What you need to know
- Google TV's long-delayed personalized profiles have started appearing for more users.
- It allows household members to stream content without messing up your recommendations.
- Personalized profiles are now available on many Google TV devices via a server-side update.
Google TV's personalized profiles almost appeared to be one of the company's canceled projects due to an unnecessary delay. Thankfully, the company demonstrated its commitment to the new experience by announcing a month ago that Google TV profiles would be available soon — that day has now arrived.
A new server-side update has enabled more users to see Google TV's long-delayed custom profiles. The update should now allow multiple users in your household to add their account to your streaming device.
The new experience arrived in one of our devices, specifically the Mecool KD3 streaming stick, with an "Introducing profiles on Google TV" splash screen. This is in addition to the Chromecast with Google TV.
However, it appears that other non-Chromecast devices running Google TV have yet to receive the update. That said, the new feature should not take long to arrive on many of the best Android TVs from Sony, TCL, and other brands.
In addition to more tailored content suggestions, personalized profiles also allow you to create your own watchlist. Of course, installed apps are available for use across all profiles, except for kids’ profiles.
To get started, press the Settings button on your remote or go to your profile picture. To add an account, select the account switcher and you'll be taken to the Google TV account management screen. From there, you can easily set up a profile.
After that, you can switch between profiles by just pressing the Settings button and selecting an account. More importantly, you won't have to worry about messed-up recommendations the next time your siblings stream movies or shows using your device.
The new feature highlights Google's efforts to make Google TV less of a single-user experience, particularly for multi-user households. It follows the recent release of Google TV's personalized screensaver, which gives users access to a variety of cards with individualized content.
If you want the best smart TV experience, consider Chromecast with Google TV, which uses Google Assistant and Google's AI prowess to provide smart content recommendations as well as hands-free access to your favorite shows, movies, and apps.
