Location based routines problem in Google Home

[nastycenk]

Hi, 

If I try to create a new routine based on my phone's location there is no option to do so.

I only have the starters "at specific time", "at sunrise/sunset" and "when alarm is dismissed".

It was working perfectly until today, I had a location-based automation with a 200m radius, but suddenly the location-based automation disappeared and now it doesn’t show up at all."

[WesleyK]

How did you create it? I'm quite interested in this automation.

[nastycenk]

When you clicked on personal automation, a location option would appear. When you selected it, it drew a distance circle around your home address, with a minimum radius of 150m that you could adjust. Then you would choose the actions to take, and it worked quite well.

[WesleyK]

I see, i'll try it out today when i get back home!

[disita]

masih sama

[robbybabyrob28]

saw this on another post

"Hey there, Personal Routines triggered by your phone's location are no longer supported. Meaning, routines that included specific geolocations such as your work will no longer work. "
absolutely infuriating 

[ChiTownSounds]

Nooooooo! 😞

[ChiTownSounds]

I'm here for the same reason. I had it set to turn on the house lights around my house when I get within 300m. Suddenly the starter disappeared. I noticed when I got home and the house remained dark. I'm in beta preview and thought maybe it was just a test function. But I want it back BAD! I ALSO had it set on my elderly mother's phone for when sure arrives home past sunrise. Presence sensing doesn't work until your already near the door!

[ByronP]

Hi Folks,

Thank you for reaching out to the community. I understand you’re experiencing trouble creating a new routine based on your phone’s location, even though it worked in the past. I understand how frustrating this must be. Let’s work together to find a solution.

Currently this option isn’t available, however you can create an automation using the Home and Away feature into the Google Home app to create a start condition when someone is at Home or everybody is Away.

You can review this helpful article to change the Home and Away Routine settings in the Google Home app.

Your insights are valuable to us. Please consider sharing your thoughts and experiences by submitting them to the feedback form so we can address them in future updates.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Regards,

Byron

[robbybabyrob28]

The new Home and Away starters simply do not work as advertised. I’ve tested every option—phone presence, device presence—and nothing triggers when I leave or return. This isn’t an isolated case; Reddit and other forums are full of users experiencing the same failures.

For those of us who live alone, the replacement logic of “someone is at home or everybody is away” makes no sense. There is no ‘everybody’ in my situation—it’s just me. The old location-based triggers were simple, reliable, and worked flawlessly for years.

Removing a feature that provided real, practical value and replacing it with something less functional has created more frustration than progress. Many of us depended on geolocation automations for security, energy savings, and convenience.

I hope Google reconsiders this change—or at the very least, restore personal location triggers as an option alongside Home and Away. This was not an improvement; it was a step backwards.

[Pmheart6]

I don't have proximity settings. Probably because I use my phone not some nest. Though my roommate has a nest so I'm surprised it's not an option. Not that I want that. I use my phone to adjust MY devices not my roommates stuff on the house. 

I even tried the "previous" automation setup screen. That's found in the menu on the top right. 

[Pmheart6]

Looking at home assistant it's Foss, has location based services and can interface Google home devices (till Google blocks. Then I'll go Google free with a local hub)

[robbybabyrob28]

I’m extremely frustrated that Google removed the ability to create routines based on my phone’s location. This feature worked flawlessly and was a critical part of my smart home setup. Many of us depended on geolocation automations for security, energy savings, and convenience. The new “Home & Away” system is not a suitable replacement.

1. It doesn’t work reliably. I’ve tested every option—using phone presence, device presence, etc.—and nothing triggers when I leave or return. The automation simply fails.

2. It makes no sense for single-person households. the replacement logic of “someone is at home or everybody is away” makes no sense. There is no ‘everybody’ in my situation—it’s just me. The old location-based triggers were simple, reliable, and worked flawlessly for years.

