Google finally updating Google TV with a new interface

By Mike Dunn Published October 28, 2011

It is pretty safe to say that to this point Google TV has been a flop, but Google hasn’t given up hope on the system just yet. Google has announced that a big update is coming to your local set top box, or Google TV enabled TV soon. It is too late for Google TV to make a good first impression, but so this update might be too little too late to win back the heart of customers.

Google claims that it has addressed the four biggest areas of concern of Google TV users in this update. First it claims to have made navigation simpler, and easier to understand. Even though it is not being called Honeycomb, the look of the interface reminds us of Google’s tablet UI. The cluttered UI was one of the main reasons we thought Google TV could fail, and it is good to see that it is addressing the problem.

Recommended Videos

Google is also improving searching on the system, which was another one of our biggest pet peeves. Not only is Google claiming to have improved how you can search for programs to watch, it also has thought of a way to help you search for something even if you don’t know what you want to search for.

Google is also bringing Android apps to Google TV, and this sounds fun on paper. Who wouldn’t want to play some Angry Birds on the big screen? We are worried about how users will interact with these apps that are built for touch screens. Google is also improving how you view YouTube videos, and you find the videos you want to watch. If you are into watching videos of cats acting silly you can create a silly cat video channel so you can easily find those videos.

The biggest issue that Google did not even mention in the announcement is content providers. All of the major TV networks have blocked Google TV from browsing its content, and that does not look to be changing. With content from major providers being blocked we can’t see Google TV gaining popularity. These changes might stop people from returning more devices than are being bought, but we don’t see these changes making the system overly popular without help from the major providers.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mike graduated from University of Arizona with a degree in poetry, and made his big break by writing love sonnets to the…

Topics

Phones

The best phones in 2026: our 14 favorite smartphones right now

We tested phones across all price brackets so that you can make the best pick based on your needs and budget.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 7 cameras

Choosing the right smartphone in 2026 is no easy task. Apple and Android manufacturers now have strong options at almost every price, while better cameras, longer battery life, improved software support, new AI features, and more refined foldable designs have made the market more competitive than ever. But picking one is not easy, especially if your budget is tight, or you are just legitimately concerned about getting the best value for your money and need a reliable daily driver for long-term usage.

We have tested and compared the leading smartphones available today, looking beyond the spec sheet to see how they actually perform in daily use. Camera quality, battery life, performance, display quality, software, design, and long-term value all play a part in our recommendations. Whether you are looking for a powerful flagship, a dependable budget phone, a compact device, or a foldable, this guide should help narrow down your choices.

Mobile

Snapchat Planets Meaning: Order, Rankings, and How Friend Solar System Works

Snapchat Planets turns your best friends list into a solar system, and yes, your orbit says a lot

Snapchat Planets being shown on the Snapchat app on iPhone.

Snapchat+ includes several exclusive features, but few have generated as much curiosity as Snapchat Planets. Part of the app's Friend Solar System, it transforms your Best Friends list into a planetary ranking, assigning each of your top eight friends a planet based on how often you interact.

From Mercury, which represents your closest friend, to Neptune, which represents your eighth closest, the system offers a quick visual snapshot of your interactions. But what do the different planets actually mean, and how does Snapchat decide who gets which one?

Phones

How to use WhatsApp Web

We'll show you how to use WhatsApp on your desktop or laptop

As one of the most popular messaging services, you’ve already heard of WhatsApp. From its humble beginnings in 2009—two years before Apple introduced iMessage—to its acquisition by Facebook (now Meta) in 2014, WhatsApp has become the dominant messaging platform around the globe.

In recent years, it's grown even more potent with new features like video messages, self-destructing voice messages, the ability to edit sent messages, and more. We even finally got an WhatsApp iPad app in May 2025.