7 Tips and Tricks to Get More out of Google TV

There’s a batch to similar astir Google TV: the astute TV and streaming instrumentality operating strategy looks good, works well, and efficaciously integrates each your antithetic streaming services into a single, intuitive interface that’s casual to use. With the Google TV Streamer launch, the OS is apt to pull adjacent much users.

Even though its interface is designed to beryllium arsenic straightforward and cleanable arsenic possible, the bundle inactive offers plentifulness of features and options if you excavation deeper. Whether you’re utilizing Google TV connected the caller streaming box, a Chromecast with Google TV dongle, oregon a astute TV, present are immoderate tips to beryllium alert of.

1) Simplify the Google TV interface

The Google TV interface is good arsenic it is, but you tin marque it adjacent simpler by opening All settings (the cogwheel icon, apical right), past Accounts and Profiles: Select your name, past alteration Apps-only mode. All of the Google TV recommendations astir what to ticker volition vanish from view, leaving lone the audio and video streaming apps you’ve installed.

2) Use your telephone arsenic a remote

Whether you’ve mislaid your existent distant determination down the backmost of the sofa oregon you conscionable similar the convenience of utilizing your mobile device, you tin power Google TV utilizing the Google TV app for Android oregon iOS connected a telephone oregon tablet. For the instrumentality to work, you conscionable request to beryllium connected the aforesaid Wi-Fi web and signed into the aforesaid Google account.

In the app, you should spot a pop-up adjacent the bottommost toolbar that says Connect TVs oregon TVs nearby. Tap connected this to take your Google TV instrumentality and participate the pairing code. You tin past pat the small distant icon to power the big-screen interface from your device. You get a trackpad, measurement controls, a Google Assistant button, and powerfulness controls arsenic well.

You tin usage your telephone arsenic a Google TV remote. (Gizmodo)

3) Turn Google TV into a photograph frame

If you privation to, you tin usage albums from your Google Photos room arsenic a screensaver: Open All settings (the cogwheel icon, apical right), past prime System and Ambient mode, and past Settings. You’ll spot Google Photos listed arsenic 1 of the options—choose this to get instructions—and you tin alteration settings specified arsenic slideshow velocity from here, too.

4) Change the location surface layout

Something that’s not instantly evident from utilizing the Google TV interface day-to-day is that you tin alteration the bid of the amusement apps connected screen. It means you tin entree the ones you usage astir often much rapidly portion keeping lesser-used ones retired of the way—and this is thing that’s imaginable connected some the For you and Apps screens.

All you request to bash is prime an app, property and clasp the prime fastener connected the remote, and take Move from the paper that pops up. Put it wherever you’d similar it to be, past take Done to confirm. The aforesaid pop-up paper besides has a View details option—you tin travel this to find an Uninstall fastener for removing a peculiar app from the device.

5) Improve your recommendations

Are the Google TV contented recommendations conscionable not doing it for you? Improve the algorithm by opening All Settings (the cogwheel icon, apical right), past selecting Accounts and profiles, your name, and Content preferences. Google TV volition past contiguous you with a enactment of movies and shows to which you tin springiness a thumbs up oregon a thumbs down.

You tin instal apps connected your Google TV from your phone. (Gizmodo)

6) Install apps from anywhere

You’ll privation to capable your Google TV instrumentality with amusement apps, and it’s often easier to bash this connected your telephone oregon computer. As agelong arsenic the aforesaid Google relationship is connected, you tin unfastened the Play Store app connected your mobile device, find an app you want, past pat the arrow adjacent to the Install fastener and take your Google TV device.

It works likewise connected the web, too—head to the Play Store web portal, look for an app you need, and past click connected the Install oregon Install connected much devices fastener to spot a database of devices connected to your Google account. This should see your Google TV device. If the app is compatible with Google TV, you tin past prime it to commencement a distant install.

7) Add to your watchlist from anywhere

One of Google TV’s champion features is the watchlist you tin entree via the Library tab, which links to the streaming services you’ve installed. You tin adhd to this database via Google from immoderate instrumentality (if you’re signed into your Google account): Run a hunt for the movie oregon amusement you privation to adhd to your watchlist, past click “Want to watch” connected the results page.