What you need to know
- Google TV is rolling out small quality-of-life updates, including a new setting and a fix, rather than any major UI overhaul.
- A new 'Report history' section lets users view the status of submitted reports directly from Google TV settings.
- Google has fixed a YouTube thumbnail aspect ratio bug on the home screen, with users reporting that the issue is now resolved.
Google is rolling out a couple of new features for Google TV aimed at improving the user experience, even though these additions are not particularly groundbreaking.
While Google has moved to a two-year major OS update cycle for Google TV, the company still adds smaller features from time to time to improve the experience. 9to5Google reports that Google has now introduced one new setting and rolled out one fix focused on usability improvements.
The first addition is a new 'Report history' section in Google TV settings. As shown in screenshots shared by the publication, this section allows users to see the status of reports they've submitted.
Google TV quietly adds a small but useful setting
It's not entirely clear what this section refers to yet, but the publication speculates that Google may soon allow users to report inappropriate ads or content recommendations, which has been a long-standing issue. This section would let users track submitted reports and see whether Google has taken action.
In addition, Google TV is also rolling out a fix for a YouTube thumbnail preview issue on the home screen. Some users had reported incorrect aspect ratios for thumbnail previews, which made content appear more stretched than it should've been. Users on Reddit are now saying the issue appears to be resolved.
It's not clear whether the YouTube fix was pushed server-side or delivered through a Google TV app update or a YouTube app update, but the issue does seem to be fixed now. If it hasn't reached your device yet, it should roll out sooner or later.
Android Central's Take
It's genuinely good to see Google rolling out meaningful quality-of-life improvements and quick fixes for Google TV. These updates do not significantly change the overall UI, and it's still not the major overhaul many have been waiting for, but Google does seem to be steadily improving the experience, and that's what matters.
