[New App] The Smartphone Remote Control App For Android TV Is Already On The Play Store

Well, that didn’t take long. Just a couple of hours after the end of Google’s I/O keynote, the Android TV remote control app has burst on to the Play Store. Download it now to control all the Android TV devices in your home! Which are none. Because Android TV isn’t released yet. And won’t be until the fall.

  

If you’re wondering why Google even bothered to put the app on the Play Store in the first place, it’s because it’s designed for the developer kits currently on display at I/O. Since it seems to work with most current Android devices, it will presumably stick around until the release of Android TV in the fall. The interface looks super-simple, just a few pointer buttons, a touchpad, a keyboard, and a voice control button. And speaking of premature releases…

Google has also published Google Cast Receiver to the Play Store. This is the app that will let Android TV pretend to be a Chromecast, and gain access to all the functionality therein. Unlike the remote, this app is actually designed to run on Android TV itself, so anyone who doesn’t have access to a pre-release Android developer kit won’t even be able to try it out. The app will be pre-installed on all Android TV hardware, so it’s probably only on the Play Store so that Google can issue periodic updates.