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At this year’s Google I/O event, the search titan announced a handful of updates for its software platforms. The company also revealed that Android 14 is finally coming to Android TV devices. The next iteration of the television OS, Android 14 for TV, will arrive with a handful of important performance improvements. In addition, it will also bring a few new useful features for the usually forgotten Google TV platform.
Android 14 for TV improvements will include various performance enhancements
According to Google, Android 14 for TV will arrive with multiple improvements in various areas such as performance, sustainability, accessibility, and multitasking. The latest version improves on the previous OS version and offers a faster and more responsive TV experience, as per brand. However, the company didn’t reveal any specific details on how Android 14 for TV delivers a quicker and more responsive experience.
Android 14 for TV also improves the device’s boot-up time by an unspecified amount. The boot latency isn’t that much of a concern for Android TV devices as they are hardly fully turned off. However, it’s still nice to see it improving in the newer version. Notably, Google has also improved the vertical and horizontal scrolling performance in the latest version of Android for TV. In addition, the new firmware will offer faster data loading and a 20 percent reduction in storage use.
The latest version of Android TV will also offer new energy modes, PIP mode, and Find My Remote features
Apart from the usual performance improvements, Android 14 for TV also offers new energy modes – low-energy, optimized energy, and increased energy. The low-energy mode switches off the device’s network connection in the standby mode. In the optimized energy session, only vital functions are connected to the network when the TV is turned off. These include Google Cast (over Wi-Fi) and Google Assistant. The increased energy mode will keep the network alive and enable Google Home functionalities.
Furthermore, Android 14 for TV will have support for the picture-in-picture mode. It will enable multitasking for Android TV users. They will be able to use one app in full-screen mode and another in a small window anywhere on the screen. Google has mentioned that picture-in-picture or PiP mode will only be available on “qualified Android 14 TV models”. So it is not clear if all TVs and boxes will support the much-awaited functionality.
Android 14 for TV will also offer another interesting feature called Find My Remote. It is designed to locate a lost remote by emitting a sound from the remote itself. The feature works if the remote is placed within 30 feet of the TV or a streaming stick. Notably, the Find My Remote functionality is already available on the latest Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro streaming box.
However, it is not clear how Google will enable this feature on the existing Android TV models. The users will probably need to upgrade to a new remote that has the required hardware for this function to work. We will know more in the coming weeks when Android 14 for TV starts rolling out to the masses.