Last year we shared ways we’re making it easier to manage and customize your smart home. Now we’re unveiling new features coming to Google Home on your phone, tablet and smartwatch to help you keep a closer eye on what’s most important to you.
Here are five updates to check out in Google Home.
1. Redesigned app to easily access and control your smart home
The redesigned Google Home app has a five-tab layout that makes it easier to control your connected devices, create home automations and see what’s happening in your home.
It will open right to your Favorites tab, where you can pin your most-used devices, actions and automations and view your Spaces, where devices are automatically grouped into categories like lights, cameras, Wi-Fi and climate. Reorder and edit those Favorites any time to reflect what matters most to you.
The app also includes an Inbox to catch up on important updates such as device issues or subscription reminders. And you can visit the Activity tab to find your device and camera history in chronological order, making it easy to see exactly what and when something happened in and around your home.
Thanks to feedback from over half a million Public Preview testers, this new and improved version of the app will start rolling out to everyone May 11.
2. Easier ways to view your cameras, including some original Nest cameras
It’s easier to access and view your Nest cameras in the new app, too. Check out all your feeds in one spot by tapping the Cameras Space, or add them to your Favorites tab to see the live streams as soon as you open the app.
And with new vertical video history scrubbing, you can easily scroll through hours of video history in seconds — with important events labeled and organized by type, such as person, package, vehicle or activity.
We’re also rolling out support for our early generation Nest Cameras in the coming months. Starting in July, Public Preview users will be able to start using the Google Home app first with Nest Cam Indoor (1st Gen), followed by Nest Cam Outdoor (1st Gen).
