Published Feb 19, 2026, 1:39 AM EST
Rahul Naskar has years of experience writing news and features related to Android, phones, and apps. Outside the tech world, he follows global events and developments shaping the world of geopolitics.
In a blog post last year, Neal Mohan, who is the CEO of YouTube, said that TV was the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US. Since people were spending more time watching YouTube videos on TV screens, the company launched a plethora of changes throughout 2025 to make the big screen even better.
YouTube hasn't shared any update on whether TV is still the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US, but it has given us enough reason to believe that it is committed to introducing more new features for YouTube on the big screen. The company has recently given us an update about a new YouTube feature that it's currently testing on big screens.
YouTube on TV screens may soon get a lot smarter
Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android PoliceIn a YouTube support thread, Google has announced that it's currently experimenting with bringing a conversational AI tool to smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming devices. This is the same conversational AI tool that's already available on YouTube for mobile and desktop. So, if you have already used that Ask button (Gemini sparkle icon) on YouTube, there is a chance that you can use the same feature on your TV screens while watching YouTube videos.
For those who aren't aware, Google first introduced the conversational AI tool on YouTube back in 2024 to allow viewers to ask AI to summarize the video, recommend similar content, and more. The conversational AI tool is available behind the Ask button that's available below the playback screen. You can ask any question related to the video, as well as select any of the suggested prompts to get answers.
The same Ask button is now available for YouTube on smart TVs. It should appear on the playback screen, but you'll be able to trigger it and ask questions by using the microphone button on your TV remote. It'll also show you suggested prompts, as the conversational AI tool does on other devices.
However, since this is still in the testing phase, only a "small group of users" will be able to use YouTube's Ask button on their TVs. It's also worth noting that the AI tool appears on the watch page for select videos. So, if you're not seeing it on your TV screen, it means either it isn't available for you, or the video you're watching isn't supported yet.
YouTube's conversational AI tool is available only in select regions in five different languages, including English, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean.
English (US) · 
