Google TV is getting a surprising hardware upgrade

There’s a change coming to Google TV devices. That could make it a more streamlined process to watch some content, with the addition of a new “Free TV” button coming in the future. But this new mandated button links to a service that’s not available in all regions, so let’s figure out what’s going on.

According to a report from Android Authority, Google is going to mandate a “Free TV” button on new Google TV devices. It already exists on some devices, allowing a quick way to access “free” TV content rather than just heading straight to a premium streaming service.

Currently, many devices carry buttons to popular services like Netflix or Prime Video, but getting access to something that you don’t have to subscribe to takes a few more clicks through the interface. According to the source, Google said it had “received overwhelmingly positive feedback from users” about the free TV offering that’s on the Google TV platform.

If you’re unfamiliar with Google TV Freeplay, that’s because it’s only available in the US. It’s a selection of ad-supported streaming channels, in the same way that Roku has The Roku Channel and Amazon offered Freevee, although that latter service has now been rolled back into Prime Video.

Some devices in the US already have the button, like Walmart own-brand Onn Google TV 4K Pro streamer. In markets that don’t have access to Google’s free TV service, the button can instead point to a live guide instead – although it’s not clear if such devices will still have to have this button.

Interestingly, Google’s own Google TV Streamer doesn’t have this button and it’s not clear at the moment if this just applies to Google TV streaming devices or if this will include all televisions running on the Google TV platform as well. That would be quite a change for a brand like Sony to have to put a button on a remote to link to Google’s free TV service.

Customising buttons on remotes isn’t anything new – many manufacturers have different buttons on remotes to suit the services that are popular in that region. According to a report from The Verge, most of these are straightforward adverts, with streaming services bidding to be featured.

Whether Google is mandating this change because of “feedback” or to extend the reach of its ad-backed service remains to be seen. We’ll wait with baited breath to see if this new button emerges outside the US.