Netflix now supports universal search on Android TV

After one and a half year, Netflix has finally given in. Netflix’s movies and TV series will start showing up in universal search results on Android TV devices.

Netflix universal search
When you ask your TV remote to look for specific movies or TV series on Android TV you get results from various services. One glaring omission has been Netflix.

Netflix has been reluctant to embrace it, likely because it wants full control over the user experience. That started to change when Apple released the new Apple TV with tvOS where Netflix embraced Apple’s universal search feature. The company is now ready to embrace Google’s implementation, too.

Looking for your next @Netflix binge? It just got easier on #AndroidTV, now with universal search. pic.twitter.com/oh3HzIOoTs
— Android (@Android) June 23, 2016

This means that you can hold up your TV remote, press the voice button and ask to see “House of Cards” or any other title. If the title is available on Netflix the Android TV UI will bring up a card with a cover image, a description, and a link that takes you directly into Netflix. Android TV’s universal search also includes results from Google Play Movies, YouTube, and other services, making it easier to search for content.

Android TV is the operating system in 2015 and 2016 Sony and Philips TVs as well as media players such Nvidia Shield and Nexus Player. Several TV manufacturers, including TCL and Bang & Olufsen, will start using Android TV in the near future.

Netflix universal search on Android TV is not working at the time of writing but we expect the update to arrive shortly.