New Play Store filter lets you install apps on your Android TV device super fast

A new option has surfaced in the Google Play Store that allows you to filter results by the device on which the app is to be installed.

New filters in the Play Store

The Google Play Store app on phones now includes a really handy filter that you see when you search for an app. You can find the filter in the top left corner of the screen. It will go on a new green button that says ‘This device’. By tapping the filter, you can choose to install the app on the default device or on another device. Those other devices must then be linked to your Google account, such as Android TV devices and Wear OS smartwatches. It seems the feature is related to the new ability to install Android TV and Google TV apps from your phone.

So keep in mind that the devices that appear must be signed in with the same Google account that are signed in, as the Google account on your phone. If you have multiple Google accounts, you will need to switch to the other account if the device you want to install the app on is using the other account. The default option shows apps available for your phone. Tapping Android TV will only show apps that are supported on the TV. The same goes for your Wear OS smartwatch.

Small update, big impact

It may seem like a small change, but the impact is really big for the people who have multiple devices. You can view apps in the Play Store on an Android TV media player, but it’s all a bit easier on the phone. Installing apps on your Wear OS smartwatch from the watch itself is quite tricky. So the new filter in the Play Store app is a welcome addition.

The option to choose on which device you want to install an app has been available for years in the desktop version of the Google Play Store on the internet.

Have you seen the new filter in the Play Store yet? Would you use that button a lot? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of the article.