The new Google Home app has arrived on the scene, bringing an array of anticipated updates that augment control and customizability for smart home users. Google ended the invite-only phase of the app at Google I/O 2023, making it available to the public—a highly fitting time to unveil it, indeed.
A Complete Overhaul
Google Home has always been intended to be the go-to app for consumers to control smart homes, for compatible products, of course. This version is a complete overhaul to the app’s predecessor, and a welcome one at that. It was outdated, falling a bit short of the intended dream, and in need of some love. We get new tabs, an enhanced camera interface, expanded controls for existing devices, and support for many types of smart devices.
Google has also updated the iOS app for Matter support, taking another leap forward in integrating the smart home standard into its ecosystem. Google is one of the companies at the forefront of the initiative, and this update is significant in the story of Matter.
Substantial Improvements to the App
The Google Home app offers substantial improvements. The new Favorites tab offers greater customization and the ability to quickly access cameras, lights, locks, thermostats, and all other devices you’ve added to your home.
The Devices tab is an OCD dream. It organizes all your connected devices alphabetically by room. Finally! It offers improved controls for over 60 types of devices, including your Matter-supported devices. The app also introduces real-time status updates for temperature and motion sensor reports.
Under the Automations tab, you can edit your routines, be them Personal Routines or Household Routines, keeping everything—well, on a routine. Household Routines now offer more triggers, such as motion from compatible cameras, doorbell presses, thermostat mode changes, and lights and smart plugs turning on or off. The new Google Home app allows Routines to be triggered by appliances like dishwashers, robot vacuums, and air purifiers, as well as volume changes on speakers and televisions. Pretty cool.
To check out your device activity, supported camera clips, and executed Routines, head over to the Activity tab. There, you’ll see everything in chronological order. The Settings tab plays host to device settings, connected services, notifications, and Google Assistant settings. It also includes Google Nest’s presence-sensing feature, which adjusts devices based on your presence.
What About Camera Support?
The new Google Home app takes inspiration from the Nest app when it comes to camera support, with live views of the cameras and vertical history scrubbing. You still can’t create manual clips, though you do get faster live feed viewing and clip playback, so there were definite improvements made there.
While older Nest Cam models can only display live views in the Home app, Google plans to migrate all legacy Nest cameras to the new app starting in July, with the first-gen Nest Cam indoor and outdoor models being the initial focus.
Get Your Update
Google’s overhaul of the new Google Home app has addressed previous limitations to provide a more robust and customizable smart home experience that consumers have been asking for. Though not all needs have been met, this is the initial rollout, and you can expect improvements from here, like anything else.
With enhanced camera support, expanded device controls, and advanced automation features, Google aims to make its app the go-to platform for setting up, controlling, and automating smart homes. If you haven’t updated your Google Home app already, get to it! It’s calling your name.
