Android TV will look more like Google TV, this is what the new interface looks like

Google will bring part of the Google TV interface to Android TV devices. Deployment will begin today in a number of countries.

Google TV vs. Android TV

Android TV is an operating system for televisions and media players. Google TV is a case found on Android TV. Google TV therefore comes with a number of extras and a different look. The Chromecast with Google TV, the successor to the Chromecast Ultra, is the first device to come with Google TV. Google TV is supposed to be the successor to Android TV, but now Google is deciding to bring some of the look to Android TV. The company reports it in the Android TV community.

The “For You” section with personalized content is being rolled out to Android TV devices. In addition, the Discover tab comes to these devices. This doesn’t immediately mean that these devices have the Google TV shell with this update, but there are plenty of other similarities.

New features for Android TV devices

The biggest change is in the Android TV home screen. The search function and the Google Assistant remain in the upper left corner, but the sidebar with, among other things, applications in Watch then completely disappeared. Instead, there are now three tabs at the top: Home, Discover in applications.

Android TV: old situation

Android TV: an update

New to Android TV, the Discover or Discover tab is close to the For you on Chromecast with Google TV feature. According to Google, this feature offers “personalized recommendations based on what you watch and what interests you, in addition to what is popular on Google.” Recommendations are based on the apps and subscriptions you have.

Why is Google doing this?

This update is an odd move from Google, as the company has previously said that its goal is to move current Android TV hardware to the Google TV UI. Still, Google previously teased that “some features” of the new UI would be available on Android TV, and it looks like this update is the result. Another reason could be that the update is a workaround for TVs and set-top boxes that don’t end up updating to the Google TV UI.

Availability update

The update with the new tabs is rolling out to Android TV devices in the US, Australia, Canada, Germany and France starting today. The update will be rolled out to other countries in the coming weeks. Since Google TV and Chromecast with Google TV aren’t officially released in the Netherlands and Belgium, it’s not certain that we’ll see the personalized recommendations on Android TV here as well. The For You tab isn’t here on the Chromecast with Google TV either, as you can read in our review.

Android TV: an update