Google TV finally gains personalized profiles for more tailored content
What you need to know
- Google TV is enhancing user profiles with personal content preferences and individualized recommendations.
- Ambient mode will not show glanceable, actionable cards based on the current profile.
- The Google TV remote will be available via the Google Home app.
Google TV is making it easier for families to separate their media content and preferences by bringing new personalized profiles.
Coming soon to users worldwide, Google TV will offer personalized recommendations for each profile based on individual interests and preferences. Users will have their profiles linked to their own Google Account, meaning they will have their watchlist and personalized responses from Google Assistant.
It's already been possible to add a kids profile to your Google TV, but now everyone in the family will have their own space for content, something that's already been possible on some of the best Amazon Fire TV sticks. Apps and logins will work across profiles, making it easy to quickly manage content when setting up a new account, especially for apps that already support multiple profiles.
The new personalization will also extend to Google TV's ambient mode. In addition to images from Google Photos, users will now see glanceable cards based on their profiles, showing weather, news, content recommendations, and more. Users can also cycle through these cards to jump straight into the content.
Live TV subscribers may be happy to learn that Philo is now integrated into the For You and Live tabs, joining YouTube TV and Sling TV as built-in live streaming options with more teased for future updates.
Lastly, after bringing the Google TV remote to the Google TV app, it will soon come to the Google Home app as well for quick access on the best Android phones and on iPhones.
Personalized profiles will arrive globally on Chromecast with Google TV and Sony and TCL TV sets running Google TV. The new ambient mode cards will arrive first in the U.S., although no time frame was given for a wider release.
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Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.