3. This is not just me. Reddit and other forums are filled with frustrated users reporting the exact same issue.

Removing a valuable, working feature and replacing it with something unreliable and unnecessary undermines the usability of Google Home. Please bring back true location-based routines, or at least fix the Home & Away automation so that it works as intended.

[PeterP1]

I understand your frustration. The old location based routines worked well and were reliable. The new Home and Away option does not behave the same way, especially for single person households, and many users are reporting the same problems.

The only temporary workaround is to connect Google Home with a third party service like IFTTT or Home Assistant to get location triggers back. It is not perfect but it helps until Google improves the system.

[stickyrice]

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@PeterP1 wrote:

The only temporary workaround is to connect Google Home with a third party service like IFTTT or Home Assistant to get location triggers back. It is not perfect but it helps until Google improves the system.

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hi @PeterP1 ,

For IFTTT, do you have examples as to how to trigger Google Home from IFTTT, based on location?  Thanks.

stickyrice

[stickyrice]

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@robbybabyrob28 wrote:

I’m extremely frustrated that Google removed the ability to create routines based on my phone’s location. This feature worked flawlessly and was a critical part of my smart home setup. Many of us depended on geolocation automations for security, energy savings, and convenience. The new “Home & Away” system is not a suitable replacement.

1. It doesn’t work reliably. I’ve tested every option—using phone presence, device presence, etc.—and nothing triggers when I leave or return. The automation simply fails.

2. It makes no sense for single-person households. the replacement logic of “someone is at home or everybody is away” makes no sense. There is no ‘everybody’ in my situation—it’s just me. The old location-based triggers were simple, reliable, and worked flawlessly for years.

3. This is not just me. Reddit and other forums are filled with frustrated users reporting the exact same issue.

Removing a valuable, working feature and replacing it with something unreliable and unnecessary undermines the usability of Google Home. Please bring back true location-based routines, or at least fix the Home & Away automation so that it works as intended.

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For point 2, can I also add that it makes no sense for multiple-member households too.  When wife is home (ie HomeSense status = HOME) and I am returning home from outside, I still want, say:

• the Entrance light to be turned on for 5 minutes, or
• my security cameras to be off for 5 minutes (so false alerts can be avoided), or
• the garage door to open for the 2nd car

Does anyone have any interim/alternate solution to this?

stickyrice

[Homarz]

Before, I used an automation to run an activator when I approached a few meters from my house, this would turn on the street lights and announce on my speakers an announcement for the family that was approaching me. But it stopped working, trying to correct I removed the automation to recreate it and now I don't see the geolocation option, only presence and absent. Has any of this happened to you? Do you have any idea what may be going on?

Before it worked perfectly and stopped working. I test it from the updated Google Home app and also from Google Home for the web. 

[stickyrice]

so you are confirming my understanding that starters on individual geolocation DID exist, and has been removed.  That's a shame, since I am after such for disarming my security when family member is returning home, even when somebody else is already home. 

Do you have any alternative solution in mind?

stickyrice

[Pmheart6]

I'm in the process of setting up home assistant. It's a FOSS thing. It's got a pay option for support both setup and to help support the authors. Well see if Google supports Google's customers (and FoSs or if this is removed stat

[stickyrice]

hi @robbybabyrob28 ,

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@robbybabyrob28 wrote:

2. It makes no sense for single-person households. the replacement logic of “someone is at home or everybody is away” makes no sense. There is no ‘everybody’ in my situation—it’s just me. The old location-based triggers were simple, reliable, and worked flawlessly for years.

3.  

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Just trying to understand you situation.  If you are just by yourself, is "someone is at home" not meaning that your device is home?  Also, if "everybody is away", does it not mean your device is away?

Meaning I don't see any reason why HomeSense doesn't work for you.

Or have I missed something important?

stickyrice

[Pmheart6]

First, is that apple only. (Flaw 1)

Second,  I see schedules, but no location or geo fence features unless they are hidden.