Alex Ruben
How To Create a Custom Shortcut Button on Your Remote for Google Play Store on Google TV Streamer 4K
Figuring out how to quickly hop into the Google Play Store on a Google TV device without digging through menus can be oddly frustrating. Sure, the remote technically supports some customization, but doing it isn’t always obvious, especially on newer models or if you don’t want to deal with lots of fiddling in menus. This setup helps streamline things — assign that elusive or unused button to jump straight into Google Play Store, saving a couple of annoying taps every time. Works pretty well on Google TV Streamer 4K or Chromecast with Google TV, especially if your device runs Android TV OS 14 or 15, but keep in mind, remote compatibility can be hit or miss depending on the brand and firmware.
How to Fix a Custom Shortcut Button for Google Play Store on Google TV
Make sure your device and remote are ready
First, check that everything’s set up properly. Your Google TV should be connected to the internet and logged into your Google account. Of course, the Google Play Store has to be installed and working fine—no point trying to launch an app that’s either uninstalled or buggy. Also, you’ll need a remote that’s semi-flexible — not all remotes support full customization, so verify if yours supports changing button functions. If not, the whole thing might be pointless.
And because this involves app tweaks, grab Button Mapper from the Google Play Store. Yeah, it’s the main app that’ll do the heavy lifting here — trusted by many, but sometimes it still bugs out, so be prepared to restart or reconfigure if needed.
Step 1: Launch Button Mapper and get ready to assign
- Open Button Mapper from the apps list on your Google TV home. If it’s not yet installed, just download it from the Play Store first.
- Once inside, look for the option called Add Buttons (might be a plus icon or similar). This is where you tell it to listen for which button you want to reprogram.
- Press the button on your remote that you want to assign to Google Play Store. On some setups, you’ll see a message like “Press button to add” — that’s normal.
Step 2: Select and configure the remote button
- After hitting the button, it will show up in Button Mapper — from here, select it when prompted. Sometimes it’s a bit tricky to identify, especially if your remote has multiple similar buttons, so make sure you pick the right one.
- If an extra prompt pops up, just click No Thanks or confirm the selection. The key thing is to get that button assigned without screwing up other functions.
Step 3: Enable the custom action
- Once you’ve got the button selected, toggle the switch to enable customization. It’s a little buried sometimes, but just make sure it’s active.
- In the settings for that button, set the action to Single Tap — because, well, you just want a quick tap to open the Play Store.
Step 4: Choose the Google Play Store as the target app
- Under the action, look for an option like Set Application or Launch App — this might vary depending on your version of Button Mapper.
- From the list, find Google Play Store and select it. You might need to scroll or search if you have lots of apps installed.
- Hit Done or Save to confirm your change. If the menu prompts you to confirm, yeah, do that to lock it in.
Step 5: Test it out — does it work?
Back on the main screen, press that remote button you just reassigned. If all went well, it should launch the Google Play Store instantly. Sometimes it helps to test it a couple of times, just to be sure it’s reliable — because, of course, Android TV can be weird that way.
Extra Tips & Common Pitfalls
- Make sure the button you choose isn’t already heavily customized or dedicated to something critical — no point overwriting your power button or volume.
- If the button refuses to launch the Play Store after setting it, try restarting your Google TV device. Not sure why it works that way sometimes, but a reboot can clear up weird quirks.
- Sometimes, if your remote isn’t recognized properly, Button Mapper might not register the button correctly. In that case, double-check the remote’s compatibility or try re-adding the button again.
Wrap-up
Creating a quick shortcut for the Play Store isn’t super complicated once you get the hang of it. Sure, there are some quirks with remote compatibility and app quirks, but overall, this method is pretty handy. Might take a few tries to get it right, especially if your remote is less flexible, but once set, it’s a game-changer for quick app launching.
Summary
- Ensure your remote supports button customization.
- Install Button Mapper from the Google Play Store.
- Assign your chosen remote button to launch the Google Play Store.
- Test to confirm it works smoothly.
Fingers crossed this helps
This little tweak has saved some annoyances for sure. Not guaranteed for all remotes, but definitely worth a shot if you’re tired of the menu shuffle. Hopefully, this shaves off a few seconds every time you want to grab that new app or game.