Google launches Android 11 for Android TV: Features and roll out details revealed

Developers get updated tools and the option to enable several new features that were announced during the #11WeeksOfAndroid sessions.

Representational image. (Xiaomi)

Weeks after rolling out Android 11 to smartphones and unveiling the Android 11 (Go Edition), Google has now launched Android 11 for Android TV. The new version for the big screens is touted for performance and privacy improvements in addition to new features. Developers get updated tools and the option to enable several new features that were announced during the #11WeeksOfAndroid sessions.

Android 11 for TV is said to bring core Android update benefits in addition to enhanced memory management, and privacy features such as one-time permissions. On the features front, you get the support for Auto Low Latency Mode, and low latency media decoding. There's also a new Tuner Framework with updated Media CAS support and extensions to the HAL implementation of HDMI CEC.

Along with gamepad support, Android TV 11has a silent boot mode for system updates, inactivity prompts, and OEM configurable wake keys. “New framework functionality for managing System LEDs and physical microphone mute buttons also facilitate integrations for far-field microphone enabled devices,” said Wolfram Klein, product manager, Android TV.

Specifically for developers, Google says that testing on the TV is now easier as it now adds test harness mode on Android TV and Play Store support in the Android TV Emulator.

Google says that all the Android TV OEMs will bring these Android 11 features to TVs in the coming months. In case you are a developer, you can test your Android TV app implementations for the next generation of devices with ADT-3 devices as Android 11 will be available on them as a system update.