Google TV is already receiving the new home screen at the end of last month and, although it may take some time to reach everyone, Chromecast with Google TV is now receiving the update.
Chromecast: Google TV is now receiving the new home screen!
The new Google TV home screen is a reasonably small update. That said, its big change is that application icons are now circular and much smaller than they were before. This has the advantage that the home screen can now show more applications at the same time. Only 10 applications are visible, compared to the previous seven.
The “your apps” row also now shows all apps, instead of requiring users to open an app drawer to access anything that isn't visible on the main home screen. At the end of the list, you will find two new buttons – “Reorder” and “Add applications”.
The first button allows you to move applications in the list, while the other opens the “Applications” tab, where you can discover new applications to install. Unfortunately, it doesn't open the Play Store. Something that users have been asking Google for years.
These changes are now rolling out to all Google TV devices. However, they are appearing more widely this week, particularly on Chromecast with Google TV. Google says the design will reach all compatible devices in the “coming months.”
Notably, this home screen update arrives completely independent of the latest Chromecast system update, which began rolling out at the end of February.
Google prepares new Chromecast device with Google TV!
However, there is another important news. Google is working on a new Chromecast device with Google TV. Meanwhile, another reference was discovered in the latest update of the Google Home application.
The discovery comes from 9to5Google, which analyzed the APK of the Google Home application in depth. The site discovered that Google has added several new models to the internal list of devices compatible with Google Cast. Among them, three were labeled as JBL Authentics speakers that arrived last year. However, one device, “YTD”, remained unknown and intriguing.
The publication confirmed that Google Home treats the “YTD” as a Chromecast device, and not as a Google TV device from another manufacturer. This suggests that “YTD” could be a new Chromecast device with Google TV that Google is developing. The device is listed alongside existing Chromecast with Google TV HD and 4K models.
We remind you that at the beginning of the year, a device with the code name “YTC” appeared in the application code.
YTC was even explicitly referred to as a “Chromecast with Google TV”. However, this device never materialized. The original model was called “YTV” and the HD model was called “YTB”.
Chromecast with Google TV devices work on Google TV, a revamped version of Android TV. Unlike previous Chromecast models, which required a phone or tablet to control them or stream content, Chromecast with Google TV devices come with a controller and user interface that lets you browse and play content from various apps and services, such as other streaming devices.
However, it is still unclear whether the “YTD” is a new Chromecast device with Google TV and, if so, when it will arrive. It is possible that Google is just testing a prototype or a variant of the existing dongle and that it will never see the light of day. However, we haven't seen a new 4K Chromecast device since 2020. So a new Chromecast device with improved specs and features would be very welcome.