Google TV Streamer put a stupid “General Interests” app folder on my home screen

The Google TV interface is full of rows and icons that get in the way when I just want to open a local sports streaming app, YouTube, or Plex and enjoy the content. But one element of the Google TV experience has remained sacrosanct—the row of app icons. It usually shows me a list of all the apps I have installed, i.e. icons that actively I chose to turn on my TV and organize it according to my own use. Well, until today. Because with the new Google TV Streamer, Google decided to desecrate the row of app icons as well.

When I first set up my new Streamer, I saw a new folder icon right in the middle of the app list called “General interest” with a French flag in the bottom corner because I live in France. My friend C. Scott Brown doesn’t have it in the US, so your results may be different; Google may only show it in certain regions.

Of course, I got curious and checked out this new folder. Inside I found two shortcuts to download and install two local apps: Canal+ (one of the largest streaming platforms in France) and Arte (a relatively small local streaming platform).

Now, at first this seemed relatively harmless. I thought I would delete the Arte shortcut since I don’t use the service, and then buy Canal+ since I do. Well, my first discovery was that the Arte icon is irremovable. I can’t delete it, uninstall it, or do anything with it. I managed to get rid of it for all of 10 seconds by first installing the app, then uninstalling it, but the shortcut soon returned.

As for Canal+, it was easy to download thanks to the shortcut. But it’s an app I use almost every day to stream La Liga, Premier League and Champions League. I want it on my home screen. Guess what? It’s in the “General Interest” folder and there’s no way to move it to the main app list. I’ve tried everything from uninstalling, installing, deleting, waiting, etc. – nothing works. The moment I install Canal+, its icon gets stuck in that folder.

So here I am, with a stupid folder that I can’t delete at all, that has one shortcut to an app I don’t need that I can’t delete, and one icon for an app I use every day that I can’t move back to the main app list. So instead of accessing Canal+ right away like I do with Plex, YouTube, and Prime Video, I have to open the folder first, then launch it. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but it’s been driving me nuts since day one.

My temporary solution? I assigned a new favorites icon on my Google TV Streamer remote to Canal+ so I can quickly open it whenever I want.

Dear Google, can you please stop pretending that you know what I want to see and how I want to organize my apps better than I do? The line is called “Your Apps” for a reason; I’d like it to stay that way. my apps. Please and thank you.