Take a visual tour of the new Google Home app

[GoogleNestTeam]

Hey Nest Community,

We recently announced a series of exciting new updates to Google Home. We were able to use a lot of the great feedback from the community to iterate on the Home app and we're really excited to begin rolling out the new app to everyone globally in the coming weeks.

To get you ready for this moment, we thought it would be helpful to take you on a visual tour of the new Home app.

This is the new Google Home app.

The Favorites tab will be the first thing you see on the new Google Home app. Here you can access your Spaces (Cameras, Lighting, Wi-Fi, and Climate) and pin tiles for your most used devices, actions, and automations to your Favorites.

The app has 4 default Spaces that will appear based on the devices you have.

We're also rolling out a number of new Controllers for your devices, including your new Nest cameras.

And we've expanded controller support for 60+ types of devices.

 On the Favorites tab you'll also find a media player that appears when you have an active audio or video media stream playing in your home.

You can use the Devices tab to see the entire list of compatible smart home devices you've set up in your home, organized by room for when you're looking for a specific device.

The Automations tab is the new home for your routines. Use the starters, conditions, and actions to easily build and customize home automations that can help make your home safer, your life easier, and your day more fun. 

See everything that's happened in the Activity tab, like camera events, thermostat activity, and home and away history (if enabled). There is also a new Inbox that keeps you informed of things you should know to keep your home running smoothly, like tips and tricks, invitations to join a home, and suggested features to try.

Manage the people, devices, and services in your home in the new Settings tab, which gathers all your home's settings in a single place.

Thanks,

Alexander Crettenand — Technical Lead Manager, Google Home
Emily Conn — Group Product Manager, Google Home
Noel Bilig — Design Manager, Google Home

[gilleslibre]

Hi!

I currently have the Home application on my Android device. How do I get the new version please? Will I automatically be advised and/or will it be automatically be updated? 

[Julie79865]

My app updated the other day, and now my phone does not stay awake when watching live on our nest camera, which we use as a baby monitor. Before, my phone would stay unlocked and awake if I had the live feed up, regardless of if it was plugged in. Now it goes to sleep no matter what. I do not want to change my phones sleep settings as I only want it to stay awake when the live video is up and not have to set everything to “never”. 

[EmptyNester]

I'm not sure if I'm on the same version as you but I just went to look at one of my cams and the image stayed streaming for over 5 minutes without a problem.

I'm on latest version of IOS and when I go into the GOOGLE HOME app I go to the screen that shows all my device and I hit the GEAR in the lower right corner and then hit the SUPPORT tab and it says APP VERSION 3.0.111.    Is that the version you are on?

[Julie79865]

@Empty_Nest  yes that’s the version I’m on. 

also checked our iPad - which is also on that version and same IOS version as my phone - and it’s not having the same issue. Looks like it’s just my phone. 

[EmptyNester]

Hi Julie,  Hmmmm, have you tried watching a youtube video on your phone to see if the same thing happens?

The only other thing that might describe this is if your phone's battery is to low it will shut off will watching video.

..... also, it may not hurt to do a complete power-off of the phone and power it back on and see if the problme goes away.

[rygogg]

I still have the old @GoogleNestTeam when will I receive the update to the new user interface? The current version of my Google Home app is 3.0.1.9. I'm on a Pixel 6 Pro and it's ridiculous that people on iOS already have the update and I still do not. I thought Pixel devices were supposed to get updates before any other devices. What needs to be done to get me the new version?

[ShaneAN1]

Google staged rollouts are RIDICULOUS. And server side rollouts with random arrival on devices even more so. (Esp when iphone apps get them before Google pixel apps). 

Its 6 months from when Google announced the new interface with a splashy webpage. And it's been a week and a half when it was supposed to be hitting our devices. 

GOOGLE - fix your busted @Ss rollouts. Do them through updating the app. And let us pull the software day one with "check for updates". Not subject us to some unknown and randomly prioritized wait period, with lies in the play store saying we are up to date. 

This announce and wait till we give it to you is literally obscene torture to your customers. Figure it out already. 

