What you need to know
- Google’s latest Home app update brings nine new starters and actions for smart home devices.
- Home app Public Preview users can also enjoy four new script editor features such as automation logs and custom notifications.
- This comes on the heels of Public Preview users gaining first-gen Nest cam support.
Google is in the process of rolling out several new Household Routine options smart home users can engage with.
In a Nest community post, the company states users will find nine new starters and actions in the “Automation” tab in the live version of the Home app. Google states users can also set up temperature, humidity, contact, and occupancy sensors in the app’s ecosystem to be used in automations.
A few of the added starters users can expect are as follows:
- Open/Close: When the window is opened, turn off the thermostat.
- Device is charging/plugged in: When your EV is charging, it could automatically start playing music or downloading updates.
- Temperature: When the temperature inside rises above 80 degrees, open the window and turn on the fan.
Additionally, here are a few of the new actions users can start using. These include lighting effects, docking smart home appliances, opening doors or windows, adjusting volume, and more:
Light effects: From pulse lights, to wake/sleep and even color loop. Here are some examples to try:
- Pulse: Provide visual feedback. When the doorbell is pressed, pulse my bedroom light.
- Wake/Sleep: When I dismiss my alarm, slowly wake the lights over a one-hour time period.
- Color Loop: When I say “Party Time,” Color Loop lights for 30 mins.
Notably, these new starters and actions won’t work with every device. Google informs that “device capability support is limited by the device manufacturer” and has provided an up-to-date list of devices that can utilize its latest starter and action update properly.
Moreover, in-depth smart home consumers will find new features within the script editor in the Public Preview program, as well. The company states users can take advantage of over a dozen events generated by your Google Nest camera to kickstart automations. Coders will find the ability to create custom notifications, as well.
The editor’s “Starter Suppression” comes in to let users prevent specific automations from triggering so quickly after it has already run its course. Lastly, coders can breathe a little easier with the editor’s “Automation log” for finding potential problems.
The new starters and actions for the Home app come days after Google pushed an update that brought support to the older, first-generation Nest cam. Though only available if enrolled in the Public Preview, users will find camera history information and the ability to pin their favorite cams.
Aside from Google’s Nest Hub Max providing quite a large display, it’s speakers are also much louder than the original version. The Nest Hub Max delivers a decent camera for video chatting with friends or family, too. Managing and keeping a finger on your home’s pulse just got a little easier.