Along with Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, Google also announced a new Chromecast after a gap of almost two years. The highlight of this Chromecast is that it comes with a new TV UI called Google TV. It’s not just an enhanced UI but an overhaul of Android TV OS.  Google has announced that it will be transitioning Android TV to Google TV over the next two years.

Before we move ahead, keep in mind, your Android TV must be running Android 9 or above. You can check the OS details from Settings -> Device Preferences -> About -> Version. Once you confirm the OS requirement, you can move forward.

  • Run Google TV on Android TV in India
  • Set Google as Your Default Launcher on Android TV

Downloads

  • Google App for Android TV (Version 5.3.0.331218010 or above)
  • Google TV APK (Also called LauncherX)

Install Google TV on Android TV

  1. First of all, you need to download both the APKs from the above link on your smartphone or computer.

  2. Once you have done that, now transfer both the APKs (Google App and Google TV) to your Android TV. We have written a detailed guide on how to transfer and sideload apps on Android TV so just go through that. You can also use the SFTV app (Free, offers in-app purchases) to seamlessly transfer files or simply use a thumb drive to move the files.

  3. After the installation, open the Home Screen Launcher for Android TV app. Instantly, it will detect “LauncherX” which is actually the launcher for the new Google TV UI.

  4. From now onwards, you will have to just open the “Home Screen Launcher for Android TV” app (shortly called Home) and it will directly open Google TV. If you want to set the new Google TV as your default launcher on Android TV then follow the guide mentioned in the last section of this guide.

While the above installation process for Google TV is the same for India and other unsupported regions too, there is a crippling issue at hand. Currently, you won’t get personalized cards and smart recommendations on the home screen since Google TV has been launched with the new Chromecast only in the US.

If you find the experience satisfying on Google TV and everything works for you then you can permanently move to Google TV from Android TV right now. You will have to execute some ADB commands through a computer to uninstall the default launcher.

  1. Open Settings on your Android TV -> Network and Internet -> Your WiFi network. Make a note of the IP Address. You will need it later.

  2. Having done that, run the below command to connect to your Android TV wirelessly. Here, replace ipaddress with the actual address that you noted in step #1.

Note: If you are not connected then repeat the process from step #6.

Since I am running Google TV in India, I didn’t get the full-fledged experience on the first run. So I connected my Android TV to a VPN and Google TV loaded fine. The personalized recommendations were neatly organized from multiple streaming services and Google Assistant worked flawlessly.

I also added movies to my watchlist from my smartphone browser and it instantly showed up on Google TV. That’s not all, it offers you quick links to watch the movie through an available streaming service. Overall, Google TV worked like a charm. On top of that, the UI feels very smooth just like Android on Pixel devices. The animations and transitions are really done well, as it’s expected from Google.

So that is how you can install Google TV on Android TV right now. I would say, the installation process is quite straightforward if you intend to keep Google TV as a separate launcher. However, if you have the expertise (and if you are based out of the US) then go ahead and permanently replace your Android TV with Google TV right now.