Your Android TV Could Become A Shopping Platform: Google And Glance Join Hands

Google and Glance have partnered to introduce AI-powered shopping and product discovery on Android TVs in India, Us and Japan. The experience will let users explore fashion, home decor, travel, food and wellness content through an ambient screen.

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Google and Glance partner

Google and Glance have partnered to bring AI-powered shopping and product discovery to supported Android TV devices in India, the United States and Japan. The collaboration aims to turn television screens into interactive spaces where users can discover products, explore lifestyle ideas and shop without relying solely on their mobile phones.

The new experience will cover categories such as fashion, home décor, travel, food and wellness. It will use artificial intelligence (AI) to offer personalised discovery features, high-definition visuals and shopping tools that connect users with products available through integrated retail partners.

The partnership also aims to change how people use their television screens when they are not watching programmes. Instead of displaying a conventional background, supported TVs will offer users the option of choosing a Glance-powered ambient screen.

Image Credit : X

Google And Glance Bring Shopping To Android TV Screens

Under the partnership, users will be able to explore curated lifestyle content directly on their television screens. The idea is to make product discovery a part of the everyday television experience, allowing people to find inspiration while their TVs are idle.

The experience will be optional. Users can choose between Google's default Backdrop feature and the Glance-powered ambient screen, giving them control over how their television displays content when it is not in active use.

The integration is designed to bring together entertainment, lifestyle inspiration and online shopping on a single screen. Users could discover fashion ideas, explore home décor options or browse travel inspiration through content designed for television displays.

For Google, the move adds another layer of functionality to its Android TV ecosystem. For Glance, the partnership provides an opportunity to bring its AI-driven product discovery and commerce services to more households across three major markets.

Image Credit : AI image - Gemini

AI Shopping Agent To Connect TVs And Mobile Phones

One of the key features of the new experience will be an AI-powered shopping agent. It is designed to connect product discovery across televisions and mobile phones, helping users move from browsing items to finding products they may want to purchase.

According to the announcement, the system is supported by hundreds of retailer integrations. These connections will allow users to explore curated products and proceed to purchases through participating retail partners.

The aim is to make the process more convenient by linking inspiration with shopping options. Instead of simply viewing a product on the television, users will be able to interact with selected content and access products available through the platform's retail network.

The announcement does not specify whether every feature will be available on all supported Android TV devices or whether the shopping experience will differ across India, the United States and Japan.

Image Credit : AI image - Gemini

'Shop The Look' And AI-Powered Visualisations

The platform will also introduce a feature called 'Shop the Look'. It will allow users to interact with curated looks displayed on their television screens and purchase products through integrated retail partners.

The feature is intended to make shopping more visual. Users will be able to explore a complete look rather than search for individual products separately, with the option to find items featured in the displayed content.

Another part of the experience will involve high-definition lifestyle content and AI-powered visualisations. The platform will use its technology to offer contextual lifestyle simulations and try-on visualisations across relevant categories.

These features could help users explore how products fit into different styles or lifestyle settings before deciding what to buy. However, the announcement does not provide detailed information about the availability of individual visualisation tools or the exact steps required to complete purchases through a television.

The combination of curated content, interactive visuals and shopping links is central to Glance's plan to make television screens more useful beyond traditional viewing.

What Google And Glance Said About The Partnership

Naveen Tewari, founder and chief executive officer of InMobi and Glance, said the partnership would help move television screens beyond their conventional role.

“We are moving beyond the era of the ‘dormant’ screen,” Tewari said.

He added that combining Google's Android TV ecosystem with Glance's AI-first commerce models would create a living-room experience where inspiration could lead to shopping.

“Whether it's fashion, home décor, or travel, we're making shopping and discovery seamless, immersive, and interactive,” he said.

The partnership brings together Google's television platform and Glance's focus on AI-powered content discovery and commerce. While Android TV provides the distribution platform, Glance will contribute the ambient-screen experience and its shopping-related features.

Image Credit : AI image - Gemini

Where Is The New Android TV Experience Available?

According to the announcement, Glance is now available on supported Android TV devices in India, the United States and Japan. The rollout is expected to expand the company's distribution through Google's television ecosystem.

Glance has also partnered with Airtel and DIRECTV, according to the announcement. The latest collaboration adds supported Android TV devices in three markets to its distribution network.

However, availability on supported devices does not necessarily mean that every Android TV user will receive the experience immediately. Users will need to check whether their device supports the integration and whether the Glance-powered ambient screen is available to them.

The announcement does not specify a complete list of compatible television models, a detailed rollout schedule or whether all shopping features will be available across every market.

What The Partnership Means For Television Shopping

The collaboration reflects an effort to make television screens more interactive even when viewers are not watching films, shows or other video content.

For consumers, the experience could offer a new way to discover products and lifestyle ideas on a larger screen. Features such as 'Shop the Look' and the AI-powered shopping agent are designed to reduce the distance between seeing a product and finding where to buy it.

For retailers, the integration could provide another route for showcasing products to potential customers. For Google and Glance, it creates an opportunity to connect television viewing with digital commerce.

The extent of its impact will depend on device compatibility, user adoption and the shopping features available in each market. Since the ambient-screen experience is optional, users will also decide whether they want their television to display shopping and lifestyle content when it is idle.

If the experience gains traction, Android TVs could become more than screens for watching entertainment, adding product discovery and online shopping to the list of activities available in the living room.

(With inputs from agencies)