Google TV is being praised for bringing a much-needed facelift to Android TV. But its strengths are the new features and the ecosystem benefit it brings. With the revamped interface, your TV works well with your Android smartphone for a truly connected TV experience. If you’ve recently bought one of the best streaming boxes or TVs, you’re sure to see a lot of changes, such as the focus on the content rather than the streaming services, in addition to the noticeable visual upgrades. That’s why we’ve put together a list of our favorite Google TV tips and tricks that you should check out to take your Netflix binge experience to the next level.
1 Virtual remote comes to the rescue
There will be instances when you can’t find your Chromecast remote. It’s either buried deep in that crevice in the couch, or someone left it on the counter when they went to get some snacks. And if you’re anything like a regular TV watcher, you wouldn’t get up to find the remote. Your best solution is at your fingertips: your phone!
The new Google TV app has a handy built-in virtual remote and works on Android handsets and iPhones. You can get almost anything done with it, including asking the Google Assistant stupid questions. And the best part is that you don’t need the physical controller to set up the virtual remote (as long as your TV device is powered on). This is how you set it up:
-
In the
Google TV app
tap on your phone
Remote control
. -
Select the TV from the list.
-
Enter the six-digit alphanumeric code displayed on the selected TV on the next screen.
-
Crane
Couple
.
2 Install apps on your TV with your Android phone
Google TV and Android phones are some of the best examples of the ecosystem advantage, something Apple is usually praised for. While the pair enhances your TV experience in many ways, the one major advantage is that you don’t have to install big screen apps the conventional way. You can use your Android phone to install apps on your Chromecast device or a TV with Google’s new user interface, as long as both devices are signed in to the same Google account. Here’s the easy way to install apps on your Chromecast with Google TV using your phone:
-
Open the
Google Play Store
on your phone and search for the app you want to install on your Google TV. -
On the app page, open the drop-down to see more options.
-
The pop-up screen shows a list of connected devices. Select the TV on which you want to install the app.
-
Crane
to install
. And the app will be ready for use on your TV in no time.
3 Become a Chromecast power user with Button Mapper
Google TV is nothing but a fancy looking launcher that runs over Android TV. This means you get all the customization features that Android is known for. And Button Mapper is a tool that allows you to map multiple functions to the buttons of the remote control, making them more useful.
For example, you can program the home button to open the Play Store with a double press, in addition to the usual function of taking you to the home screen. This often comes in handy since Google TV doesn’t have an easy way to access the Play Store. And this doesn’t mess with your existing playback controls on the remote. Before proceeding with the steps below, install it Mapper button app on your TV using the previous pointer.
Button Mapper uses the device’s accessibility services to enable its features, so there are two parts to this process. First, give the app accessibility rights.
-
Click on your
profile icon
in the upper right corner.
-
Open
Institutions
.
-
Scroll down and select
System
.
-
Go to
Accessibility
.
-
Under Services, click
Mapper button
.
-
Click
Switch
and then click
OK
.
This allows Button Mapper to remap the buttons on the remote. Next, program what you want Button Mapper to do.
-
From the Google TV app section, open it
Mapper button
app.
-
Select
Home button
.
-
To turn on
To adjust
.
-
Go to in the list below
Double tap
and then click the category picker.
-
Click
applications
.
-
Find
Play Store
in the list and click it.
After that, double click the home button to open the Play Store from any screen on Google TV. Similarly, you can set up your TV to take a screenshot (as we did for this tutorial) using the Actions category when you long press the home button.
The free app only lets you customize the home button, but paying a fee unlocks more in-app features.
4 Set up your Google Watchlist
A big advantage of Google TV is a cross-platform watch list that syncs with Google services. So if you add a movie to your list from Google Search, it will automatically be added to your Android TV. There are three ways to populate your Google Watchlist:
-
When searching for a movie title, select the
Do you want to watch button
.
-
Select in the Google TV app on your phone
Watchlist
from the title page of the film.
-
Click on the on your TV set
Watchlist
button on the title page of the movie.
These methods will add the movie or TV show to your synced watchlist. You can find it under the Library part of your TV or in the Your stuff tab of the Google TV app on your phone.
5 Bring your family to Google TV
Google TV now allows everyone in your family to have an individual profile, confusing your recommendations. This allows each of these profiles to have their own watchlist and content suggestions tailored to their viewing pattern. In a few simple steps you can create a new profile for your family members or create a child profile.
-
Click on your
profile icon
then go to
Add Account
.
-
Select on the profile management page
Add Account
.
-
Click
Add an account
or
Add a child
to set up a profile for your child.
-
On the next page, log in with the user’s Google account information, and that’s it.
-
You can switch accounts using the profile icon.
6 Cut the clutter with Android TV-like app-only mode
Not everyone likes to see their TV full of movies, TV shows, recommendations and advertisements. If you want to see the simpler interface, Google TV lets you do that with its apps-only mode. The option strips Google TV of all its suggestions to give you a clean home screen with only the apps you’ve installed, similar to Android TV. Here’s how to enable it.
-
On the television
Institutions
go to
Accounts and login
.
-
Select
your profile
on the next page.
-
Scroll down and turn on
App-only mode
.
-
Give your confirmation by clicking on the
To turn on
knob.
7 Enable HDMI-CEC
The Chromecast with Google TV supports HDMI-CEC, so you can only use the Chromecast remote control with compatible TVs. With the option enabled, you can do basic things on your TV, such as turning on the Chromecast and turning on your smart TV. This is useful, especially when you’re casting your favorite Netflix series or Google Photos collection to your Chromecast, which automatically turns on the TV.
-
below
Institutions
Open
Display and sound
.
-
Go to
HDMI CEC
.
-
Click
Enable HDMI-CEC
.
8 Do more with your Google TV
Google TV is one of the nicest additions to the larger Google ecosystem. You can easily set it up with the Google Home app and use your existing Nest speakers to control many Google TV functions. Conversely, Google Assistant built into Google TV can just as easily control your smart home devices. All the cross-platform features that work on Android (and even iOS) phones and other Google services, such as the Ambient Mode powered by your Google Photos memories, are fantastic bonuses that take your TV viewing experience to the next level and personalize it. If you’re not already on the Google TV bandwagon, these niceties will make you want to jump aboard.