The way to use Google TV Discover My Distant

It took some time, however remote-tracking options are lastly gaining extra traction on smart TVs and media streamers. Sure, you’ll be able to usually use a telephone app to regulate a TV in a pinch, however that is much less handy than a bodily distant, particularly whenever you’re sharing viewing with family and friends. Units primarily based on Google TV particularly are gaining a Discover My Distant function. Here is what it’s worthwhile to know concerning the function’s compatibility and how one can use it when it is obtainable.

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Which Google TV units assist Discover My Distant?

Just one proper now

Onn 4K Professional

The Onn 4K Professional is a budget-friendly streaming machine that provides 4K Extremely HD decision and helps well-liked streaming companies.

As of this writing, the one machine that actively helps Discover My Distant is the Onn 4K Pro Streaming Device bought by Walmart. The excellent news is that there is a hidden reference to the function within the Android 14 for TV beta, just lately noticed by Android Authority. This means that after Android 14 launches towards the top of 2024, the function will in the end grow to be common, despite the fact that it’d take a couple of years.

Why is that? The unhealthy information is {that a} distant wants a way of responding to Discover My Distant, particularly a speaker. Some remotes might have already got one; nevertheless, in different instances, producers should launch new merchandise. Even when a distant does have a speaker, its host machine won’t be upgradable to Android 14.

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The way to use Discover My Distant for Google TV

It is easy

Here is the overall course of:

1. Examine together with your machine’s producer to see if Discover My Distant is supported. Some firms could also be ready for the Android 14 replace (see above).
2. In case your machine has a bodily button to set off Discover My Distant, you may have to allow it. Chances are you’ll be prompted to do that when organising Google TV for the primary time. If not, the choice ought to be positioned someplace within the Settings app, which you’ll open by clicking the gear icon on your house display screen. You may as well go right here to set off the function by way of software program — search for Play Sound beneath Discover My Distant.
3. Determine the distant locator button in your machine. Within the case of the Onn 4K Professional, it is positioned on the entrance of the set-top.
4. Push the button. Your distant will play a tone for 30 seconds. If you cannot hear it, it could be in one other room.
5. Alternately, when you’ve got a Google Assistant-compatible sensible speaker or your Google TV machine has built-in microphones, you could possibly say “OK Google, discover my distant.” This does not (but) set off the speaker within the Onn 4K Professional distant, nevertheless.

For those who do not see any references to the function in Settings, even after updating to Android 14, your machine and/or distant are in all probability incompatible. Sooner or later, you would possibly be capable to purchase an enhanced distant, however we’re not conscious of any firms providing that but.