Google I/O 2022: Google TV and Android TV OS gain new developer tools, continue to grow in popularity

Google TV and Android TV OS are not only a mouthful to say back to back like that, but they’re also receiving a respectable amount of updates during Google I/O 2022. 

There are a few notable updates that developers will be happy about, along with a new feature that’s set to launch later this year that will let Google TV users cast directly from their Android phone or tablet to a TV.

In order to capitalize on the momentum that the platforms are seeing — including 110 monthly active users, 10,000 apps, and 300 hardware partners — Google has three new features for developers to integrate into their apps. 

There are new tools to help with performance and overall quality in the form of AudioManager and MediaSession. There are also new accessibility APIs that add support for new keyboard layouts, and an option to enable audio descriptions across apps. 

Finally, multitasking is getting an upgrade. More specifically, the picture-in-picture API will allow apps to show videos from a group call, or use a docked mode to ensure the window isn’t overlapping with other content. 

The new developer tools are part of Android 13, and will officially launch alongside the update later this year.