Google Play is very different on TVs. On Android TV it’s already somewhat hidden, but on Google TV there’s no way to even find it, as it’s hidden in the settings. Luckily, you do n’t even need to go through Google TV on your TV to install and uninstall apps anymore. There’s a better way.
Mobile is officially the best way to manage TV apps, allowing you to install and uninstall apps remotely without having to fight with the remote control that never works very well or waste the afternoon typing on the on-screen keyboard.
Install apps on TV from your mobile
Next time you want to install an app on your Android TV or Google TV, don’t go to the TV. It’s better to install it from your mobile phone , since you’ll be able to type more comfortably and search faster. In my case, the remote control for my Android TV doesn’t work properly, so sometimes I have to resort to using my mobile phone as a remote control to be able to type.
Luckily, Google Play allows us to install apps on the TV from our mobile, and it has recently improved to make it even more intuitive. The most important thing is to go to the Other devices tab and check the Television tab , so that the app listings are for Android TV apps.
If you are going to do a search, then that tab is not useful, instead you must do the search, choose a result “blindly” to see if it will be compatible or not with the TV and then check it on the arrow on the download button . This arrow opens a list with the compatible devices on which it can be installed and there the TV or Chromecast with Google TV will appear, if it is compatible. These are all the steps to install an application on the TV from the mobile:
Open Google Play on your mobile.
Find the app you want to install.
Click the arrow on the download button.
Check the box for your TV or Chromecast.
Click Install .
Uninstall apps from the TV, even from your mobile
Until recently, Google Play allowed us to remotely install apps, but not uninstall them. Uninstalling apps from Android TV still required digging through menus. If you’re only uninstalling one app, it’s not much of a problem, but once you uninstall a few apps, the process quickly becomes cumbersome .
Now Google Play allows us to uninstall applications remotely , which is especially useful for uninstalling applications from an Android TV from a mobile phone , as it is much faster
The process is again quite simple, although you need to know where to go in Google Play, as you can’t do it from the app’s listing itself. Instead, follow these steps:
Open Google Play on your mobile.
Tap on your profile picture and go to Manage apps and device .
Tap This device to open the drop-down list.
Choose your Chromecast or Android TV from the list.
You will be shown a list of the applications installed on that device.
Check the apps you want to uninstall.
Press the trash button.
Click Uninstall in the confirmation window.
