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You could soon take phone calls on your Android TV device
- The first Android TV 14 beta is now live.
- The OS could allow users to receive call notifications and take calls from supported apps.
- Other additions include more HDR controls and energy management.
If you ever wanted to receive calls on your big screen, Android TV 14 could soon open that option to you. The first beta of Google’s next entertainment OS just landed, and one of the many new additions is phone call support.
First spotted by Mishaal Rahman, Android TV 14 beta 1 may include incoming call notifications, and even let users take those calls from supported apps on their televisions. Users will only see notifications when they are logged in to their personal profile.
It looks like Android TV 14 is preparing to let you receive call notifications from supported apps while you’re using the TV!“Call notifications”“Receive calls on this device”“When enabled, you can receive calls from supported apps on this device. To adjust preferences for…— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) June 8, 2023
Notably, Android TV 14 won’t be the only big screen OS to feature call support. Apple recently announced plans to bring FaceTime to tvOS 17 and the Apple TV 4K.
For those less inclined toward couch-based video conferencing, Android TV 14 beta 1 also brings more functionality updates, namely HDR controls, power management features, and improved audio device management.
Energy Modes: Low, moderate, high, and unrestricted. Changing the mode can “improve energy efficiency when [the] TV is not in use”.Low (“Essential network features”): Turn off network connection when the TV is not in useModerate (“Recommended network features”): Turns on…— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) June 7, 2023
Per Rahman, the OS features an image quality setting that lets users force a specific HDR format or SDR. It also includes an energy mode toggle with “low, moderate, high, and unrestricted” options that progressively restrict network features. Finally, the Android TV 14 dashboard seemingly has the option to show available headphones, including Bluetooth audio devices. This should make for a sleeker pairing process.