Can You Get Google On Roku?
You might want to either do a google search on Roku or stream content from Google TV. Does anyone know how to get Google on Roku?
Table of Contents
- How do you get Google on Roku?
- What is Roku?
- What is Google Play?
- What is Google TV?
- Does Google TV Work On Roku?
- Google TV On Roku Using Screen Sharing
- Does Google Music Work On Roku?
- Key Takeaways
How do you get Google on Roku?
Since the Google TV app has been removed from Roku, you can no longer use it. However, you can still find a lot of Google TV content using the Youtube app. For Google web searches, you need to use screen sharing and search with your phone.
I have a Roku and I still watch Google content on it even though the Google app has been removed. Sometimes, I also use screen sharing to do web searches on my TV screen, which I control with my iPhone.
What is Roku?
A Roku box or Roku Streaming Stick is a device you attach to your TV for streaming shows and movies over the internet. Your Roku box can connect to the internet using a router, the same way a computer does. It works with either wired or wireless internet.
You can use a Roku box to access paid subscription services such as Hulu or Netflix. There are also free services you can get through Roku.
There is no monthly fee for Roku, only the cost of the Roku box and the cost of whatever premium subscription services you sign up for.
Roku is a great product, but it has some limitations, including not normally being able to do internet searches or run the Google Play app.
What is Google Play?
Google Play is largely a gaming service, which also offers apps for people with Android phones. It included Google Play TV and Movies, which is a huge library of TV and movie content. Google Play TV and Movies is now called Google TV.
What is Google TV?
Google TV is not the same as a subscription service like Hulu or Netflix. Instead, it is more like a modern alternative to Blockbuster and other movie rental services. You do not pay a monthly fee for all of the content.
Instead, you pay a small amount of money to buy or rent whatever you want. While this can be more expensive than a subscription service, the selection is also better. If you can think of a movie or show you want to watch, there’s a good chance that Google Play has it.
Does Google TV Work On Roku?
Normally it doesn’t, but you can use some tricks to stream Google TV content. You won’t be able to find Google TV if you look through the list of apps Roku offers. Roku stopped offering Google Play TV and Movies on their list of channels.
Google TV On Roku Using the Youtube App
Thankfully, you can use the Youtube app to access the content on Google TV. With the Youtube app, you can search for a movie you want to watch, find it, and pay to rent or buy it.
There are a lot of free movies, though they tend to have ads. You will usually have to rent what you want to watch. However, you can use the Youtube app to watch any movie that you can’t find on whatever subscription service you use.
What About Google Play Movies and TV Credits?
If you have any unused Google Play Movies and TV credits, you can use them to buy/rent movies on Youtube.
While some people dislike Google’s decision to remove Google Play from smart TVs and Roku players and keep it only for phones, you will keep all your content on all your devices. Every smart TV that no longer has Google Play Movies and TV now has the Youtube app.
How Do You Install the Youtube App On Roku?
Since Roku officially supports it, installing the Youtube App is easy. Go from the home page to the channel store, and from there to the top free section. The top free section usually has the Youtube app, go to “add channel” to get it.
If you cannot find the Youtube app in the top free section for whatever reason, type Youtube app into the search bar and it will appear. After you add the Youtube app, you will be able to see it on the home screen and open it immediately.
Google Play On Roku Using the Movies Anywhere App
You might already have movies that you bought on Google TV, but not be able to watch them on your Roku. Is there any way to see movies you already bought on your Roku?
Thankfully, there is a very useful Movies Anywhere app that keeps all of your movies and shows in one spot instead of on different platforms. The Movies Anywhere app is fully compatible with Roku.
Google TV On Roku Using Screen Sharing
Google TV works on phones, either Android or iPhone. Despite the competition between the two companies, a lot of Google and Apple technology is compatible.
Since it works on phones, you can get it on your TV using screen sharing. Screen sharing is a technology that lets you display anything your phone screen shows on your TV. You can open a Google TV movie on your phone and see it on your TV using screen sharing.
How to Get Screen Sharing to Work
First, you need to find the control center on your iPhone. With a newer model, swipe down from the top right, with an older one, swipe up from the bottom.
Tap control center to open a menu that includes screen sharing. Tap screen sharing to open another menu. This next menu should have a button with two rectangles on it, one of them above and to the left of the other.
Tap the Button and Enter a Code
After you tap the button with two rectangles you should see a list of nearby devices compatible with screen sharing. This should include your Roku-enabled TV.
After tapping the button with two rectangles you should see a code appear on your TV screen. Enter the code on your iPhone and hit OK, and screen sharing should work.
Does Google Music Work On Roku?
Unfortunately, Google got rid of Google Music. You can’t get it on Roku, and you can’t get it anywhere anymore. Today, Youtube Music is the closest thing you can get to Google Play Music.
Even back when Google Music was still going, you could not get it on a Roku stick. There was no Google Play Music app available. You could only get it through screen sharing with a smartphone that had Google Play Music.
Why Did Google Cancel the Service?
Since Google owns Youtube, they decided to replace Google Play Music with Youtube Music. They did not give up on offering music to customers, instead, they decided to replace one service with another. Youtube music offers the same features that people liked about Google Music.
Key Takeaways
- Since the Google TV app has been removed from Roku, you can no longer normally use it on your Roku app. However, there are a few ways around this. There is often a way to make two incompatible technologies work together, and this includes Google TV and Roku.
- Using the Youtube app is the easiest way to access Google TV content on Roku. Any content you purchased on Google TV will be on your Youtube app, which Roku supports. You can easily get the Youtube app for Roku just by choosing it from a list of apps.
- You can also use third-party apps to use certain Google services on your Roku. You can use the PhotoView app to look at your Google pictures on Roku, or the Movies Anywhere app to put all the movies you have purchased in a single place.
- You can use the Movies Anywhere app to watch your Google TV content on your Roku stick.
- To perform a Google search or access other Google features, you can use screen mirroring. This makes everything you look at on your iPhone appear on your TV screen.