To take full advantage of Matter, a new unifying smart home protocol, Google is gearing up for a total redesign of its smart home app. The “new Google Home” is expected to launch later this year, and with it comes several improvements, including in-app smart garage controls.
This may seem like a small thing, but it’s really quite significant—the latest Google Home app beta includes a toggle switch to operate smart garage controller systems. Previously, users could see their garage controller in Google Home but could only operate it through Google Assistant voice commands (or the garage controller’s respective app).
Several users on the Google Home beta channel have noticed this new functionality (which appears to have arrived a few weeks ago), including u/Miguelomaniac on Reddit. Our friends at 9to5Google were the first to report on the story and managed to get Google Home working properly with both Tailwind and Nexx (although Nexx is kind of in the pits right now). Readers who commented on 9to5Google‘s story claim that Meross and Wyze garage systems are also compatible.
It’s worth noting that platforms like Home Assistant already allow you to operate garage controllers (and many other items) through Google Home. But Home Assistant and other third-party tools are somewhat complex and difficult to set up. Native integration, like what Google is testing today, is much more valuable to the average user.
As explained by Google in late 2022, the updated Google Home app will place a huge emphasis on live camera feeds and automations (it will even organize security video camera footage by subject). Colorful Material You theming and a script editor (which lets you write routines by hand) are also confirmed, and integrations for niche smart home items (curtains, ovens, robot lawnmowers, etc) are expected.
You can request an invite for the Google Home app beta today. Or, simply wait a few months for the Google Home refresh to officially launch. We should hear more about this update at I/O 2023 on May 10th.
Source: u/Miguelomaniac via 9to5Google
