Google TV

Google TV blocks the ability to take a screenshot with remapped remote buttons

Ben Schoon | Sep 26 2024 - 6:05 pm PT

In an unexpected change, Google TV seems to now be blocking the ability to take a screenshot locally on the device with a remapped remote button.

Taking a screenshot isn’t something you’ll need to do often, if ever, on a TV. However, for the rare times it does come in handy, users on Android TV and Google TV have been able to use apps that remap remote buttons in order to take a screenshot.

For years, I’ve been using “Button Mapper” from the Play Store for this purpose.

But, strangely, the Google TV Streamer and its new Android TV OS 14 build blocks this functionality.

Remapping a key acts as though it is successful, but the screenshot animation never appears, and no screenshot is actually taken on the device as we verified by looking through the files. This is seemingly a change that Google has made in this latest version of the OS, as the Android 12 build on Chromecast still supports this functionality. We won’t know if the functionality is blocked on other devices until Android 14 is released more widely, as it’s currently only available on the Google TV Streamer.

Why has this been removed?

Really, your guess is as good as mine. The functionality itself is not all that useful, and when it is used the UI is janky. Taking a screenshot via ADB commands is technically easier when it comes to pulling the screenshot anyway, but the ability to remap a remote key to this purpose was a handy option to have.

Importantly, Google TV doesn’t seem to be blocking the ability to remap remote buttons entirely. Using the same app I was still able to remap a long-press of the home button, the most reliable gesture on Google’s remote in my experience, to open another app.