Skip to main content

How to get rid of personalized recommendations on Chromecast with Google TV

The Chromecast with Google TV has a new Google TV layout that, for the most part, is quite excellent. All your apps are close at hand, it's easy to browse for shows or films from your favorite genres, and Google Assistant means that any show or movie is just a voice command away. This is one of the many reasons the Chromecast with Google TV is one of the best streaming devices, but if you're not a fan of being constantly bombarded with Google TV's recommendations — especially on a shared device where those recommendations might be skewed — here's how to turn off personalized recommendations and enter apps only mode on Google TV.

How to turn on apps only mode in Google TV

  1. On the home screen, go left to your profile picture.

  2. Select Settings.

  3. Select Accounts & Sign in.

  4. Select your Google account.

  5. Scroll down to the bottom of the list.

  6. Select Apps only mode.

  7. Select Turn on.

  8. Hit the home button to exit Settings.

It'll take a second or 10, but your home screen will reload with a much more minimal interface, consisting only of your installed apps and the five sponsored ads, which you can never, ever turn off.

Unavailable services in apps only mode

This is a nice minimal look, and as much as I love it, there are a few big reasons you'll probably turn apps only mode back off within hours:

  • Google Assistant and search functions are disabled.
  • Purchased YouTube or Google TV content are unavailable through the Google TV interface, so you'll have to cast them from a phone or computer instead.
  • Your Watchlist is inaccessible.

If you've never bought movies or TV shows from Google TV, Google Play, or YouTube, that second stipulation won't mean much, but apps only mode only shows other apps, not the actual Google TV app where your purchased content lives, This is a very off omission, and one that makes it quite difficult for longtime Google Play/Android users to avoid the normal recommendation-littered mode.

The bigger problem is that it turns off Google Assistant wholesale, so there's no using voice commands to rewind, skip ahead, or quickly bring up Moana for the millionth time rather than having to dig into the Disney+ app for it. Assistant is one of those things that you can go without using, but once you've gotten used to that

Of course, hidden in all that jargon on the apps only mode screen is the real truth: turning off your ability to see the recommendations doesn't stop Google or any other apps from tracking your watch history. Apps only mode just turns off the visual recommendations, it changes no privacy settings to limit what data is collected on you and your viewing habits.

Google wins the living room

Chromecast with Google TV

Google Assistant commands and recommendations to save movie night.

With a perfectly compact remote, three color options, and the latest Google TV interface to serve up all your content in a rich new style. While the Chromecast with Google TV may be a bit short of internal storage, it's the perfect size and price for your living room, kitchen, or any room your TV's apps are failing in.

$50 at Best Buy $50 at Walmart $50 at B&H


Source: androidcentral
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri
Read more

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.
Read more

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c
Read more

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course
Read more