What you need to know
- Google is rolling out a Shop tab for Android TV, letting users purchase or rent movies directly from their television.
- Purchased or rented titles can be viewed from your library on Android TV or from the Shop tab.
- The feature will roll out over the next few weeks on devices in the U.S. and global markets.
Google is rolling out another new feature in an attempt to keep your eyes glued to your TV when browsing movies.
As stated in an Android TV community post, Google will start rolling out a new Shop tab starting today in select countries. The company states the new Android TV section lets watchers buy or rent movies that they’ve found while browsing directly from their television. This tab will host movies that might not be available on other streaming services, giving users a chance to purchase that title without needing a subscription.
Any movie you’ve rented or purchased through the Shop tab will be made available within your Your Library. However, if a user has come to enjoy a movie they’ve rented and would like to keep it permanently, Google informs that they will have to wait for the rental timer to expire.
As noted on the support page, Your library will display additional purchases made on YouTube, other Google TV and Android TV sets, the Google TV smartphone app, and Play Movies & TV. Additionally, users can watch or download their desired movie onto their Android phone or tablet for some offline viewing.
As previously stated, the Shop tab for Android TV is beginning its rollout today on devices in the U.S. and global markets, although the rollout will occur on Android TV sets over the course of the “next few weeks.”
The Shop tab is among the latest features that Google has rolled out to Android TV, coming over a month after the new Live TV tab was introduced. This new tab, which users should see by now, contains local news stations such as CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX. Several international channels were included, alongside over 800 hundred additional channels, including Tubi, Plex, Pluto TV, and Haystack.
Android TV may also be preparing for a welcome software upgrade that would see the OS jump to Android 14. The Android TV 14 beta displayed more prominent accessibility settings, call notification availability on a TV, and altered energy-saving settings.
