Google: Google has an important message for smart TV buyers – Times of India

Smart TVs have become the most popular consumer electronics in the last few years. And with this have the Android TVs. Almost every other TV claims to be an Android TV. But this is not really the case, as per Google. In a community post recently, Google acknowledged that there are TV boxes being sold that are referred to as “Android TV” but are actually using the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).
What is the big difference
According to Google, these TVs can technically include Google apps and even the Play Store without being licensed by Google. “We have recently received questions regarding TV boxes that are built with Android Open Source Project and are being marketed to appear as Android TV OS devices. Some of them may also come with Google apps and the Play Store that are not licensed by Google, which means that these devices are not Play Protect certified. To help you confirm whether or not a device is built with Android TV OS and Play Protect certified, our Android TV website provides the most up-to-date list of partners.”
What TV buyers need to check
To help customers ensure that what they are buying is safe, Google recommends visiting the official Android TV website. Here buyers can see Android TV products from official Android TV and Google TV partners. Google Play Protect is another way to check. This is a certification within the Play Store that makes it easy to see if a device is officially licensed by Google. If your TV isn’t Play Protect certified this means that it isn’t Play Protect certified and that Google doesn’t have a record of the Android compatibility test results.

How TV buyers can check Play Protect certification status
Devices that are Play Protect certified:
* Include proprietary apps under license from Google
* Have passed Android compatibility testing
* Only Play Protect certified devices are eligible to include Google apps, like the Google Play Store app.