Google TV’s ‘Magic Button’ makes its debut – but not on a Chromecast

Google’s supposed “Magic Button” shortcut for Google TV has been discovered on a real-world remote control for an upcoming streaming box… made by Walmart.

AFTV News I got from Walmart’s yet-unreleased Onn 4K Pro – a streaming box powered by Google TV – and the remote features the new star button in the top right corner. The device simply calls it a “customizable button” and it can be programmed as a shortcut to an app or to let you change inputs. It replaces the dedicated TV input button on previous Onn streaming box remotes.

The button has been leaked as part of the Google TV-adjacent hardware for years, but hasn’t actually appeared until now. It first appeared in marketing materials for Google’s 2020 debut Chromecast TV. Then last year, it appeared within Android TV beta code, suggesting it could be coming to an upcoming Chromecast under the name “Magic Button.” Google will have its I/O developer conference on May 14, and it’s possible the company will reveal a new version of Chromecast there.

The Onn 4K Pro was leaked last week in a YouTube live stream by Superdell-TV. The new device has a built-in smart speaker along with “Pro” features like support for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. The remote also has a large “Free TV” button that takes you to Google’s FAST channels. The device has yet to appear on Walmart’s website, but leaks suggest it will officially launch soon.