How to download, install and troubleshoot Google TV™ and Android TV™ apps

You can download apps by accessing the Google Play Store on your Google TV and Android TV. The Google Play Store is where you can find all available apps for both Google TV and Android TV.

If you can't find an app in the Google Play Store, it's possible that the app doesn't exist or is currently unavailable on the Google TV and Android TV platforms. A smartphone app may not always have an equivalent version on Google TV or Android TV. In that case, you may consider casting content instead.

How to download TV apps on Google TV

How to download TV apps on Android TV

There are two main reasons you can't find or use an app: availability and location. In this case, location can mean your country/region and sometimes even territories.

First, a service provider doesn't always have an app on the market. It's possible that your favorite smartphone app doesn't have an equivalent (yet) on Google TV or Android TV. Google has an online list of available Android TV apps.

Secondly, your location (country/region, territory) also matters. Some apps are only available in a certain country/region. However, these apps might one day become available in more countries/regions if the app provider decides to expand their support. Yes, it's a complicated patchwork out there. When in doubt, it's always best to contact the service provider and check their website for supported countries/regions and information.

Refer to the I cannot download, install, or update any applications from the Google Play Store article.

Now that you're ready to install all your favorite apps on your TV, it's time to make it easy for you to navigate and manage all these apps. Let's have a look at the App mini-menu.

The App mini-menu

Every app has a mini-menu that allows you to take several actions. Hover over the app (as if to open it), and on your remote control, long-press the OK button. If you accidentally opened the app, you didn't press the OK button long enough because a pop-up menu should appear:

Google TV mini-menu

Move
Open
View details

Android TV mini-menu

Open
Move
Add to favorites
Info
Uninstall

Adding TV apps to favorites quick-menu

Google TV

The Your Apps bar on the Home screen includes all your installed apps, so there's no need to add any new ones here. To move your favorite apps to a more convenient position, refer to the next chapter: "Moving TV apps around in the favorites menu and app screen."

Android TV

On your Home screen, there's a banner featuring your favorite apps. It's a quick selection bar.
Navigate to the right to reach a plus sign. Press OK to add new apps to your quick selection bar.

You can also use the app mini-menu to bookmark an app to favorites.

Moving TV apps around in the favorites menu and app screen

This applies to both Google TV and Android TV

Hover over the app (as if to open it), and on your remote control, long-press the OK button to open the app mini-menu.
Select Move and drag the app tile to your preferred position.
On your remote control, press Back to stop moving the app around.

It's not entirely necessary for you to manually update an app. If your Google TV or Android TV is connected to the internet, it will automatically update your apps whenever the service provider releases a new version. Your apps should run the latest version if your TV is connected to the internet.

Google updates applications in phases, so it's possible that your TV hasn't received an app update yet, even though it's available. In that case, there is a way to check for updates manually:

Google TV: access the Google Play Store via voice search or the input menu.
Android TV: navigate to the Apps tab and access the Google Play Store.

Once in the Google Play Store, you can check the Apps and games management, which is hidden under your Google Account icon in the top right corner. Under the Google Account icon, you'll find Apps and games management, in which you can check any available app updates.

If you're not using an app anymore, you might as well remove it and clear some memory:

Use your remote control arrow keys to navigate to the Apps tab.
Navigate down to see all your apps listed in a grid.
You can hover over any app you want to delete and access the mini-menu (long-press OK button) to select View details (Google TV) or Uninstall (Android TV) to uninstall.
If the uninstall option is greyed out, you can't uninstall the app (e.g. YouTube™). Pre-installed TV apps can't be removed.

Each of these steps may help resolve the issue:

1. Force stop an app

An app might have an issue like a lost internet connection, a frozen menu or some sound and image glitches. If you feel like something's wrong with an app, the simplest thing to do is reset the app by doing a force stop.

How to force stop an app on Google TV

How to force stop an app on Android TV

2. Restart your TV

If you can't reach the Home or App screen, press and hold the Power button and select "Restart TV". This simple restart might do the trick. (This trick might also help if you notice that your Google TV or Android TV is no longer connected to the internet.)

3. Try a Power Cycle

Unplug the TV power cord from the electrical socket, leave it for two minutes, and plug it back in. This is called a power cycle, and it's an easy way to reset your TV when something's not working.
Note: Unplugging the TV does not cause any damage and doesn't remove any Google account data.