From your phone, of course
It’s been a year since Google granted us a new Chromecast, complete with an actual UI, app support, and a physical remote. Even with some stiff competition, it’s remained one of our favorite ways to watch movies and shows from all of those streaming services you keep meaning to cancel. Now, a new method for installing apps to your streaming box makes it even easier to access more content.
As spotted by Reddit user u/avigi, the Play Store on Android now supports remote installations directly to any Android TV device. While it’s been possible to push apps to Chromecasts and Shield TVs from the web interface, this marks the first time the ability has made the jump to smartphones. It’s similar to how Wear OS apps work on the Play Store, a method that first appeared earlier this year.
Thanks to some additional screenshots from user u/kevjs1982, we can see what the UI looks like when you have apps installed on various devices. If it’s already on your phone, the Play Store will give you a link to send it directly to your Android TV gadget. If it’s already on your streaming stick, the usual “Install” button appears instead. Finally, if it’s on both your phone and television, Google marks the app as “Installed on all devices.”
It seems like this is another one of Google’s classic server-side updates, as not every phone has access to these options just yet. It’s the perfect tool for Chromecast with Google TV owners looking for a more straightforward method for finding new software — just as long as they don’t download more than a handful of apps, of course.
Read Next
About The Author