[lextron]

Why does the new version not allow your own, current, Nest Doorbell Battery camera's motion detection as a routine starter - not just doorbell ring? Also, why did you just briefly add, but then remove the Nest Camera Battery's motion detection from the available starters? Giving the appearance of a home being occupied (turning on interior lights, tv, recorded dog bark, etc.) when your company's cameras detect potential intruders seems like the most basic of home automation integrations. It is just wild that other company's products can be used as starters, but your own home security products cannot work for what seems a very simple integration that could keep property and people safer. Are you going to add your devices' motion detection as starters in your app, soon? 

[ShaneAN1]

@lextron (1) you're lucky to have the new interface at all at this point. What phone are you using? I'm on a pixel 7 pro and still no update.  (2) Google has missed the most basic of use cases for a security camera. Identify a stranger. The cameras allow you to identify Familliar Faces, but don't let you exclude Familliar faces from your notifications. It's 100% dimwitted to have ignored this forever. 

[Anonymous]

(in réponse to app version for Home above) Why can't we respond to comments? We could be collaborating here too instead (and be 'on topic") instead of the forum and solving problems, such as telling each other how to update apps in google play, by clicking our face icon (top right) | select 'Manage apps and device | then select update ... Anyway mine was updated on 6 May. And then (in the overview tab) just check for all updates (or in the Manage Tab) choose a specific app to find out - Mie says it's currently rolling out..  Billions of users means a gradual rollout guys. 

[ShaneAN1]

@Anonymous 

(1) That advice is wrong. The Google home app is being updated server side in the app, not via the play store. So your directions won't do anything. So anyone with the current version number won't necessarily have the new interface. They have to wait until their device is "gotten to" by Google's random queue 

(2)  Google sells premium flagships phone where early access to Google software is supposed to be a perk. The fact that this isn't true is upsetting to Google's core hardware purchasers because it's an unfulfilled promise. IPhones shouldn't get updated Google software before the latest flagship Google hardware running Google's O.S. It flies in the face of brand loyalty and is annoying. 

(3) Again - acknowledged - staged rollouts to millions of devices has some reason behind it. Apple manages to make their software available day and date for all. Acknowledged that they have a smaller number of devices on the market but they still manage to do it (and with full operating systems no less). Soooo. 

(4) There's no logical situation in which users should be told new software is available for them and a manual check for it doesn't pull it manually. It's highly unlikely that the zillions of Android users out there would do that all at once breaking the infrastructure. Putting a "check for latest software" then telling users their software is up to date is a lie and it's frustrating. Make "check for software" actually work and pull the latest released version.  In the play store, for the phones operating system and security updates, and feature drops. If a user taps that button and isn't treated to the latest version -- it's a broken promise. It's confusing. 

(5) Google announced this new interface 6-7 months ago. 

And let's not forget how much they've broken their home hardware ecosystem on top of it all.

Rant over. 

For now. 

[Ugoo]

My Phone Cast can't find my TV device. Please I would need a little help here guys. 

My phone is Motorola one action and my Tv is Syinix 32"

[Goldie48]

Love Google Home/Nest! 

BUT there has to be an easier way you tech guys can design a method to just change an account profile from an old email to new email address without having to remove and reinstall all the devices!  I have had a two day nightmare removing, factory resetting, and reinstalling cameras, doorbells, and thermostats.  I still have another location to do it all over again.  OMG!   And that doesn't account for the phone hours, or blog searching!  I spoke with google home support too!  By the way - two fantastic customer service people Christina, and Gary who helped me out, sent emails for the instructions, and were a god send staying on the phone walking me through the thermostat reset!   It is insane to have to remove the same devices from the old email/googleNest account to the new email/googleNest account.  

[MplsCustomer]

Last night, May 24, 2023, a new iOS version of the Google Home app (3.1.108) became available on the Apple App Store for our iPhones and iPad. After downloading the update, there is no observable change.

As other customer comments in this post indicate, perhaps this really means that Google Nest will suddenly turn on the new version for us on the server side, with no notice or indication. We have no other software products that update in this way.

[flybob]

Why has the ability to create Home/Away routines been eliminated from the new app?

[walterY]

I woke up today and my Nest Learning Thermostate can no longer detect or connect to a WIFI network. The device has been working fine with the same router and network for more tha 1 year. The display says "Your WiFi network could not be found" and when I go to WiFi settings it says "Searching. No Networks found yet." Does Nest still send out replacements for the bad wifi problems these devices have had since Jan 2022?

