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The Google TV app for Android is getting a new update, which brings a brand new design. Some of these changes align with the company’s announcement a couple of months ago. This update brings an all-new “Highlights” news feed and also rearranges other aspects of the app.
The Google TV app update merges the Library and Watchlist sections inside “Your Stuff”
Meanwhile, the “For You” tab is the new “Home” tab, taking up the second place in the bottom bar. The tabs on the top for “Movies” and “Shows” are gone. However, users can find the shortcuts for these category suggestions by scrolling down on the page, reports 9to5Google (via XDA).
The “Library” and “Watchlist” sections have now been merged into “Your Stuff,” which can be pretty tricky if you quickly want to glance over the content in your library. Meanwhile, “Watchlist” takes up the first tab on the top, followed by “Movies” and “Shows.”
The newly added Highlights section shows reviews, news, videos, and other content. Suggestions are based on the user’s watch history. It leverages Chrome Custom Tabs to open articles or other links. There’s also an icon next to the Share button to load Related highlights. Lastly, it also includes a chip in the top left corner that opens up the Google TV listing, allowing users to Like or Dislike the content.
These changes are rolling out as part of Google TV version 4.32.50 through the Play Store. As 9to5Google rightly points out, the update still lacks some of the features detailed by Google in March. There’s no tablet redesign with the navigation rail, while the full suite of Material You upgrades aren’t there either.
A Google TV update later this year will allow users to cast directly on their TV using an Android phone or tablet
Google recently updated Google TV with new “proactive personal results” to showcase new screensavers on the TV. Although these new cards were expected to arrive as early as December 2021, the wider rollout didn’t occur until recently.
Last week’s I/O conference also saw a couple of Google TV-related announcements. Later this year, Google TV users can cast directly using an Android phone or tablet to their television. In its current form, users can only cast content via the Google TV app to their TVs using a Chromecast device.
