Android TV Gains Instant Apps, PIN Code-Based Purchases & Gboard Improvements

Aug. 11, 2020

Google may be gearing up to roll out thestable Android 11 updatein the coming weeks but it’s not only the company’s mobile platform that’s getting all the love. Android TV 11 beta wasannouncedearlier this year with a ton of performance improvements. And today, the company isbulking upthe Android TV feature set with support for Instant Apps, Gboard TV, and more. These features will not only be accessible on Android TV 11 but will also find their way to older versions of Android TV as well.

New Android TV Features

Google is making it simpler for you to complete purchases made via the Play Store on Android TVs. You will now be able toenter a four-digit PIN codeto authorize app purchases instead of typing in your password. Typing long passwords using a remote control is just cumbersome. This will speed up the process as you simply need to enter four characters instead of, say 21, like my lengthy password.

An important and much-needed change is the new Gboard for Android TV. You will no longer have to spend time rushing from one edge of the screen to another using arrow keys. An update to Gboard to brings the new QWERTY layout, voice-to-text input, and predictive suggestions – similar to what we see on Android.

Putting an end to the misery of developers, who needed to use a real device (a massive smart TV in this case) to test the purchase flow or other UX elements, the Android TV emulator will nowship with Google Play support.

Google also introduces improvements to the leanback library, offering simpler top tab navigation, paging through media titles, and a shared codebase for mobile and TV. It’s going to make the developer’s life a whole lot easier. The update also includes an auto low-latency mode, which kicks in when games go fullscreen and disables the on-device processing.