This is what happens with Smart TVs

In almost every home there is now a smartTV. The connection between TV and the Internet has become indispensable, if only for streaming services. But smart devices have to change, but in different ways than you might think.

Smart TV: this will change in the future

Contrary to what you might think at first glance, this is not about him. privacy on smart TVs. He has been there since Investigation of the Federal Office of Cartels 2020 again and again with data collection in the spotlight: as recently demonstrated once again in this important case. Instead, it’s now all about apps and storage capacity on the smart TVs themselves.

You want to save space and do it with a certain trick: the applications must come in a package, called AAB (Android App Bundle). Google has announced, at least for its Android TV operating system, that starting in May next year all apps for Android TV will have to be offered as a smart TV app suite. This means that commercially available APK files (Android package) are no longer allowed. The argument for this is that those that are already pre-installed on a Smart TV take up too much storage space.

Absolute numbers show you can save up to 20 percent on storage capacity with app bundles on Smart TVs, like Google on your Blog informed. App bundles are also faster compared to APKs.

New rule for all apps, even the ones that are already installed

Also, starting in May 2023, Google will stipulate that apps must also be able to be completely uninstalled. Mere archiving is no longer enough to free up storage space on smart TVs.

The measure affects not only the apps that users want to reinstall on their Smart TV. Apps already on the smart TV also need to be converted from APK to AAB. If developers don’t comply with the new rule by May 2023, their apps risk disappearing from the TV’s home screen. As described by Google, the developer app conversion is completed in an average of three days.

Initially, the Android creator prescribed app packages for Android apps on the Google Play Store. Here, the developers had until 2021 to convert APK to AAB.