Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Google TV app seems to be preparing some design tweaks and new functions.
- The most noticeable update is a shift in the app’s color palette from gray to blue and darker blacks.
- Search in Google TV is also possibly getting a useful update and a new content tab may be in the works.
Google appears to be working on some visual and functional updates for its Google TV app. Since there’s no public beta for the app, we dug into the code of an internal beta build of Google TV. This behind-the-scenes look has revealed several potential changes that could make their way to users in the near future.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
The most noticeable update is a shift in the app’s color palette. Google seems to be replacing the existing dark gray accent with a brighter, modern-looking blue, similar to the Google Play Store’s redesign that came along a while back (see comparative images of current and new UI below).
The new blue accent also stands out against an updated, darker background, giving the Google TV app interface a cleaner and more contemporary look.
The upcoming visual tweaks don’t stop there. The Google TV app’s search page could also be usefully updated to include a list of recent searches, making it easier to revisit previous queries without starting a search from scratch.
A new way to discover fresh content
Our teardown also uncovered references to a new feature labeled the “Hot and New Tab”, with a corresponding internal flag titled “HotAndNewFeature__enable_hot_and_new_tab.” This suggests that Google may be working on adding a dedicated tab to highlight trending or newly released content.
While the feature seems to be in development, we couldn’t activate it yet, indicating Google may still be putting some finishing touches to it. It’s also possible Google is just testing the feature and is not ready to roll it out just yet.
For now, it looks like Google is continuing to refine the Google TV app’s design and features, hinting at more personalized, up-to-date content and an improved user experience. Stay tuned for more updates as these features potentially move closer to public release.
