If you’re a long-time user of the Play Store, or if you’ve just recently picked up your first Android device and said, “hey, this is great!” then you’ve probably already gone through the Play Store’s many sections. When it comes to apps, games, movies, and TV shows — you name it! — there are more than enough options for everybody out there.
There are certain restrictions regarding what we can download from the Play Store on our devices with stock (or near-stock) firmware like that on most Google TVs. These restrictions were so hard for some people to swallow that they paid money in return for rooting their device or installing custom ROMs to get Play Store working more freely….
Recently, Google made Play Services compatible with the Play Store on regular Android. Play Services is an actual app that brings many features to Android devices like Google+ sign-ins, Play Games services, and more. But it’s also an important step in enabling Play Store on our devices because Play Services comes preinstalled on nearly every device running stock or near-stock firmware.
In this post, we’ll take a look at how you can enable the full Play Store on your Google TV box/stick/dongle (oh my!) so that you can enjoy all the apps, games, movies, and TV shows without having to root your device or install custom ROMs.
Before going to start with our article, let’s know about Google TV:
What is Google TV?
Google TV is a proprietary operating system based on the Android OS designed to bring an enhanced television experience to users. The platform’s main attraction is its ability to seamlessly integrate with your other devices, whether they are phones, computers, or in our case, televisions.
For starters, Google TV comes equipped with a full Play Store client that allows you to browse through thousands of apps and games without having the actual device set up anywhere near you. It means that if you’re chillin’ on the couch and want to check out some new music listening app or enjoy some quality time with “Angry Birds,” all it takes is one click from your remote control.
How to access the full Play Store on Google TV
1. Connect your Google TV to the internet
Before even attempting to do anything with Play Store on your device, you’ll first need to connect it to a working internet connection. You may want to check the Play Store site for compatibility info related to your specific Google TV box.
To configure your network on your Android TV device:
- Select “Settings” from the menu that appears upon opening Play Store app
- In the Settings menu, select “Network”
- Enter your Wi-Fi network name and password
- Select “Save”. Play Store should now be able to access the internet through this Wi-Fi connection and download apps and other content without requiring a physical connection to a computer or phone/tablet.
Note: You can select Play Store app from the main menu of your Google TV device to manage Play Store settings and turn off Play Services.
2. Download the latest Play Store app on your phone or tablet
After connecting Play Store to the internet, you can then proceed to download Play Store app on your phone or tablet. When Play Services is updated on your device, Play Store will be updated automatically.
3. Open up the Play Store app and search for “Google TV” in the top right corner
4. Tap on “Google TV” and install it on your device
5. Go back to your Google TV, find “Play Store” under Apps, and open it up! You now have access to all of Google’s apps!
Tips for using the Play Store on Google TV
- Play Store on Google TV app doesn’t support multiple users.
- You will need to manually install Play Services on your device since it is not automatically installed with Play Store app.
- Play Services is a Play Store requirement.
Limitations of accessing the full Play Store on Google TV and what you can do about it
- Play Store on Google TV doesn’t support accounts
- For now, Play Services is limited to a single device
- You will need to log in with your Play Services user account for the first time only. Play Store app will not store or sync your login credentials across devices, so every time you want to download an app, you have to sign in to Play Services again.
- Google+? Let me check… nope. Play Games? Nope. Play Music? Nope! I don’t think any of the apps that require play services work on our TVs yet.
Conclusion
Play Store on Google TV is a Play Services requirement that allows you to browse through thousands of apps and games without having the actual device set up anywhere near you.
In this article, you’ve learned how to access Play Store on your Google TV.
I hope this article is helpful!