Something odd is happening with Android TV remotes. For some users, the Home button no longer opens their favorite apps the way it used to, according to Android Authority — a quiet navigation change that's generating real frustration among those affected.

The Home button's behavior is one of the most muscle-memory-dependent interactions on a TV platform, which is why even small changes land badly. Users who had built routines around the button's previous behavior are now finding themselves rerouted, with no clear announcement from Google explaining the shift or whether it's intentional.

The rollout pattern — hitting 'some' users rather than everyone — suggests either a staged server-side change or an experiment, both of which Google routinely runs across Android TV and Google TV devices. That approach keeps changes reversible, but it also means affected users have little recourse beyond waiting to see whether the old behavior returns.

Google has not publicly detailed the change. Until it does, Android TV owners noticing different Home button behavior aren't imagining it — and the volume of complaints may well determine whether the change sticks.