Introduction to Android TV

Basic Layout and Navigation

From the Android TV home screen, you can easily access movies, TV shows, music, apps, games, and settings.  To get to the Home screen at any time, press the Home button on your SHIELD remote or on your SHIELD controller.

(1) Recommendations

On the top row of the Home screen, you'll see the recommendations for movies, TV shows, apps, and games.  Recommendations are posted by the apps on your SHIELD.  They're updated based on the recommendations you've selected in the past.

If you're signed in to these apps on your phone or computer, what you view on these other devices may affect the recommendations on your Android TV if you're using the same account.  This includes Google Play apps.  You won't be able to manually charge the order of the content.

You can remove recommendations from a specific app by going to Settings > Preferences > Home screen > Recommendations row.    

NOTE The recommendations row also shows any software updates available for your SHIELD or accessories.

(2) Apps

Apps can be manually ordered by holding Select on the app in focus and moving to the desired location.  You can enable automatic sorting based on usage by enabling Settings > Home screen > Apps and games row > Sort automatically by recent usage.

(3) Games

Games appears in the third row.  Here you will find the NVIDIA Games app , which is your portal to discover games on SHIELD.  Here you will access Android games, GeForce NOW games, and GameStream games.  Also, any game you play on your SHIELD TV will be shown in the Games row, whether it was streamed with GameStream, streamed from the cloud with GeForce NOW, or an Android game run natively on SHIELD TV.

(4) Settings

The bottom row contains Settings for SHIELD TV.

Search

You can also search on Android TV by navigating to the top of the Home screen and selecting the search icon.  You can also initiate Voice search instantly at any time by pressing the NVIDIA button on your SHIELD Controller or by pressing the Voice search button on your SHIELD Remote.  Learn more about what you can search for on Android TV.

Using Search

To find what you're looking for on Android TV, or to discover more content, you can start a search.  You can also get facts and quick answers through your TV.

Voice Search

On your SHIELD controller or remote:

1.     While you are on the Home screen, pressing the NVIDIA button (SHIELD controller) or press the Voice search button (SHIELD remote).

2.     Hold your SHIELD Controller or SHIELD Remote in front of you, and say your question.  Your search results appear as soon as you finish speaking.

NOTE If you are in a room with a lot of background noise or other people speaking, when you are done speaking immediately press A on  your SHIELD controller or Select on your SHIELD remote to submit the voice search.  This will stop the voice detection from continuing to listen.

What You Can Search For

Check out the examples below to learn about some of the things you can search for on your Android TV.

Voice search language availability

You can say most of these examples in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese, but some examples aren't available in every language.

Entertainment

To find a movie, TV show, artist, or song, just say the name:

• "Batman" or "Robin Hood."

• "Ghostbusters" or "Game of Thrones."

• "Billie Jean."

• "Matt Damon" or "Madonna."

You can also:

• Search for content featuring a certain actor.  Say: "Show me movies with Meryl Streep."

• Search for a specific genre.  Say: "Romantic comedies" or "Football movies."

• Find when movies are playing in theaters.  Say: "Show me movies playing nearby" or "Show me movies playing in Hermosa Beach.

You may also see search results from apps you've installed on your Android TV. These results will show up in a separate row.  Some search results will be available in a few different apps.  When you select the content, you'll be able to choose the app you'd like to use.

Facts and Quick Answers

• Find the time: "What time is it in London?"

• Check the weather: "What's the weather in Seattle?"

• Answer trivia questions: "What's the population of Romania?"  or "How tall is Mount Kilimanjaro?" or "Where was Albert Einstein born?"

• Solve a math problem: "What's 34 times 94?"

• Get sports scores and schedules: "What's the score of the Jets vs. Broncos game?"

• Search for photos: "Show me photos of the Golden Gate Bridge."

What apps show up in search results

You may also see search results from apps you've installed on  your Android TV.  These results will show up in a separate row.  Some search results will be available in a few different apps.  When you select the content, you'll be able to choose the app you'd like to use.

Performing a Voice search within an app.

You may also use voice search within many apps.  If you initiate a voice search within an app, you will get serach results only from that app.

Block in appropriate or explicit images with SafeSearch

SafeSearch can help you block inappropriate or explicit images from your Google Search results.  The SafeSearch filter isn't 100% accurate but it helps you avoid most adult content.  Learn more about how SafeSearch works.

Turn SafeSearch on or off

NOTE This only turns on SafeSearch on your Android TV.

1. From Android TV's Home screen, scroll down until you reach Settings .

2. Select Settings .

3. Under "Preferences," select Search .

4. Select SafeSearch filter .

5. Select On or Off.

For help with the Android TV OS, please visit Google's support site at https://support.google.com/androidtv/#topic=6121147.