Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Home app update reveals a mysterious new device codenamed “YTD.”
- “YTD” is treated like a Chromecast with Google TV, unlike other third-party devices.
- This hints at a potential new Chromecast with Google TV in the works, but details and release date remain unknown.
Leaks have been hinting toward Google working on a new Chromecast with Google TV device. And yet another reference was recently discovered in the latest Google Home app update.
The discovery was made by 9to5Google in an APK teardown of the Google Home app. The outlet noticed that Google added several new models to the internal list of Google Cast-compatible devices. Among them, three were labeled as JBL Authentics speakers that were released last year. However, one device, “YTD,” remained unknown and intriguing.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
The publication confirmed that Google Home treats “YTD” as a Chromecast device, not as a Google TV device from a third-party manufacturer. This suggests that “YTD” could be a new Chromecast with Google TV device that Google is developing. The device is listed alongside the existing HD and 4K models of Chromecast with Google TV.
You may remember that earlier in the year, a device with the codename “YTC” appeared in the app’s code. YTC was even explicitly referred to as a “Chromecast with Google TV.” However, this device never materialized. It should be noted that the original model was referred to as “YTV,” and the HD model as “YTB.”
Chromecast with Google TV devices run on Google TV, a revamped version of Android TV. Unlike the previous Chromecast models that required a phone or tablet to control them or cast content, Chromecast with Google TV devices come with a remote and a user interface that lets you browse and play content from various apps and services, much like other streaming devices.
It is still unclear whether “YTD” is indeed a new Chromecast with Google TV device, and if so, when it will be released. It is possible that Google is just testing a prototype or a variant of the existing dongle and that it may never see the light of day. However, we haven’t seen a new 4K Chromecast device since 2020, and a new Chromecast device with improved specs and features would be highly welcome. Until Google officially announces anything, we can only speculate and hope for the best.
