Aqara Wireless Mini switch via Matter - not working on GH app

[FJO]

I just connected an Aqara Wireless Mini switch to the Google Home app via Matter and have a few issues:

1) The Aqara switch appears as a device in the Google Home app, but shows on/off state instead of showing the 3 actions the switch can perform (single click / double click / long press) to trigger automations. When connecting the switch to Apple HomeKit via matter, the 3 actions are there, suggesting this is an issue on the GH app side (i.è. Not on the Aqara side)

2) The Aqara switch does not appear on the GH app automations list as a starter device

3) I can’t find how to add a switch action (single click / double click / long press) as a starter on a GH script 

Any help on how to get this switch to work as a trigger for lights, plugs, and/or Harmony hub actions will be much appreciated

[Hollen_ar_mor]

Have you an Aqara Hub ?  

You could check if you have the same behavior with the Aqara App linked to GHome. If yes, the only thing to do is waiting a GHome evolution / complete integration...

[FJO]

I do have a hub…  I used it to connect all child zigbee devices via matter (same approach as Hue).
As suggested, I  removed the matter connection and linked the Aqara account to GH using “Works with Google“. GH tells me that the Aqara account is linked, but it’s even worse… neither the hub nor the switches pop up in the GH app and Aqara doesn’t show on the “Works with Google” list as a linked account.  All devices (including the hub) come into the app when connected via Matter.
So it feels like the latest Aqara hub firmware supports Matter, but no longer supports the “old school” link (maybe it shouldn’t do, once Matter is there?).

Any ideas?

[FJO]

Anyone from Google chipping in here?

[OpethNJ]

I have just about every Aqara sensor out there integrated to Google Home and SmartThings. Initially this was via the services approach but with the recent introduction of Matter support I have them that way now.

In the Google Home case I can confirm that what you are seeing with the Wireless Mini Switch is indeed what you get currently.  You get On/Off state but no way to do anything related to the various button pushes.  

In comparison, SmartThings via either a community Edge driver or the standard SmartThings Matter Button Drive gives you easy access to the button pushes in a very clear and simple way.  

For this specific sensor it is currently a much better experience in SmartThings then Google Home. With that being said an alternative is to leverage something like IFTTT as an intermediate service. 

[FJO]

Thanks for that @OpethNJ . I am currently using HomeKit automations to control Hue bulbs with the Aqara mini switches, as they  do work in that environment, and using Hue bulbs as triggers of GH automations to control the non Hue lights that are not compatible with HomeKit. Far from ideal, as there is some lag and some lights cannot be controlled individually with a switch, but a workaround to bridge the gap until Google pulls the finger out and catches up with HomeKit and SmartThings. 
the one benefit of this experience was getting exposed to HomeKit automations… eye opening experience… so much better than other platforms!

[keong1981]

Hey... side track abit here... if i understood your aqara link to gh correctly, you mentioned you had it linked via service (works with google I assume) than after with the introduction of Matter, you've unlinked the service and linked up using Matter? If that is, when you linked up with Matter, do you have any scenes created within the aqara app? Do you see your scenes as an option within gh when linked with Matter?

[OpethNJ]

For the last year or so I have integrated Aqara into Google Home as a service or Works With Google. 

When my Aqara M2 hub gained Matter support I wanted to try out that integration. Turns out I find it to be simpler as I can natively register Aqara devices to the Aqara hub and they pretty much instantaneously and automatically import into Google Home, 

[keong1981]

Yes.. the connection was very fast... even for my most basic hub E1, but my concerns are, as currently i am connected to gh via the service connection AND Matter, I kinda have duplicate devices with gh and would like to unlink the service connection, but yet i do not want to loose the scenes ive created within aqara app as the scenes are running for some of my automations/ routines. do you by any chances have created scenes within aqara app and able to use them within gh when linked up via Matter?

[FJO]

That fully depends on how aqara has set up the matter connection. Best way is to contact aqara support and ask them if that functionality is supported via matter, as they don't specify those details it in writing anywhere. They are slow to respond, but come back to you after a few days... 

[FJO]

I've removed the aqara matter link to GH, as I couldn't do anything with the aqara mini switches in that platform... they show up in the app, but are not available in automations.

I instead used Homekit to automate control of Hue bulbs and plugs with the aqara mini switches, as they work fine (and faster) in that platform... the automations on Homekit are also more powerful and simpler to code and you can do more advanced stuff without having to resort to complex scripting language. Hue is connected to Homekit via the old service, as Hue's Matter connection didn't support Hue scenes export when I set up the switches and I don't want to lose this functionality (they are honest and tell you this on their app on the smart home connection settings). I may check if this has changed, as I haven't looked recently, and I'm pretty sure that response speed will improve further (1-2 second delay at the moment). Aqara doesn't specify anything, so the only way to test is to have a try...

I still use GH to control Hue devices via voice, as I have google speakers and displays all over the house, and this runs 10 times faster over Matter than using the "Works with Google" service.

I am now mixing and matching both platforms and use the best bit on each of them. The beauty of Matter... 

[FJO]

Any chance of someone from Google chipping in here?

[DLM318]

The only way I use the Mini wireless switch is thru IFFT and Smartlife.. only let me use 2 actions buttons (one click and double click) since i'm doing the free version of IFFT. I have Aqara censor and they work perfectly fine with google automation,  I had the same issue with the on/off whenever I tried to set the wireless mini switch. 

[FJO]

Aqara confirmed that the issue is on their side. The mini switch does not support Google Home yet.

[DLM318]

Thank you for confirm!