Google’s updated Fiber TV mobile apps let you record shows from anywhere

By Kris Wouk November 15, 2016

Fiber TV box — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re fortunate enough to have Google Fiber available in your city but you aren’t a user of Fiber TV, it might be time for another look. Google rolled out new Fiber TV apps for iOS and Android on Tuesday, adding new features and generally making for a better overall experience for users.

The Fiber TV app has already allowed subscribers to watch live and on-demand TV, as well as control their TV via their phone or tablet. The new app, announced in a post on the Google Fiber blog, now allows viewers to play and record TV shows, movies, and sports with a single tap.

Recommended Videos

Now when users open the Fiber TV mobile app, they will be presented with the newest episodes from their favorite shows right away and can begin watching them immediately. Similarly, the apps also recommend DVR recordings to watch, so you will not be left having to scroll through a list of shows to find the latest recordings you are looking for. Personalized recommendations for live TV are available as well, for both new and old shows, meaning viewers will never have to worry about missing another Twilight Zone marathon.

There is also a new emphasis on sports in the updated apps. Both sports that are currently airing and games scheduled later on are shown, allowing them to be added easily to the DVR queue. You do not need to be near your TV to do this either, so if you are on a weekend trip and realize you forgot to DVR the game, you do not have to worry.

The new Fiber TV app is available now as a free download via the Google Play Store as well as the App Store for iOS devices. Google will be updating the Fiber TV app for TV subscribers “in the coming weeks.”

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Audio / Video

YouTube TV now lets you subscribe to some add-ons without a base plan

YouTube TV on Apple TV.

À la carte TV is a myth. The idea that you can subscribe to -- and pay for -- channels individually is just something that the money folks will never let happen. The closest we're going to get is with something like Sling TV, which sports smaller packages with a plethora of add-ons that you can mix and match.

But YouTube TV is now doing something a little different, giving you the opportunity to subscribe to a number of networks on their own without also subscribing to the $65-a-month base YouTube TV plan.

Mobile

Google wants you to know Android apps aren’t just for phones anymore

Person holding Samsung Galaxy smartphone showing Google Play Store.

When most people think of the Google Play Store, the first thing that comes to mind is smartphones. However, the spread of the Android ecosystem is far broader than that, and Google is taking steps to increase awareness of this and make it easier for folks to find apps on the Play Store for their smart TVs, watches, and even cars.

In a blog post today, the Google Play team announced three significant changes that should make it easier for Android fans to discover apps for all their devices, right from their phone. This includes recommendations of apps for non-phone devices, a search filter to focus on only games optimized for non-phone devices, and even a remote install feature that will let you deliver those apps to your Android TV, Wear OS watch, or Android Automotive-equipped car.

Mobile

Google just banned call-recording apps from the Play Store

google-pixel-3a-xl-phone-call

Google will soon ban third-party call-recording apps from the Play Store. First highlighted by a developer of an affected app, Google made the announcement in a Google Play policy update that becomes effective on May 11. Once in force, developers who want to submit apps to the Play Store will no longer be able to use the Android Accessibility API to record calls, killing the utility of call-recording apps on Android.

Google hasn't allowed third-party call recording on Android officially for years now. It's no surprise as call recording is a legal minefield, with different countries and even states having their own rules. If you're using a first-party phone app, you'll notice that this feature appears or disappears depending on where your phone thinks you are, and third-party recording apps hacking onto the company Accessibility API were one way to get around this.