Light shows failing

[duglop]

Unreal. So this is a new problem with Google Home! Suddenly, when using commands like "Set floor to rainbow" and other similar light show commands per various products [ie Merkury Geeni, Monster illumination, cync by GE, smart life products] (which there has NEVER been a problem with on ANY of these light shows). Googles response now is, "Sorry, that mode isn't available for those lights"!  SINCE WHEN? Those modes have ALWAYS been available since day 1 and even Google Home has been able to successfully complete those tasks EVERY TIME! EVERY app is updated, EVERY DEVICE firmware is up to date! 

The command is very basic for ALL of them: "Hey Google, set [device] to [light show event]", to which Google responds "Ok setting [device] to [light show even]". But NOW it says it can't complete that request? WHY?  So why is there all of a sudden this kind of problem after over 5 years of using the SAME commands?

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE NOW GOOGLE!

[SmartHomeH-TAGS · Accepted solution]

1) I'm assuming that your changing the colour of the bulbs, but if you accidentally added a white only bulb into the automation then that could cause a non-compliance response.

2) things change in the Smart Home all the time. Google removed media alarms, but added other stuff. You just have to roll with the punches and adjust 

[duglop]

LAME! Not even close! I have about 7 DIFFERENT style of devices by different developers. I have used  these SAME apps & colored bulbs for several years. I think I'd know better than to put a "color" bulb instead of a white bulb...  They worked flawlessly for 2 years UNTIL the app redesign - NOW Google can not remember the exact same activation phrases OR the specific patterns that it USED to run properly at first!

Google breaks my automated routines weekly now, 

[GeremiG]

Hi @duglop!

Thank you for posting in the community and to @SmartHomeH-TAGS for help! I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with your Google Home and smart lighting commands. I'm happy to help you!

To help me find the best solution, I'll need to ask you a few questions:

• Are you using your phone's Google Assistant, or is there another smart speaker or display involved?
• Has there been any change in your network settings?
• Do the lights work as expected in the manufacturer's app?

Please keep me posted. I'll be waiting for your response.

Best regards,
Geremi

[duglop]

This is an ongoing problem - thus far EVERYTHING we have tried has failed - mainly because most of the issues are caused by Google itself. Automated routines fail quite often simply because of Google - they stop running on Wednesday's and start working again on Fridays (see more below) ... We have done absolutely EVERYTHING there is to do - troubleshoot, use different accounts, different WiFi sources etc... I have the following light devices & apps - Merkury/Geeni (6 lights), Monster illuminate (2 light strips), Monster illuminate (6 bar lights), cync by GE (21 lights), Smart Life (3 bulbs) - this does not include my 2 Vizio TV's or my Atomi Smart humidifier. ALL these problems started after the HUGE Google redesign 3 years ago.

I have ALL my devices & apps set to automatically update. EACH product has it's OWN menu of lightshows - from basic colors, to complex lightshows, to music lightshows. I have had these devices for approx. 4 years - RARELY do I have an issue with a device! At 1 point in time Google could run ANY style of lightshow on ANY device by simply saying "Hey Google, set (light) to (lightshow) and it would do so - including the more complex music lightshows. A recent Google Home update broke most of those commands - now Google can control basic lightshows, but when it comes to the more complex lightshows Google responds with "this function is not available for this device" OR "Sorry, that device is not set up yet" - NEITHER of which is true! More often than not I have to change complex lightshows from each devices app itself. 

Routines that control these lights are BEYOND messed up - all caused by presence sensing for some reason (Google has been known to show me in Arizona but I live in Illinois). They'll stop working properly midweek then suddenly start working properly by the weekend. This started happening after a recent Google update. Thus, now when they STOP working it does me NO GOOD to re set up devices & routines etc because they STILL fail until the weekend (I have done this long enough to know better). TBH, the last week was the FIRST week in over 48 weeks that they actually worked the entire week without failing! Google ALSO has it's OWN version of lightshows that pertain to a certain area/room group - but that's a whole different command and I don't even use it. 

Google is to blame for ALL these failures!

[duglop]

I should add 2 things to this that I forgot to mention:

1. When my lights run via their own app schedules they work just fine. When they work via Google Home, it's a guessing game whether they are going to work or not - I use them to light my place up when I leave my apartment for work etc, and to light the hallway upon my return. Until 3 years ago this worked flawlessly! Now it's a crapshoot!

2. Another change I have noticed is: with lights turned OFF I used to be able to say "Hey Google, set such and such light to color/mode" and it would turn on said light, perform said function and work just fine! But NOW on MOST of the devices Google will perform SOME of those functions but FAIL to actually turn on said light even tho it makes the task completion acknowledgement noise - thus after asking to set color/mode I then have to ask for said light to be turned on (or vice versa). It's NO LONGER as reliable as it once was. It's like Google has forgotten SO much usefulness now!

I do not know why or how or even WHEN this started happening, but I am convinced it will NEVER work like it once did, like it used to and like it should!

I got tired of being told the same useless cookie cutter responses - check this try this do that send this in send that in blah blah blah - NONE OF IT HELPED OR WORKED, hence here we STILL are! I am noticing many people experiencing the same issues, and Google once acknowledged that it's a known reoccuring issue, but has yet to be resolved!

That's where we are now...

[duglop]

So you disappeared after offering to help? I was planning on mentioning that for the last 10 days aytomated programmable routines were FINALLY working properly. BUT, they stopped working AGAIN this weekend! And NONE of my light apps updated, NONE of the devices firmware updated, NO changes were made to my network, Google Home did NOT update - BUT programmable automated routines STOPPED working!?!

PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS CRAP! I AM SO SICK OF THIS INCOMPETENCE!