Brady Snyder / Android Authority
TL;DR Google Home is rolling out new automation triggers and actions focused on routines and device control.
You can now automate tasks such as media playback, appliance control, security systems, blinds, and robot vacuums.
More automation features are planned, with another batch expected in the coming weeks.
Google is rolling out a fresh batch of automation tools for the Google Home app, expanding what you can control across connected devices. The update focuses squarely on routines, adding new starters, conditions, and actions that give you more granular control over your smart home.
The changes were highlighted in a post on X by Google Home Chief Product Officer Anish Kattukaran, who stated that the update introduces approximately 20 new automation elements. Examples include dimming the lights when a TV starts playing, announcing when a washer finishes a cycle, or automatically arming a security system at a set time. According to Kattukaran, more automation “traits” are already in the pipeline, with another batch expected in the coming weeks.
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Google’s release notes on the update flesh out what’s new. On the trigger side, you can now build routines around media playback states like playing, paused, or buffering, as well as volume levels and light brightness thresholds. Smart appliances can also act as conditions, letting routines respond to whether a washer or dryer is running, paused, stopped, or reporting an error.
What do you think of Google Home's new powerful automation editor? 186 votes It's great! It does everything I need. 7 % I like it, but it still needs some essential features. 22 % It's still very basic and doesn't do what I want. 34 % I had no idea there was a new automation editor. 37 %
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