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Android 15 could turn your device into a smart home hub when docked
A Google Home screensaver will save you the pain of unlocking your phone to turn the lights back on
What was once a mark of science fiction turned into our reality, but homes filled with smart devices like lightbulbs, plugs, and more are the norm. What still remains distinctly sci-fi is a smooth smart display experience capable of controlling those devices while also providing seamless multimedia viewing. Android 15 is looking to make it easier to control your Google Home devices on your smartphone and tablet with a new control screensaver that saves you the pain of having to tap and swipe through your screen more times than you want to turn the lights back on.
Google says support for Nest Hello doorbells and older cameras is still coming
Further Nest and Google Home integration started back in 2023
If you were one of the first to buy a Nest Cam Indoor and you still use it, you may have already run into some frustration managing the device. Because of Google Home’s slow integration with Nest and its apps, older-generation devices can be more complex. As of 2023, the company has said it is working on making these products seamlessly accessible within Google Home. However, there have been few updates on the progress — until now.
How to factory reset Google Nest smart speakers and displays
Even our speakers deserve a fresh start
Google's Nest line includes some of the best smart speakers with user-friendly controls and seamless integration with other devices. With Google Assistant, controlling your smart home and connecting with your Android phone is a breeze. The Nest or Google Home speakers and displays may occasionally require a reset to their original settings. A factory restart can be helpful for fixing glitches, erasing personal information, or switching Wi-Fi networks. This guide walks you through the steps to factory reset Google Nest smart speakers and displays.
Google Home for web finally adds camera history and clip downloads
The spartan Google Home for web interface is learning new tricks
Introduced in 2022, Google Home's web interface has always been camera-focused, lagging well behind its mobile apps in terms of smart home functionality. But this week, the two are inching just a little closer to feature parity. Starting in "the next few days," Google says the Google Home web app is getting support for additional connected camera features, including in-browser video playback and history.
Best Google Assistant smart speakers in 2024
If Google Assistant is your smart assistant of choice, these speakers are your best bet
Smart speakers are a quick and easy fix for great home audio. But if you're looking to integrate your speaker with a smart home hub or virtual assistant, choosing the best speaker may require a little more thought.
Google One may soon include Nest Aware
Meanwhile, Nest Aware is getting more expensive internationally
Google One was initially mostly a way to get more storage across Google services, but the company has slowly but surely built its subscription out to include more features. It now offers a VPN, Google Photos editing tools, rebates on hardware products, and, most recently, access to Gemini Advanced. It looks like Google is on track to add Nest Aware to its one subscription to rule them all.
Google's Nest cameras can now alert you if your garage door is left open
You'll need a Nest Aware subscription and a compatible Nest Cam for this feature
We're not quite at Ex Machina AI levels, but Google's making serious moves in the home security camera market with its Nest Cam lineup. Using smart alerts, these cameras use AI to specifically flag people, animals, vehicles, and packages instead of bombarding you with notifications for every tiny motion detected. Now, Google's kicking it up a notch with an AI-powered garage door detection feature for compatible Nest security cameras.
Black Friday smart home deals: Last remaining discounts
Shop these best Black Friday deals on smart speakers, doorbells, thermostats, and more
Black Friday is upon us and it's one of the best weekends to shop smart home products. Many of the offers we saw over the past month are still available, but a few new deals have arrived to liven up the selection a bit.
Google uses its oldest trick to help find all your Home devices
Both online and offline devices associated with your Wi-Fi network will appear
If you have several smart home devices, you know how time-consuming managing all of their settings can be. To easily access everything from your smart speakers to automated lights, consolidating them in the Google Home app can help — but it can quickly become overwhelming depending on the number of devices you maintain. Now, it seems that Google is trying to remedy this problem with a simple solution.
Google Home just got a lot better at handling sensors and smart fans
Fan speeds are rolling out just as we all say goodbye to summer
If your house is full of smart home devices, you may already be using an app like Google Home to manage them. Having a centralized location to adjust everything from your thermostat to light bulbs can streamline the process. That being said, the Home app has its flaws, with limited user controls and functionality near the top of the list. Now, Google is rolling out changes to the app that could remedy many of these problems.
Google Home's favorites panel is coming to non-Pixel phones on Android 14
Control your smart home without leaving the comfort of your lock screen
After a lengthy public testing phase, Google finally got its act together and gave the Home app a much-needed makeover earlier this year. The old version was so restrictive and limited in its control options that it was practically useless for managing your smart home devices. The new and improved layout boasts a sleek design, user-friendly menus, and the ability to bookmark your favorite devices in one place. Plus, Google has thrown in a Home Panel, letting everyone in your house control lights, locks, cameras, and thermostats without having to unlock their device. And if your phone is eligible for Android 14, you're in luck—this feature is coming your way soon.
