Google TV is now in the process of rolling out a few changes to the Home screen in an attempt to offer a “sleeker, more streamlined look” while also making it easier to access favorite apps.
One of the biggest visual changes is the circular design of the icons in the Your apps row. Google actually first announced this change late last year, stating the new circular icons would begin to roll out in early 2024. That time has now come.
As Google explained previously, the benefit with the more circular icon design is that more apps can now fit in the row without the user having to navigate right to see additional apps.
The change won’t drastically increase the number of visible apps but it should result in a few more becoming visible.
Another change is the addition of a new Free TV channels shortcut in the Your apps row. Similar to the feature that previously rolled out on Android TV, this shortcut will make it easier and quicker to access the selection of free live TV channels Google TV offers directly from the apps row on the home screen.
For those that often find themselves reordering the apps to prioritize the ones they use the most, the last change is the new “reorder” and “add apps” buttons. These buttons can be found at the end of the Your apps row and should prove to be quicker than the current method, which requires long-pressing on each app and then clicking on Move to manually reposition the app.
For those eager to make use of these latest Home screen changes and additions, it is worth noting that Google appears to be taking a slow approach to the rollout. According to Google, the rollout is “starting today, and rolling out to all devices over the next few months,” so it may take some time to reach all Google TV devices.
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