Home and Away Routines Broken - Missing Presence Options

[SilencedDuality]

So, I recently began setting up my home and my girlfriend's home in Google Home with the eventual intent of merging them.  She is on iOS as am I (iPhone 16 Pro Max, iOS 18.3.2) and we both have the same problem in our respective home apps.

When we set up, we both didn't enable presence sensing but since have done so.  I can see my Home mode being automatically changed between Home and Away properly and the activity log also shows this.  However, when trying to edit the Home and Away Routine/Automation I only have the voice-activated trigger and any actions I add are not triggered when I leave or arrive.

Additionally, I don't have the option to use the presence sensing Starter when I try and create my own routines.

My hypothesis is that the Home and Away routines were created when I cancelled/skipped the Presence sensing at first setup and now they won't update to use the actual presence settings.

I have confirmed 'Always Allow' and 'Precise Location' are on.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled the app.

I have confirmed that System Services => Homekit location is on.

I have disabled/re-enabled Presence services in Google Home.

I cannot delete the Routines for Home or Away.  I cannot add 'When a device...Everyone leaves' as a Starter.

[PrantlMarkus]

The Home and Away function only works for your household. When nobody is home it set to away, when the first person coming home its home.

[SilencedDuality]

Okay, so then how do you recommend I control devices based on presence?  Mind you, I am speaking of the Home and Away automations that are automatically added and cannot be deleted.  I know the modes are only for the 'status' of the household.  I've come from using Hubitat and Alexa - trying to move away from Amazon.

[SilencedDuality]

Sorry to be a bother, but, does anyone have any ideas?  I'd rather not set up my entire home again but will if I must.

[PrantlMarkus · Accepted solution]

The only way to get this work is a little work around.

Create "virtual" outlets with google playground. You make a personal routine that switches the outlet "on" when you arrive at home. You can make personal GPS routines on your smartphone google home app.

Then create an routine via script editor where the starters gets avtivated when your "virtual" switch is switched on 

Not the finest way, but it works

[SilencedDuality]

Appreciate the response, but, even when I try to create a personal automation/routine I don't have the option to choose "when someone arrives at home" so I couldn't even do as you suggested.

[PrantlMarkus]

In the personal routine i have the possibility as an starter to use the gps locations of the phone.

Use this starter to switch on your virtual switch

[SilencedDuality]

These are the only starters I have available. And presence options are enabled. My Home and Away status is switching accordingly based on my geo location. 

https://imgur.com/a/OuTvde8 

[SilencedDuality]

Adding this post for clarification, the recommended answer does nothing for my situation.  I have location/presence sensing enabled and the devices are doing just that.  However, I cannot access any of the LOCATION BASED STARTERS when editing or creating automations/routines per the attached image.

https://imgur.com/a/OuTvde8

[SteveW314]

Here's something to try:

• Delete all household routines
• Change your status between Home and Away
• Your should be presented with a request to setup presence sending. Doing this setup should create the Home and Away automations.

This has been known since 2022:

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Apps-Account/Home-and-Away-routines-missing/m-p/311014