Download this app to your Shield and set it as the default keyboard. You won't see the app in your app row on the launcher so you will need sideload launcher from the play store.

Next in the Harmony hub pair the Shield to the Hub as a Windows PC. This will make the hub a be seen as a BT Keyboard to the Shield. Also add the Shield as itself to the hub so that IR commands will still get sent to it.

Next go into the Multilanguage Keymap redefiner and it will let you set different buttons to launch different apps. I set the F buttons to different apps (F1, F2, F3, etc...).

Lastly when you create an activity or set a button on the Harmony remote you can select one of the buttons you set in the keymap redefiner app and it will launch the app.

I personally made a separate activity in the Harmony to turn everything on and launch Netflix and then dim all of my hue bulbs in the room.

Edit: Clarified a bit

Anyone know how to have this installed, and still be able to use the regular android soft keyboard for other stuff??