Google Home Stories August 5
With the launch of Nest Wifi, the Google Home app added a number of controls for managing your network. While Google Wifi devices are able to get this Assistant integration, the factory reset required is an inconvenience. Fortunately, the Google Home app is now adding support for importing Wifi networks.
Google Home Stories July 31
Google’s Chromecast has been one of the most popular streaming devices ever, but it doesn’t get major updates too often. This week, Google has detailed a handy update coming to Chromecast devices that offers more reliable controls and persistent volume.
Google Home Stories July 27
[Update: More widely rolling out] Android TV’s Ambient Mode adds Google Photos support
Unlike Smart Displays, Android-powered televisions not in active use will just cycle through generic images and artwork. Some Android TV users are now reporting that the Ambient Mode is picking up support for Google Photos.
Google Home Stories July 16
While more and more devices are getting “smart” equivalents today, one way to modernize existing products is with smart plugs. The Google Home app now lets you set what a plug is controlling through “device types.”
At I/O 2017, Kotlin became an officially-supported programming language for Android, and last year, Google encouraged developers to use it over Java. The Google Home app is migrating over, with end-users benefiting from a reduction in crashes.
Google Home Stories July 8
While the Nest to Google Account migration started last year, some device functionality still requires the Nest app. Google’s Smart Home Virtual Summit detailed how the key Home/Away functionality is soon coming to Assistant and new “Works with Hey Google” branding, while one slide also revealed a deeper level of Nest Thermostat integration inside the Google Home app.
