Google is ending support for third-party smart displays

Google has stopped releasing updates for the smart displays from Lenovo, LG and JBL. These small screens on which you can use your smart assistant at home all use a Google operating system, but that will stop.

Smart screens

Google didn’t proactively announce this itself: it was fished out of a warning on a help page about setting up Duo phone calls on your speakers and your smart screen. It reads: “Important: Google will no longer provide software updates for these third-party Smart Displays: Lenovo Smart Display (7″, 8″ & 10″), JBL Link View and LG Xboom AI ThinQ WK9 Smart Display. This can affect the quality of video calls and meetings.”

The latter mainly applies to that question about telephone calls, but of course it affects many more functionalities of these smart screens. And that’s pretty early. The first time Google announced the smart display operating system was in 2018. The LG ThinQ WK9 and JBL Link View are examples of these types of displays running on that operating system.

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Google is ending support

Although 2018 is not very long ago, it has not happened in a while that a new screen from a third party has been announced. The latest was a 7-inch Lenovo Smart Display in 2019, at which point Google had already hinted that it would stop major development of the platform. In February 2022 it was even no longer possible to use the browser.

Google focuses entirely on the Nest Hub, which simply runs on a different operating system. What exactly will happen to those smart screens from Lenovo and co now that they are no longer supported is still unclear.

Are you using a smart screen from Lenovo, JBL or LG? Does this message come as news to you or did you see it coming? Leave it now in the comments.