Picture-in-picture mode is finally coming to Google TV, but there's a catch...

By: Vlad Cherevko | 23.05.2024, 20:55
Picture-in-picture mode is finally coming to Google TV, but there's a catch...

Android has had a picture-in-picture mode for quite some time now, but the Android version for TVs hasn't had this feature until now. It has become known that Google TV will finally get picture-in-picture (PiP) mode support, but not in the way many people would have wanted.

Here's What We Know

In the new Android 14 version for TVs, Google TV will be able to use PiP, but only in a limited way. The feature will only be available on "qualified" TVs and devices, which means that even if you have a relatively new model with Google TV, it may not support PiP once you upgrade to Android 14.

Google also restricts which apps can use PiP mode. You're only allowed to use it for apps in four categories: communication, smart home, health, and ticker. This means that video apps like Netflix or YouTube won't be able to use PiP.

However, the restrictions will also help provide some benefit by eliminating adverts that could abuse the feature. Overall, while it would be handy to be able to invoke PiP mode for streaming video, Google TV is still taking a step forward by adding this feature.

Android 14 for TVs should arrive later this year, but it will take some more time to roll out to supported devices.

Source: Android Authority