Gemini for Google TV launches, but only a few can enjoy smarter entertainment

What you need to know

• Google announced today (Sep 22) that it's rolling out its expected major "Gemini for Google TV" update, previously teased during CES 2025.
• Users can converse naturally with the AI, asking it to recap previous seasons for shows and find recommendations based on two different preferences.
• Gemini for Google TV can also help kids learn about the world, like volcanoes and more, as it leverages YouTube to help.
• This major update is rolling out for TCL QM9K series devices first, before hitting the Google TV Streamer, Walmart onn. 4K Pro, 2025 Hisense U7, U8, and more "later this year."

We haven't heard anything since CES 2025, but today (Sep 22), Google is officially revealing "Gemini for Google TV."

The announcement arrived via a Keyword post, which highlights the beginning of Gemini for Google TV for viewers at home. To get us going, Google states this major update is rolling out for viewers with a TCL QM9K series device. Consumers with the Google TV Streamer, Walmart onn. 4K Pro, 2025 Hisense U7, U8, and UX models, and 2025 TCL QM7K, QM8K, and X11K models will have to wait until "later this year."

This major Gemini for Google TV is calling the old (and still existing) Assistant old news, as the post states the newer AI model "goes beyond simple commands." Users can talk to Gemini with natural speech, as you would to a person sitting beside you. Saying "Hey Google" (or by pressing the mic button on your remote) will let you experience a new world of AI-assisted TV, such as when you're unsure about what to watch.

Google says users can ask Gemini to suggest some movies when it's hard to find something that two people with varying tastes may enjoy. If you like dramas, but your partner likes comedies, you can tell Gemini those interests and see what it finds.

Gemini can also get you "caught up" if you missed a season of a popular show, and it can even turn your "vague" show descriptions into something you can work with.

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Gemini for Google TV is reportedly leaning into its educational abilities in this new update, and it's bringing YouTube with it. The company states that parents can ask Gemini to "explain" or expand on certain real-world phenomena. To explain, the post highlights that Gemini will deliver a text-based explainer, alongside a row of recommended YouTube videos to further the subject.

Moreover, Google teases that Gemini can also help you with tutorials and cooking ideas right from your TV.

As previously stated, Gemini for Google TV is rolling out today (Sep 22) for consumers with a TCL QM9K series device. The post alludes to there being even more Gemini capabilities "coming soon." We'll have to see if these additional features coincide with Gemini's release on more devices later in 2025.

There's even more from Google TV on the way

We were hearing about this Gemini update for Google TV during CES 2025, which is when the company said you could just "speak naturally to your TV." That idea was stated alongside the idea that users wouldn't need to say "Hey Google." However, with today's update, we're seeing that the wake-up prompt is still there, but users can also press their microphone button and begin speaking.

Google stated that Gemini on Google TV would connect with a homeowner's smart devices, allowing the choice of checking in on doorbell cameras and more. This pretty much sounds like the personal control center-esque update we got a few months prior to CES 2025.

Google's current teaser of more Gemini features to come with its Google TV introduction was echoed in January. The company said that by the end of 2025, Google TV will feature proximity sensors that react to your presence, which could kick off a photo slideshow and more.