Perhaps not everyone has noticed that in recent weeks Google Home has become a remote control for the Android TV devices of their smart home; to be more precise, the launch dates back to the now distant month of September, but for a time it was the prerogative of the United States, while the rest of the world still relied on the old dedicated Android TV Remote app. More recently, the novelty has also arrived in Italy; just open the Google Home app, touch the icon of the ATV device you want to control, and choose the voice Open remote control.
There is one to follow very simple pairing procedure the first time (enter the six-character code displayed on the TV), then the layout of the remote control appears a large pad at the top that can be operated with swipes and taps instead of the directional pad and the key buttons for volume, Home, Assistant and so on down. You can also turn the device off and on
In the last few hours, the distribution of a new update of the Home app has started which adds a new feature: the layout with a directional keypad instead of “trackpad”. In short, everyone can choose the interface they prefer: the trackpad is perhaps more comfortable to maneuver “blindly”, that is, without looking at the smartphone and focusing instead on what happens on the big screen, but the d-pad is probably more comfortable and immediate for those used to traditional remote controls.
The Google Home update has already arrived in Italy, and within a couple of days, the Play Store should install it automatically for everyone. For those in a hurry to try the novelty, however, it is always possible to intervene manually; just open the Play Store, click on your profile icon at the top right, choose to Manage app and device and then check the updates available under the same name.
