is in the manual and varies by model.

It reinstates absolutely everything, including what you removed. You lose the configuration, not the television.

How to avoid it next time

The packages handling the remote usually carry one of these words in the name: remote, ir, irkey, bluetooth, input, hid. None of them gets touched without first checking an entry in the directory.