Android TV’s Google TV-like homescreen is rolling out more widely

Ben Schoon | Sep 8 2023 - 5:30 am PT

Google TV’s takeover of Android TV OS is largely complete, but for the millions of Android TV devices already out there, the Google TV-like homescreen redesign appears to finally be available to everyone.

Android TV’s homescreen has gone through several evolutions over the years, with the latest version being an update to the “Discover” design that first arrived in 2021 alongside ads. The design has been tweaked with time, with later versions adding more recommendations and functionality to the homescreen, such as free live TV channels and, most recently, your TV and movie purchases in the wake of Google Play Movies’ death.

However, this latest homescreen design for Android TV hasn’t been available to all users.

Since its initial rollout in 2021, this updated design has only been available in select countries, such as the United States. In many countries, users have instead been left on older versions of Android TV homescreen.

Users on Reddit noticed recently that the update has expanded to more regions including Malaysia, UAE, South Africa, Bulgaria, and Turkey, just to name a few.

The same has also applied to select devices that were forcibly using older versions of the homescreen. The TiVo Stream 4K, for instance, has long taken advantage of its Operator Tier Lite status to keep the older homescreen around. But, that’s also now changing, as an update to the latest design is now rolling out.

TiVo confirmed the Stream 4K’s rollout to The Desk, though the outlet incorrectly states that the update is bringing Google TV to the streamer when, really, it’s just a redesigned homescreen as pictured below. An Android TV device moving to Google TV via an update would be unprecedented.

At this point, Google TV has really taken the place of Android TV, at least in consumer markets, but it’s great that Google is keeping existing hardware going with these continued updates. At this point, though, it really does seem like things are finished up.