While Android TV OS updates usually don’t bring much to the Google TV experience, this latest update does deliver a splash of Material 3 Expressive design elements, mostly in the Settings menu.
Live now as an emulator build, Android TV OS 16 with Google TV looks pretty familiar out of the gate. The homescreen is unchanged, as is the Quick Settings menu. It’s in the main settings that you’ll see what’s new.
Specifically, you’ll see some of Android 16’s updated design language, Material 3 Expressive. It’s not as colorful as the update on phones, but it still delivers a fresh coat of paint. Each section header is highlighted by a rounded rectangle, with icons now showing in a dark circle versus their previous swap to a lighter design.
Similarly, the toggles throughout the Settings menu adopt the new design found throughout Android 16 on phones, ditching the outdated design that was present in Android TV OS 14.
Sadly, that’s really all that’s new in this update, at least on a user-facing side.
Google breaks down the changelog for under-the-hood changes as follows:
- MediaQualityManager allows developers to take control over selecting picture profiles.
- Platform Eclipsa Audio codec support allows creators to use the IAMF spatial audio format. For ExoPlayer support that includes previous platform versions, see ExoPlayer’s IAMF decoder module.
- Various improvements to media playback speed, consistency and efficiency, as well as HDMI-CEC reliability and performance optimizations for 64-bit kernels.
The Android 16 update for Google TV is set to debut later this year, but it may be a while before it lands on any devices. Notably, Android 14 was released for the platform in mid-2024, but didn’t arrive on Chromecast with Google TV for several months. The Google TV Streamer will presumably be first in line for an Android 16 update, eventually.
Gemini is likely the next big update we’ll see on Google TV.
More on Google TV:
- Walmart’s $30 Chromecast with Google TV replacement launches, online sales open
- Gemini is still replacing Assistant on Google TV, but not until ‘later this year’
- Google TV is simplifying its setup process, starting with these TVs
Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments