Gemini's new features will turn Google TV into an interactive media companion

What you need to know

• Google announces Gemini for Google TV, revolutionizing user interaction with smart features and intuitive responses.
• Gemini enhances TV experience with photo memory searches, customizable edits, and interactive content across various devices.
• New features debut on select TCL models, requiring Android TV OS 14 and a Google account for access.

CES 2026 is in full swing in Las Vegas, and Google isn't shying away from making major announcements for its products. Be it taking over the Sphere in Vegas to show off Gemini's skills on XR, to now launching Gemini for Google TV, making it even more helpful, intuitive, and giving users more ways to "interact with your TV across more brands and surfaces like projectors," Google stated in a press release this week.

Gemini is bringing a big shift to the big screens as the AI assistant will now be able to use pictures, videos, and live sports scores when you ask it questions, pretty much turning your TV into a smart, talking magazine. But it goes beyond just simple questions about sports or TV shows.

You can also ask the TV, "How do black holes work?" or "Who were the Vikings?" and it will give you "Deep dives" on the topic with interactive summaries that both adults and kids can understand.

Next up, you can also ask Gemini on Google TV to look up a specific memory from your Photos. For instance, you could say, "Gemini, find that photo of my daughter eating blue ice cream at the beach three summers ago," and it will instantly pull up the exact photo, even if you never tagged it with that person.

Not just that, you can ask it to edit photos with Photos Remix or transform memories into movies or even immersive slideshows.

Furthermore, Google says you can even take it a step further and use Nano Banana and Veo to personalize those images, like "Make this photo look like a 3D Pixar animation" or "Change the background to a sunset." You can even access both these AI models to create media from scratch with a new query.

Lastly, this new update allows users to use simple language to change settings. You can tell Gemini things like "the screen is too dim" or "the dialogue is lost" while watching, and it will adjust the picture or sound based on your preference, neat right?

That said, these new Gemini features for Google TV are scheduled for a staggered release, debuting first on select TCL smart TV models and the Google TV Streamer before a broader rollout to other manufacturers throughout 2026.

To access these new tricks, users need to have a device that is updated to Android TV OS 14 or higher and be linked to a standard Google account with an active internet connection.

It is important to note that while basic AI functions are available to all users, advanced high-resolution image generation and premium video creation through Veo generally require a Google AI Pro (Gemini Advanced) subscription.