Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has temporarily removed its much-refreshed Freeplay app from Google TV devices.
- The company notes that this is due to an issue that may cause “increased crashes” for some users.
- A fix is coming “soon.”
Google TV’s updated Freeplay app, which first debuted on the Google TV Streamer, started rolling out to more supported devices across the US in September. However, almost as soon as it arrived on these devices, Google removed it from the interface due to an issue.
As 9to5Google spotted, the app is no longer available on devices other than Google’s flagship streaming box, but thankfully, the company isn’t adding it to the graveyard. Instead, Google notes in a statement to the outlet that it “discovered an issue that can increase crashes for some” and, as a result, disabled the app until a fix is implemented. See the full statement below:
While rolling out the new Google TV Freeplay guide, we discovered an issue that can increase crashes for some users. We have disabled access to the new guide on affected devices until the fix is in place. The fix will begin rolling out soon, and the updated guide will be available for all Google TV devices in the coming months.
While you can still watch free channels on the platform, the Freeplay app makes browsing Google’s 150+ options much easier. The revised app gained more user-friendly UI elements that allow sorting by genre, personal picks, and a Favorite category.
Google notes that the fix is rolling out “soon,” but it will undoubtedly want its unified free channels guide available to all users before the holidays. For those who haven’t yet experienced the new app, it’ll be available in the “coming months” on supported devices.
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