Google TV is getting a new home screen redesign. Some users are seeing new “Free” and “Shop” tabs in beta, giving them more ways to discover content — both free and paid.
Since its launch in 2020, the environment Google TV didn't change much. One of the recent steps was to remove the bookmarks "Library" a "Watch List", which were moved under the new user profile menu. But now Google is testing the return of new options in the form of two fresh tabs.
Bookmark "Free" clearly displays content that can be watched for free - for example through streaming services such as Tubes or probably also free playThe first screenshots of the interface, posted on Reddit, don't yet offer a deeper look at the full scope of the free catalog.
On the contrary, the bookmark "Shop" allows direct purchase of movies via Google TV (or Google Play, whose content overlaps with YouTube). This move is a bit surprising, as Google has gradually pushed back on movie and TV series purchases in recent years – recently even removed the option to purchase TV shows.
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So far it seems that it is only about limited testThe new tabs haven't appeared on any of the commonly available devices, including TCL and Hisense TVs or Google TV Streamers. However, a similar tweak began appearing on the platform last year. Android TV.
Google hasn't announced when or if this change will be rolled out globally, but users can expect other changes focused on making it easier to access streaming content and purchases right from the home screen.
