The Google Home app acts as a hub to control most of your smart devices, including light bulbs, thermostats, locks, doorbells, Chromecast, and Assistant smart speakers. Most of these also require the Google Home app to be set up and connected to Wi-Fi, especially when it comes to Google and Nest products, but also third-party ones like TP-Link and Sonoff.

Whichever type of device you want to add, connecting it to your smart home network using the Google Home app is easy and only requires a couple of minutes.

Getting started with the Google Home app

To get started, you must install the Google Home app on your phone or tablet, as it's essential to set up and control your compatible smart device.

  1. Download the Google Home app on your phone or tablet if you don't have it.
  2. Select the Google account you'd like to use.
  3. You may be prompted to enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Accept the prompt if it appears.
  4. The Google Home app automatically looks for new devices to add.

With the app installed, you can connect it to your smart devices.

Setting up your smart device with Google Home

Now that you've installed the Google Home app, it's time to connect your new device and add it to your account. If it's the first time you are adding a device, you'll need to create a new home beforehand.

  1. Power up the device you want to add. In most cases, you'll plug it in and wait for it to boot up.
  2. Open the Google Home app on your phone or tablet.
  3. The device you are setting up appears at the top of the screen in the Google Home app. Tap the card that says Set up.
    A screenshot of the Google Home app during the setup process
  4. If it's the first device you are adding, tap Get started and give your home a name. You are prompted to enter your home address. It's recommended to enter it to get personal recommendations, but you can skip this step if you prefer not to disclose it.
  5. If you are not automatically prompted to set up your device after plugging it in, you can automatically find it by tapping the + icon in the upper-left corner. Then, select Set up device and tap New device.
  6. Follow the steps to complete the process. Depending on your device type, you may have to confirm a few things on your phone or tablet to continue the process.
  7. Connect your device to your Wi-Fi network by selecting it and entering the password unless Google knows it from your linked account.

Congratulations! You are all set and have successfully connected your new smart device to Wi-Fi using Google Home. You can now use the app to control it.

Connecting your device to another Wi-Fi network

If you need to connect your device to another Wi-Fi network, you can do it easily without resetting it. You won't lose your settings and customizations. You'll only need to change the Wi-Fi network your device connects to. Here's how to change it:

  1. Open the Google Home app on your phone or tablet.
  2. Locate the device you would like to connect to another network.
  3. Press and hold its card.
  4. Tap the cogwheel icon in the upper-right corner.
  5. Tap Device information.
  6. Tap Wi-Fi.
    A screenshot of the Google Home app showing the speaker settings
    A screenshot of the Google Home app showing the speaker settings
  7. Tap Forget this network.

The app takes you back to its homescreen. Follow the steps above to connect your device to Wi-Fi again.

Linking Google Home to Wi-Fi is easy

Whether you're setting up a new smart home device or reconnecting an existing one to a different network, the process only takes a few minutes. It can also be useful if you experience a connection problem and want to reconfigure it.

If you run into issues with your device and want to start from scratch, consider a factory reset to configure it as a new device, which should help solve the problem.