Abstract
- Google TV and Android TV will assist 64-bit apps for sooner efficiency; customary begins Aug 2026.
- 32-bit apps will proceed to work; Google Play will maintain delivering apps to older units.
- Builders ought to add 64-bit builds to allow shorter begin occasions and new viewing experiences on future units.
It has been a very long time coming, however Google TV is lastly making a change that can deliver their streaming units nearer to the pace and efficiency of Apple TV. In a message to app builders on Google’s official blog, Fahad Durrani, who’s a part of the Product Administration staff at Google TV, confirmed that Google TV and Android TV will quickly require 64-bit app compatibility, saying that this transformation “will supply improved efficiency, shorter begin occasions, and new viewing experiences on upcoming 64-bit Google TV and Android TV units.”
This growth ought to assist put Google TV units on extra of an equal footing with Apple TV, which has used 64-bit apps since 2019 in an effort to extend efficiency and scale back lag on their units.
Although that is an thrilling growth, the change will not occur in a single day as Google has given builders a yr to organize, with the brand new customary formally turning into a requirement in August 2026.
Will older Google TV units cease working?
Don’t fret, 32-bit apps will nonetheless work
In the identical message saying the improve, Durrani was fast to quell fears about older system compatibility, saying “We’re not making any modifications to 32-bit assist, and Google Play will proceed to ship apps to 32-bit units.” This marks an enormous change in the way in which Google is dealing with this shift in comparison with Apple, which straight up eliminated 32-bit assist in tvOS 13 again in 2019.
Although this growth opens the door for brand spanking new {hardware} (together with a closely rumored replace to the Google TV Streamer) all of customers’ apps on varied Google TV (and Android TV) units ought to proceed to operate for the foreseeable future, with builders simply now needing so as to add 64-bit variations for max compatibility with the following era of Google TV units.
