How to use Google Home with Windows Desktop

[qapnguyen]

Just thought I'll provide a way to use Google Home on your Windows desktop

Install Android emulator - Bluestacks 5 https://www.bluestacks.com/download.html

When you first load up Google Home won't be available on Google App Store.

You have to create a PIE 64-Bit instance. See URL below for guide how to do this.

Once you start the instance you can download Google Home and run it.

When you try to open Google Home and login, Google Home wants to turn on Bluetooth to proceed and stuck as there is no bluetooth to turn on in Android emulator, but just quit Google Home by clicking home icon to back out and reload Google Home to skip it.

https://support.bluestacks.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407503795341-How-to-create-an-Android-Pie-64-bit-B...

https://www.reddit.com/r/BlueStacks/comments/vl805j/comment/idy2uit/

Once working you can delete the other "instance" called Nougat 32-bit as you'll be using Pie 64-bit going forward.

Whilst Bluestack and Google Home itself hardly uses any CPU/RAM. Soon as I loaded my cameras live, the CPU usage really jumps up on usage. So probably not practical to leave on whilst using other intensive applications.

[MplsCustomer]

@qapnguyen 

Thank you for sharing how to make this work.

BlueStacks isn't an option for us because it won't install on an M1 iMac.  So we're still waiting for Google Nest's Sept. 29, 2021 commitment: "we’ve also been working on rolling out a desktop experience for the Google Home app, so the new Nest cameras and doorbell feeds can be viewed and controlled from there. This will launch in 2022." (https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Blog/Message-from-our-GM-Updates-for-our-Nest-customers/ba-p/...)

[qapnguyen]

Yea. Mac OS users will have to find alternative Android Emulator. Quite few out there and will be trial and error to see if any work.