First Homescreen Update in Testing for Google TV

Since its launch in 2020, Google TV’s homescreen has remained virtually unaltered. Even in the competitive smart TV market as Google TV has not been doing well, although the company is currently testing a minor update that modifies the navigation.

Google also appears to be reconsidering several aspects of the TV platform, beginning with a possible redesign of the home screen look, given the platform’s comparatively low uptake in the US and advertisers’ preference for YouTube.

The homescreen takes up the majority of your interactions with Google TV, which has caused changes over time to feel a little stale. Early in 2024 saw the most recent significant update, which essentially consisted of switching to circular iconography. However, we are now receiving an update on the experience at last.

This minor makeover mainly impacts Google TV’s top navigation bar and occurs as a server-side upgrade on top of Google TV Home v1.0.806977084.

The “For You” tab is changed to only “Home” and the “Library” tab is eliminated. Next, a search button and the “Live” and “Apps” tabs show up in a pill-shaped box. The screensaver and settings buttons show up in a second box.

Another significant change is the addition of a dropdown menu with a profile switcher and four buttons (Watchlist, Library, Your services, and Content preferences) to the profile image on the far left side of the screen. In the past, “Your services” and “Content preferences” were limited to the Accounts & Profiles section of the Settings menu. The move should make it easier to reach the final two, which were previously hidden in Settings.

While by no means a revolutionary revamp, this is the first significant update to Google TV in the previous five years.

Since there haven’t been many reports of this redesign being made available to Google TV customers thus far, it’s probable that Google is testing the update in a small-scale setting before launching it widely.

It is advisable to try it out if you’re lucky enough to observe it. Naturally, we suggest looking into third-party launchers if you’re sick of waiting for Google and want something new. These launchers not only alter the appearance and feel of Google TV, but they also remove annoying features like advertisements and the likes which discourage users generally.

After trying Projectivity Launcher out recently, it was discovered that it provides an experience that significantly improves the smart TV experience. It is simple to use, quick, and clean. In order to provide an experience that concentrates on your content, it also eliminates advertisements from your homescreen.