Newsletter
Google TV will be supporting multiple user profiles on its home page. On top of that, the smart TV operating system will offer personalized recommendations.
9to5Google shared an APK Insight post, which decompiled the latest version of an app that Google uploaded to the Play Store. While decompiling these files, known as APKs, the site discovered several lines of code that hint at impending features.
It is worth mentioning here that Google may or may not roll out these features. Aside from that, the site’s interpretation of what these features are may be incorrect.
Nevertheless, the site tried to enable those that are almost finished to suggest how they will look if Google ends up shipping them.
Google TV Profiles
Google TV debuted with the latest Chromecast to offer an unparalleled Android TV experience. Since then, it has been possible to sign in with more than one Google Account.
This has since been strengthening with Kids Profiles, which supports show content that is appropriate for a child’s age group. Even if multiple adults may have signed in to your Google TV device, the home screen and recommendations are personalized based on the taste of the primary account.
When you try to add a new account, you receive a warning that says, “you won’t see recommendations for those accounts on the Google TV home screen.” However, this is expected to change soon.
The site discovered some details within the latest update version 1.0.370, which is rolling out to the Google TV Home app via the Play Store. It found early preparations for full support for profiles on Google TV home screen.
Regrettably, they did not see Google TV’s improved profile support on their Chromecasts even after installing the new update. Nevertheless, the site confirmed that Google is currently working to offer separate recommendations to different members of the household.
Google TV Kids profile improvements
Earlier this year, Google announced a new feature for Google TV devices and Chromecast with Google TV installed. The new feature allowed you to set up profiles for your kids.
Aside from that, the new feature allowed parents to monitor the content their kids watch, and for how long. Google TV Kids profile was first launched in the United States in March and later rolled out to other regions.
The Google TV Home page is likely to receive better support of kids’ profiles. With this upgrade, parents will be able to set up a separate space for their kids with their favorite apps and content.
To manage an existing account, you can head to Settings and then Accounts & Sign in. To more control what the kid in your family can and cannot watch, Google TV will be rolling out a useful tutorial that shows how to hide content from a kid’s recommendations.
Hiding TV shows and movies from a kid’s home screen requires you to hold on to the content thumbnail and select ‘Hide.’ Parents can either create a profile with their kid’s name and age or simply add an existing Google account.