You can now install Android TV apps directly from your phone
Trying to navigate your smart TV using a remote control can be frustrating, especially if you’re trying to download and install apps that you have to type the name out for. The good news is that this will change for those who are using Android TV devices or have a TV with Android TV integrated into it.
This is according to a post on Reddit by u/avigi in which they have discovered that they are now able to install apps for Android TV directly from their Android smartphones. Prior to this, users who wanted to install Android TV apps had to launch the Play Store from their Android TV devices and search for the app and install it.
With this update, users can just use their phones, which is better for typing compared to a remote control, search for the app and install it directly if their devices are linked up. This is a very useful feature to have and one that we imagine many Android TV users will be happy to use.
Google already did something similar for its Wear OS watches, where users could search for Wear OS apps on their phones and have the app installed on their smartwatch. That being said, it should be noted that this feature isn’t available for all users yet. Based on the comments on the post as well as a report from XDA Developers, not all users are seeing this option available to them.
It has been suggested that it could be server-side enabled so it could take a while before all users will have it on their phones, so don’t worry if you don’t see it yet.
Source: XDA Developers