Google TV performance, storage updates are rolling out for Chromecast users

The integration of the Google TV interface has been one of the highlight features of the latest Chromecast model since its launch in 2020. But users later started telling Google that the interface’s performance and storage capabilities needed improvements. The good news is the company announced this week that the much-needed updates are already rolling out.

Google announced the new updates in a community post on Monday that are focused on just two areas of Google TV — performance and storage. The company said it has carried CPU optimizations to cache management that should allow Google TV to load faster at startup. Google did not provide a specific timeline for when this update will come to all Chromecast with Google TV users. But the company said the updates have already rolled out for some users, and they “will be available on all devices over time.”

The Google TV update should also deliver a smoother experience when browsing the For You tab and when switching from one tab to another. Google said the Live tab should also load faster with this update.

Google TV has also been improved to consume less RAM to achieve better performance stability. The updates also include “image caching optimizations,” so that users will need less time to switch to kids' profiles and browse for content to watch.

One of the most common complaints about Chromecast with Google TV is that it can easily consume a large portion of storage on a device. Google addresses this with a new “Free up storage” option in the Settings (from the “Storage” menu) so users can quickly clear their cache or uninstall apps.

Google said this is now available on Chromecast with Google TV, and it will also roll out on Google TV in other smart TVs via system update. “We’ve also made some under-the-hood changes to how Google TV handles app installations so that fewer users see storage-related errors when trying to install a new app,” the company added. “And, we’ve implemented an automated process that runs in the background and frees up space on your device so that you can install more apps.”

Unlike the older Chromecast, the model with integrated Google TV supports Stadia, up to 4K HDR resolution, and Google Assistant via the remote. It is available for $49.99 with a $10 discount on Google Store as of this writing.