I tried Google Home's new 'Help me script' feature, and it doesn't seem all that helpful
A promising idea, but my early impressions aren't very positive
I was excited about Google Home's script editor feature: as my smart home collection has ballooned, the idea of more context-dependent automations with more of my devices working together in novel ways (changing thermostat settings based on the season! turning on the lights when the front door opens after sunset!) has gotten to be very appealing. When I finally tried whipping up my own automation scripts, though, I found it was more technical than I'd expected and gave it up the same afternoon, vowing to someday figure it out. I never did.
Google Home's revamped app has only improved since its debut. Since the public preview in October 2022, Google has been taking in a lot of feedback and improved the app based on it. The company even introduced a Google Home script editor on the web to let you create more advanced home automation using YAML. But then, not everyone knows how to use the scripting language. So, the company announced AI integration for the web script editor in early October, allowing anyone to create complex automation. The generative AI integration is now launching as a part of a public preview.
Google plans to bring some much needed change to the Home app with widgets
A Google product manager confirmed the news during a Q&A on Reddit
If you use widgets on your phone, you understand the value of being able to quickly tap and launch an app action. Depending on the app, the widget you use might be multifaceted, allowing you to manage other connected devices. As Google Home users know, however, this hasn’t been the case for the company's flagship smart home app — specifically for managing individual smart home devices. Now, a comment made by a Google product manager suggests that widgets could eventually become a reality.
Google Home's new AI will help you build complex automations
A more approachable script editor for those without prior coding experience
Artificial intelligence seems to be upturning every tech fine print. While a few concepts like Google's AI-infused Allo chat app have fallen flat, the technology has proven to be a real game changer. The pace is cracking, so much that mega tech companies like Google have to rise to the occasion and capitalize on AI's impressive tools. Otherwise, the new technology could change the way of things and wreak havoc on the company's long-standing business. In an effort to stay ahead of the fast-paced AI revolution, Google is introducing automations for its smart home app, Google Home. This, in particular, might throw it ahead of other smart home service vendors.
Google devices face new speaker group restrictions in ongoing Sonos feud
Citing 'a recent legal decision,' Google has removed the ability to add its devices to multiple speaker groups at once
Early last year, as part of an ongoing and well documented legal feud with Sonos, Google had the choice to either change the way its smart speakers work or stop selling them in the US entirely. Unsurprisingly, it chose the former, resulting in changes to the way group volume controls function in Chromecast speaker groups. Now, citing "a recent legal decision," Google says that new Nest devices will only be able to be added to a single speaker group at any given time.
The Google Home app’s Nest Protect integration could be just around the corner
New signs of Nest Protect products have appeared in the Home app
The Google Home app is gradually becoming the central hub for all your smart devices that integrate with Google Assistant. Even though Google has been slowly transitioning its Nest devices to the Home app, a few Nest Protect sensors have so far been left in the lurch. The company has promised to bring those Nest Protect devices to the Home app sometime down the line, and we’ve already started seeing the first signs of it.
Google Home Routines' powerful upgrade gives you tons of new starters and actions
Useful new starters and actions are rolling out to Google Home
Google rolled out the revamped Home app in May this year after running a public preview program for a few months. The new design made managing and controlling your ever-growing list of smart home devices across various rooms easier. And with Routines, you could set a starter to trigger an action, automating many activities in your smart home. Google is now making Routines even more powerful by adding nine new starters and actions.
Google is desperate to sell Pixel Tablets, pushing ads via notifications
Many people have been getting a Pixel Tablet ad from their Google Home app notifications
It looks like Google is desperate to move more Pixel Tablet units, with the company widely using notifications from the Google Home app to promote the new tablet launched earlier this year. Many people report seeing a “Meet the Google Pixel Tablet” banner in their notifications, with a tap on it sending them straight to its product listing on the Google Store. Samsung received hefty criticism for a similar approach to promoting new devices in the past, but it still seems like Google is attempting to jump on board with this strategy.
Google is still committed to adding Nest Protect to Home app
A community manager confirms that it’s still on the roadmap
Nest products could be some of the best smart home devices out there, if it wasn't for some software woes. Google has been in the process of transitioning legacy Nest devices to its Home app for years now, and customers are frustrated with the slow pace and the lack of some key features. Nest Protect smoke and CO detectors are among the devices that still haven’t made the transition to the Home app, and it almost started to look like they were left in the dust. A Google community manager has now confirmed that they are still on the roadmap, though.