[walterY]

Walter Y, I have seen to many queries re,: CAN NOT FIND NETWORK/S on my nest , I did almost everything thus restart the nest, modem and router, i lower the router to ,2.4 , i know that there other people with the dame issue, GOOGLE please get You act together and try to solve this issue, please.

[EmptyNester]

@walterY ,  Hello, I'm an end user like you.  Since this is a user forum you will probably not get a response from Google here.  You may want to speak with an actual google tech person.  You can open a support ticket here at this link and after you answer the questions you will be able to escalate to an online chat or a phone call.

https://support.google.com/googlenest/gethelp

[Soupdaddy]

I have the Pixel 7 Pro, but still no update to the home app. The Home app on an old Lenovo yoga tablet and my gf's galaxy S10 have all been updated, but not my Pixel 7pro. Make it make sense lol 😅

Cc: @GoogleNestTeam 

[MplsCustomer]

Well, so far I'm not impressed. When I open the Google Home app, it can take several minutes or longer for the camera feeds to appear (I've added our cameras to my favorites), and some of the camera feeds can falsely report the camera is offline.

This delay and false reporting does NOT happen if I go to the Google Nest app, or to home.nest.com, or to home.google.com.

[EmptyNester]

Hi MplsCustomer,  I have (6) gen 1 cams and and 1 gen 2 outdoor cam. For me everything populate in about 5 seconds or less.

In the app I go to Setting (Gear in lower right corner) then SUPPORT and it shows I'm on App Info App Version 3.1.108.  Is that what you are on?

[MplsCustomer]

@EmptyNester 

I'm on 3.1.108. I just tried accessing the new Google Home app again; this time it populated the 8 livestreams of old and new cameras in a few seconds. The Google Nest servers must have been busy this morning. I notice that when I scroll, the livestreams get blanked out and have to be refreshed.  And selecting a clip to view (and possibly save) can be quite slow.

The Google Home app on my iPad has not yet flipped to the new version on Google Nest's servers, though it's also on 3.1.108, nor has the Google Home app for my other household member.

[Anju1]

New google home is homeless. Can’t speak and command on my iPhone. No help available.

[Anju1]

I meant to say hopeless not homeless.

[Miles64]

This doorbell isn't keeping a charge I need to return it now since I got it nothing but a problem.

[Wayned212]

I'm having problems with my doorbell. I'm having to literally shout down the microphone to get people to hear me. It's definitely using the wrong mic on my phone. I've tried everything. I'm upto date with everything. It was the same with my s21 ultra & I'm currently using z fold 3. I'm shouting down the top mic near the speaker. 

[Chico2010chico]

Nest wired smoke and carbon power problem.

I've two 230v nest smoke and carbon alarms. Only one is showing the green power light. The second is wired correctly and there's power in the cables, all brand new cables and alarms. The plug into the second alarm is correct.

I have powered off the circuit. I have turned off the WiFi. Still the green light doesn't come on. I have even tried a 3rd alarm but same result. The alarms are linked to the Nest app.

Any ideas?

[Captjk]

Well the new update sucks. I used to be able to listen to my speakers in sync in different rooms by choosing the ones I want. Now that feature is gone. I have 5 speakers in my house and I don't want to set up 15 different groups just to get the right speakers to play in sync while I'm in that room. Why can't you engineers just leave things alone. Is there anyway I can get my old device settings back? 

[Rdmetz34]

Just got the update to the Google Home app. Now my camera video is poor and discolored! Video in history before app "updated" is fine. Unacceptable!!!

Just leave well-enough alone and make these updates voluntary. 

How can I get my video as it was before?

[Anonymous]

Having so much trouble with $99 chromecast. My cheaper one in another room works well. Can’t get it off ‘g.co/cast/power’ on screen. 

seems I’m in the wrong site. I’ve tried a few chromecaste sites too. Haven’t heard. Might take it back to shop. Thankyou though 

[EmptyNester]

@Anonymous   You may get a better response if you post in the CHROMECAST Forum

[EmptyNester]

@Rdmetz34  That is pretty odd.  Did you try power cycling the camera?  Is it all your cameras or just that one?

[Jfullmer10]

Dear Google Team, 

I would love to see this New and improved Google Home app! However every time I try accessing the application on several devices.. the app hard crashes.. Hope to see it in the future! 

