Google Cast App Renamed Google Home

A new update to the Google’s Cast app rebrands it as Google Home. The update makes the app compatible with the Google Home hardware and the 4K-capable Chromecast Ultra. The company has also changed the icon — it now has the shape of a house in Google’s signature blue, yellow, green and red color scheme.

The UX has been revamped with two new tweaks:

• A new search bar has replaced the floating action button in the bottom right corner.
• The What’s On, Devices and Get Apps tabs have now been changed to a single Watch and Discover feature and the device tab has been removed.

Unlike other Android 7.1 Nougat icons, the Google Home icon is not rounded. The app, which was formerly called Chromecast, is now Artificial Intelligence- and smart home-compatible.

Google’s Amazon Echo rival — the $129 Google Home hardware — was announced at the company’s Oct. 4 event in San Francisco.

The Google Home device is touch-sensitive and comes with what Google calls “extrusion speakers”. Its “My Day” feature lets the user see information such as upcoming events, reminders, weather and traffic updates. It can also read the news and find stuff such as sports and trivia.

The official update hasn’t been rolled out on the Play Store yet, but it has appeared on APK Mirror.