Is it (still) possible to group lights?

[gauss256]

I have some groups for lights set up in the Google Home app. However, I cannot see how to add a new group. Has that feature been removed?

I have been searching everywhere for an answer, but the closest I can get is, "Add them to a room". No one is clear that you cannot add lights to a group, which was possible in the past.

Having rooms as the only grouping mechanism is not a good solution, because it would be useful for one room to have several groups.

[David_K]

As far as I can recall you've never been able to group lights manually, it should happen automatically when you add multiple lights to the same room.

[iphi]

that doesn't make sense so all you can do is all lights on and all lights off?

and if you want to turn a subset, say the Christmas or other decorative lights, you have to create a routine to turn on and a different routine to turn off as I couldn't find a toggle option

[David_K]

Indeed, you could create routines to help here, or you can use a voice command with Google Assistant on your phone to ask it to turn on or off multiple devices at once by using their names. 

[Brodave]

I set up a group in the original Smart app for the lightbulb manufacturer. There you can label multiple lights into one group with one name. Then add it to Google Home there will be gripped that way. Google Home won't allow you to have multiple lights with the same name. I have a stip of three  lights, which are my main and the lasting, I wanna be doing is telling Google three times to turn the light off! so there is a workaround

[shogo]

It's really bizarre this is not possible, especially with native matter bulbs on the way.

[ADN]

I found a workaround: create a custom room, and put the lights you want in that room. Eg: the ceiling lights in my bedroom are now in a room called “Bedroom Ceiling,” and my nightstand is in a room called “Nightstand.” I could have left the nightstand in the bedroom group, but it’s the only light in there now. It’s stupid, we shouldn’t have to go to that much trouble just to group a few lights within a room, but it appears to work. If you do that, you can no longer turn on/off all the lights in the room at the same time. Since, according to the app, it’s two rooms. But that’s less annoying to me than being unable to have groups, so that’s what I’m doing. 

[Cynthia7999]

If your lights are controlled through Smart Life underneath Google Home, Smart Life let's you group them.  Why do other apps do this and Google cannot? 

[driding369]

Seriously, I have an upstairs and a downstairs. How is it not possible to group lights into a downstairs and an upstairs without having to name off all the rooms upstairs?!

[Cynthia7999]

Exactly.  I think we would have to name all the lights with the name downstairs first.  Like downstairs kitchen 1 etc.  That's crazy.  You can group them with Alexa, but Google doesn't talk to Alexa so then you can only use Alexa to turn off all downstairs when you go to bed.  Otherwise you have to create a bedtime routine and select all the lights individually.  What a chore! 

[Twotone420]

This is exactly why I'm here now. I just knew there was a way. Truly baffles me how it's not an option. 

[Woooooooooooo]

I have a floor lamp which has multiple lightbulbs - why I can't get them together???? This is nuts.

Am I supposed to switch the light bulbs one by one?

[Cynthia7999]

Yes. Then group using the same name such as Lamp 1, Lamp 2.  Put them both in the same room.  Then you can use them independently too. 

[Cynthia7999]

If you name several lights in a large room with the same name you can use the name to turn off only that name.  For example, in the family room you could have 3 reading lights and 4 ceiling lights.  Reading 1, Reading 2, and Reading 3 can be controlled by saying hey Google turn off Reading lights.  

[gauss256]

Good tip! I look forward to trying that.

[Woooooooooooo]

YES!!!!! It works. Great solution.

Thank you Cynthia 🫶🏼

[Cynthia7999]

And it would be nice to group lights from different rooms. On a dark day for example when you only need a single light in each room.