The latest Chromecast update just made it the perfect Black Friday streaming stick
Install Android TV apps easier than ever before
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Google’s Chromecast device just got a major quality-of-life update that could make it the perfectBlack Fridaystreaming stick purchase. The update allows you to installAndroid TVapps from your phone, saving you the need to visit the Google Play Store on your TV.
As reported byTom’s Guide, the new Chromecast feature is currently rolling out to devices worldwide. You’ll know you have the update if you head to theGoogle Play Storeon your phone, tap on an app, and spot a little arrow next to the “Install” button. This presents a dropdown menu where you can choose to install the app to your Chromecast or Android TV device.
You’ll only see these extra options if the app you’re viewing is actually compatible with a Chromecast streaming device, so the feature won’t work for absolutely everything in the store. However, it should be applicable to most streaming apps, likeNetflix,Disney Plus,Prime Videoand more.
It seems like such a simple update that we’re surprised it’s taken this long for Google to allow the installation of Android TV compatible apps via a mobile device. Users have been able to do so from the browser version of the Google Play Store onPCfor some time now, but mobile always seemed like a better fit for the option.
One slight drawback, as users on theAndroid TV subreddithave noted, is that it’s currently not possible to push or send apps to other mobile devices with the update. For the time being, it seems like only Android TV compatible devices and Chromecast streaming sticks are supported.
Opinion: Chromecast gets even better with this update
It sounds like such a simple, niche thing, but the ability to push apps to your Chromecast device from your phone is a genuinely brilliant quality-of-life update. Users will simply be able to access the Google Play Store instantaneously, providing they have anAndroid phonelike the brilliantSamsung Galaxy S21orGoogle Pixel 6.
From there, downloading apps to Android TV is as simple as selecting your device on the installation dropdown. This will save users tons of time in that they’ll no longer need to access the store on Android TV. And let’s face it, navigating with your phone is objectively better than a clunky TV remote, even the one included withChromecast with Google TV.
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It’s already one of thebest streaming devicesyou can buy, but this new Android TV feature gives Chromecast a solid advantage over competing sticks like theAmazon Fire TV Stick Lite, and it’s certainly worth shopping for during the Black Friday andCyber Monday dealsas Chromecast is bound to see some big price drops now that it’s been out for a while.
Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
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