Over the past couple of months, articles have circulated alleging a problem with “Android TV” boxes being sold online which are rife with malware, often ignoring that “Android TV” is not the same as “Android TV OS” from Google. Now Google answers and shows you how to make sure your Android TV device is secure and safe from such sketchy practices like malware.
In a post published today by the community, Google acknowledges that there are televisions sold today that are called “Android TV”, but which in fact use the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Google notes that these devices can technically include Google apps and even the Play Store without being licensed by Google.
To help customers ensure that what they buy is safe, Google recommends visiting the official Android TV website, where everyone can view Android TV products from official Android TV and Google partners. TV. Google also indicates Play Protect, a certification within the Play Store that makes it easy to see if a device is officially licensed by Google. The company lists the steps to verify on a support page.
We recently received questions regarding TVs built with Android Open Source Project and 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 if a device is built with the Android TV operating system and Play Protect certified, our Android TV website provides the most up-to-date list of partners.
As we detailed earlier, other signs to look for are one of the two home screen designs shown below, the presence of Google Assistant, and more. A reasonably simple remote control is also typical of licensed and secure Android TV OS boxes.
We also directly recommend the following options:
Learn more about Android TV:
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