A new Google TV update is arriving to improve the user experience on Google's smart TV operating system. Google TV was announced nearly two years ago, debuting on the Chromecast with Google TV streaming device. Since then, more manufacturers have announced their own streaming devices and smart TVs powered by the operating system.
Since its debut, Google TV has gotten a handful of useful features such as a Kids Profile and support for Multiple User Profiles. It has also been reported that the operating system might gain support for fitness capabilities that may see wearables, likely starting with Fitbit devices and the upcoming Pixel Watch, work with services such as Google Fit on TV screens. This should be similar to the way Apple Watch syncs with the Fitness app on Apple TV when a user is working out.
The new Google TV update will bring improvements to performance and storage not only to Google's own streaming device but to other Google TV devices as well. With respect to performance changes, users should notice the home screen load faster at start-up, thanks to improved cache management and better CPU optimizations. In addition, navigation should be smoother, switching between the For You tabs should be more responsive, and switching to Kids' Profiles should be faster too. Google also states that the system now uses less RAM which should result in snappier performance.
New Storage Management Tool
One of the major shortcomings of the Chromecast with Google TV and some other Google TV streaming devices is the measly storage available for users to install apps, made even worse by the lack of a microSD card slot for storage expansion. In 2021, Google released an update that freed up more space for users. Now, it is providing users with more tools to manage storage.
Users will see a new 'Free up storage' menu under the Settings app that makes it easy to clear the cache and uninstall unused apps. To access this new menu, users can launch the Settings app, scroll to 'System,' and select 'Storage.' This feature is already available on the Chromecast with Google TV but will be rolled out to smart TVs running Google TV devices via a future update. There is also an automated background process that helps to free up space. Finally, fewer users should experience issues related to storage when installing a new app on their Google TV device.
Source: Google