It is common that Google does not offer the same thing in all regions of the world: part of the benefits are usually reserved for the United States. And this is noticeable on Google TV, since devices with this Android TV layer have a series of free TV channels that are not available outside this country. Fortunately, there are tips to avoid the problem.
Google TV FreePlay is a free and automatic service for the United States which appears on all players that include Android TV with Google’s own layer. For example, these are channels that appear on Chromecasts with Google TV, also on the recent Google TV Streamer. They offer more than 150 programs and the subjects are really varied: from information to channels dedicated exclusively to cinema.
Google TV FreePlay, 151 exclusive channels that appear without installing applications
FreePlay is a free service that Google offers to its American users. It is not part of any application, since its activation is done automatically through the Google application itself, installed on all Android televisions; whether or not they have the Google TV layer. If you own one of these devices and live in the United States with a Google account from that country, Free Play channels appear like mushrooms in the middle of a forest when autumn arrives.
All Google TV FreePlay channels are free, available on the system home page and do not require an account to work; beyond that already recorded on Google TV. And the platform doesn’t run under an app, so there’s no way to replicate the operation on other TVs or players simply by installing an APK file.
Avoiding Google blocking is not complicated, although it is somewhat tedious. To do this, you need your Google TV, a VPN installed with US servers, and a US Google account. If you want to get one, my recommendation is to carry out the process from your Android mobile connected to the Internet via a VPN. Once created, you can use the account to watch FreePlay or to download apps only found in the United States, like Peacock.
Once you have your Yankee account, you can follow the steps to try Google TV FreePlay:
- Make sure the Google TV Home app is up to date. Go to Google Play on your TV or player and update the apps.
- Download a VPN suitable for Android TV. Our recommendation is NordVPN, but you can use one with good quality servers.
- Log in to the United States.
- Go to your device settings and sign in with the US ID you created on your phone.
- Once it has finished loading, restart your Google TV. You may need to restart it twice before loading all FreePlay channels.
- You will see that the new Google TV FreePlay appears in the list of applications. In addition, in the list of the “Live” tab, you will see on the left access to the platform with the entire grid of free channels.
The process works perfectly, the quality is very good and the truth is that the chains are too. They have the disadvantage of cast in English and include your ads, although I think it’s a great way to promote the platform. I don’t understand why Google restricts Google TV FreePlay only to the US.
Cover image | Ivan Linares
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