Google announced on Wednesday a new wave of AI-powered features coming to Google TV, alongside a dedicated short-form video feed that brings YouTube Shorts directly to the home screen.
At the center of this update are more Gemini capabilities. Within the Gemini tab, a “Create” button lets users experiment with generative AI tools Nano Banana and Veo. These are rolling out first on Gemini-enabled TCL TVs in the U.S., with broader device support expected later.
Nano Banana, Google’s image-generation and editing model, lets users transform photos using simple voice prompts. Users can swap outfits, change backgrounds, or generate entirely new scenes. Google is positioning the feature as a shared, living-room experience, encouraging playful prompts like asking the AI to make “my dad wear a ridiculous outfit” to get a laugh from family and friends.
Veo, on the other hand, allows users to create clips from scratch or animate still images by describing a scenario. For instance, “make my grandfather moonwalk in space.”
Google Photos is also getting an upgrade on Google TV. With Gemini-powered search, users can quickly surface specific memories, like vacations or birthday parties, without digging through their entire library. Results are displayed in a browsable format, making it easy to view images full-screen or launch a slideshow. There’s also a new “Remix” feature that lets users apply artistic styles such as watercolor or oil painting to their photos.
Meanwhile, “Dynamic Slideshows” introduces animated layouts, frames, and color treatments. Users can turn any Google Photos collection into a vivid, TV-ready slideshow by selecting Google Photos in the screensaver settings.
Beyond AI tools, Google is also leaning into the growing popularity of short-form video. Coming soon, a new “Short videos for you” row will appear on the Google TV home screen, starting with content from YouTube Shorts.
The move comes on the heels of YouTube recently introducing an option to hide Shorts on mobile, suggesting mixed user demand. Still, Google hints this could expand beyond Shorts in the future, potentially to other platforms. Instagram already expanded its TV app to Google TV devices in the U.S. earlier this year.
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