Your Google TV Is About To Look Very Different — Here Are All The New Changes

For those with a Google TV-powered television or a standalone device like the Google TV Streamer, your experience is about to include some more doomscrolling. With Google now having a larger focus on its artificial intelligence assistant Gemini, the company is delivering even more tools to users, with the most impactful addition being the inclusion of a new "Short videos for you" section directly on the Google TV home screen. Now, users will be able to easily scroll through collections of YouTube Shorts, though Google is also bringing some additional changes. 

According to a Google blog post, along with the new feed, the company is also bringing generative AI photo and video tools to the platform. Now, users will be able to generate images and video clips directly from their TV. Along with these features, there will also be the ability to search through a Google Photos library and add additional elements to located images. While some of these features are already beginning to roll out, those looking for the new Shorts feature should expect it later this year. 

The news follows Google's introduction of artificial intelligence features to its TV platform in January, including Google Photos support and new Gemini features for Google TV. Though the new generative AI features introduced for Google TV will have some novelty appeal, it will be interesting to see how users react to the new row of short-form videos being added directly to their home screen.

Along with users being able to scroll through a collection of "snackable videos" primarily arriving from YouTube Shorts on their Google TV home screen, the wording in the company's blog post suggests this will be a starting point for content, with the possibility that more will arrive in the future. Additionally, Google states that the new feature will begin rolling out to those in the U.S. this summer. 

The company is also bringing Nano Banana and Veo photo and video editing tools to Google TV, providing users with options to build new media from scratch based on prompts or to add additional elements to existing pictures. Those in the U.S. with a TCL Google TV that has Gemini enabled may already be able to take advantage of these tools, which may grow into the type of hidden features every Google TV user needs to know. For those that have access to the feature, you can start prompting by navigating to the Gemini tab on your device and choosing Create.

Lastly, additional image options are also arriving, including the ability to search through your Google Photos library using Gemini. Once you've found a photo, you'll then have options like the ability to create a dynamic slideshow or tweak the image using Google Photos Remix, a feature that allows users to bring a new twist to an old shot. Both search and Remix are coming to devices in the U.S. that feature Gemini, whereas slideshows will be available at some point globally.