Android TV has come a long way according to Google, having just announced that the platform has now surpassed 80 million monthly active devices.
That’s a lot of Android TV being interacted with. And perhaps it’s no surprise given the upgrades Google has made to the platform over the years. During its announcement at Google I/O 2021, Google highlighted the developer community for the success of Android TV.
Noting that it played a huge role in getting the platform to where it is today. And that’s true enough. Without the support of the development community, Android TV would not have nearly as many monthly active devices. Because users want apps, and you can’t have apps without developers.
And without apps, users would likely flock to a different device that offers access to more content.
Android TV OS monthly active devices growth is huge in the US
Android TV OS is available on loads of devices in many regions around the globe, but Google says a big chunk of its growth was in the US alone.
Just within the US, Android TV OS devices have a growth of more than 80%. Which is a pretty big increase in active devices. Some of that growth is no doubt attributed to the excitement that surrounds Google TV. After Google announced the Chromecast with Google TV in 2020, the Android TV OS platform, which the device runs on, surely gained more attention from new and existing users alike.
Enabling developers to make even more exciting apps
To help keep the excitement for the platform growing even further, Google is giving developers more tools to create new and wonderful apps.
This includes launching the very first Google TV emulator. With this tool, developers will have an easier time working to create apps. This is because they won’t need any new hardware to make sure things are working correctly. It should also enable developers to work on existing apps when they need updates, fixes, or changes. Overall development work for Android TV apps should be more seamless than before.
The emulator runs on Android 11, and it even includes a remote within it that was designed to “more closely mimic TV remotes.” In addition to the emulator, Google is also making the Android 12 beta for Android TV available today. You’ll need the ADT-3 for this though if you want to work with the OS version.