What you need to know
- Google TV introduces a new look for the “Your apps” row.
- The update includes rounded app icons, allowing users to glance at more apps than before.
- There is a new shortcut for free channels, which is also being added with the new update.
Google TV is finally getting the revamp its users have been hoping for ever since the redesign announcement that came in November last year.
Google TV users will start noticing their apps taking a different shape in the “For You” section, the company announced in a community post (via 9to5Google). It states that the new update will give users a “sleeker, more streamlined look,” notably to have easier access.
The search giant gave developers guidelines on adhering to the new TV app guidelines to update their respective app icons. It will involve circular app icons, which are part of a modern design, eventually making users look at more apps at a glance.
Additionally, the update includes a new shortcut for over 800 free TV channels (some of the new ones were added in the previous update) under the “Your apps” row. This allows users to easily access local news, movies, and sports, which don’t need additional downloads, payments, or subscriptions, notes Google in the aforementioned post.
Along with the redesign, the “Your apps” panel is also getting new features, such as the “reorder” and “add apps” buttons at the end. The latest addition aims to give users more control over their apps to keep them organized and access, discover, and install new ones whenever required.
If you are a Google TV user, you should see the redesign rollout starting this week, but Google says all Google TV device owners, like Chromecast for Google TV, should expect the rollout in the coming months.
The new addition comes after a significant update Google TV received last December. It brought several performance improvements, including the ability to optimize storage. The improvements included faster loading of apps, recommendations, and preloading rows of movies and TV shows. As mentioned, it also has a live tab feature and fourteen free channels.