[mhonard]

The new update has broken many of my "works with Google" devices. I am constantly getting the "a device not set up error." This is unacceptable, making the system almost unusable. I'm also having issues with the wrong device turning on or off .  Is anyone else having similar problems? 

[abelardthebard]

The fact that we STILL can't create custom groups (without making a new room), even after this update is just embarrassing. You are Google. You have the funds and the talent. This should be one of the most standard and basic features of a smart home system. The new favorites tab is so worthless without being able to group things. 

[Gh8toes]

The recent update of the Google Home app was forced on me recently, and I have found it unusable. 

This new version is unusable for Google Nest cameras.  I would get more functionality using a $30 WYZE camera because of that.  Because Google didn’t incorporate the newer Google Nest cameras into the original Nest app, we are forced to use Google Home to view and download video from the new Google Nest cameras.  The Google Nest cameras don’t always identify “events” correctly, and the recording of an event has a time limit.  I pay an annual fee for a Nest Aware Plus subscription so I can have continual recording available to review and download.  In the old Google Home app I was able to view a camera’s video history by sliding a timeline bar on the bottom of the FULL screen of the video.  “Events” that the cameras had identified were identified within that timeline.  I was able to stop anywhere along that timeline and view the video in full screen – before and after events.  If I wanted to download a video clip that wasn’t identified as an event, the only way I could do that was to start playing that time period and do a screen recording, of the FULL screen.  The new version of the Google Home app does not allow me to do that because you have removed the timeline bar on the bottom of the full screen view.  To scan through video history you have to press an up/down carrot on the side of the full screen view, which then opens the event history and timeline capability, which also takes up half of the screen – you lose a FULL screen view when doing that.  The purpose of having video cameras is to be able to view, record and download video history/clips.  The Google Home app performs those functions very poorly or not at all.  Whereas, the older Nest app does an excellent job of managing the older Nest video cameras.  The Google Home app needs to be able to perform the same functionality, or there is no use in owning the newer Google Nest cameras.  As I said earlier, a cheap WYZE camera has more functionality than the Google Home app provides.

Looking at the recent reviews of this last update, I see I am not alone in the belief that it was a step backwards and there are many, many negative 1-star reviews regarding it.  The new version just creates more chaos on the initial screen unnecessarily.  If a change of this magnitude is made, users should be able to choose to have the update.  Their selection of which version to use will be your report card on whether the update is liked or not.  It is my opinion that this new version of the Google Home app is of no value to users and should not have been done.  What exactly were you trying to improve, I sure don’t see anything.  And whatever you do, do not remove the functionality of the old Nest app, especially being able to access our cameras using a PC, as well as an Android device.  Being able to view camera footage and manipulate video on a large PC monitor is much better than trying to view it on a small Android device.  Why do you think people are paying 2-3 times the original cost for a used Nest camera on Ebay.  They like the original Nest cameras and the app.   The people are taking, but you aren’t listening.

How can I revert to the older Google Home app until you design full camera functionality (view, record, download video history) in the Google Home app or a stand-alone app such as the older Nest app to handle the full line of Google cameras?

[Anonymous]

سلام از کجا حسابم رو پیدا کنم؟

[Catwing]

Since the update we have been unable to see any closed captions on YouTube videos that we cast to our tv. The captions show up in the top left hand corner, but we can only see the last word or so.

All the captions on YouTube videos on our tablets are in the right place . So it's not YouTube .

I posted a question in the Forum but all I've got for replies are other people having the same problem. Maybe somebody could look into this. Thanks so much

[stevenhaal]

A couple of things:

1. I'm in the app almost every day, and it would have been great to see some sort of notification from the previous version that it was going to be updated, instead of waking up and trying to figure out where the hell everything was.

2. Media is as huge as any other portion of the app. Why it's invisible until something is active literally makes no sense. As in not being able to use the app if needed to start a media stream. That should be a full-time tab showing the media groups and services all in one place. The former organization was fine, other than the fact it needed global volume abilities.

I love you Google, but sometimes you really effing piss me off.

[enezmmt]

alles Liebe von deiner Mutter zu begleichen kann zu einer kleinen 

[Jbanach33]

Why was google assistant removed from google home app. This is very common way I use for broadcasting to turning the lights on/off either from home or away. We need google assistant back in the home app!