If, like me, you’ve been checking for updates to your Chromecast with Google TV every day or two in search of the Android 14 and Google Home updates — well, today is not that day. There is, however, an update worth snagging sooner rather than later.
Chromecast with Google TV is making the leap from the July 1, 2024, security update to the September 1, 2024 security update. And in that sense, it’s now actually a month ahead of the Google TV Streamer, which launched with the aforementioned Google Home features that let you check on cameras, adjust the temperature, toggle lights — basically, they let you control all your smart home things right from the Google TV interface.
Owners of Chromecast with Google TV and the newer Onn 4K Pro are waiting with bated breath for a major update that hopefully will bring the Google Home Panel (and other Android 14 improvements) to those devices, as Google has said will happen. But as we’ve seen today, interim updates can happen.
Along with the Home Panel, the update should also bring new AI background art options that let you create computer-generated screensavers instead of using your own pictures. That’s a feature that’s already live on Google TV Streamer.
The Home Panel may be the biggest user-facing improvement, but there will be a smattering of under-the-hood updates, too, which is par for the course for the Google TV/Android TV platform. The larger Google TV interface should basically remain the same, though. Other than the Home Panel, our Google TV Streamer review didn’t really see any major differences in how that device works compared to Chromecast. And when we put Google TV Streamer versus Onn 4K Pro, those differences shrink even more.
The new Chromecast software version is STTL.240812.006.
