The Google Home devices are those smart electronic devices that bring convenience and comfort to your life. These devices make our lives easier by making controlling them easier. So, if you want to move towards a smart lifestyle then investing in Google smart home devices will be an attractive choice.
The smart home devices industry has been constantly growing for a few years. In this article, we will discuss Google Home, a leader in this industry.
What is Google Home?
Google Home is a product line introduced by Google that automates smart home appliances. This product line has multiple options, such as Google Home, Hub, and Mini. All of these provide the platform for connecting your smart appliances and devices. Google Home is a hardware line that is different from Google Assistant.
The main difference between Google Home and Google Assistant is that the Assistant is software, and Home is hardware. These two integrate to provide users with smart home automation features and services.
While Google Home provides the hardware for processing, Google Assistant helps with information retrieval, task assistance, and automation.
What Devices Are Compatible with Google Home?
Google Home is among the industry leaders in home automation and is compatible with a wide range of smart devices. Below are different types of Google Home-compatible devices that you must try.
Smart Home Hub
A smart home hub provides a central point of connection for control and communication among all your smart home devices. Such a device allows you to automate multiple devices without much manual input.
Samsung SmartThings and Philips Hue Bridge are among the best smart home hub options that are compatible with Google Home.
Smart Lock
A smart lock is a door lock that can be operated via a wireless connection through your Google Home. It does not require manual operation to lock or unlock as users can use their mobile phones or smart watches in collaboration with Google Home to unlock.
August Smart Lock Pro and Schlage Encode are leading brands that offer good compatibility and many features for Google Home.
Smart Security Camera
A security camera provides surveillance services, but smart security cameras can do more than that. These cameras come with automatic detection, PTZ, and many other smart features. When combined with Google Home, these features enhance usage convenience and the security experience.
Reolink is a leading brand that you can try for smart security cameras. Argus Track is one of its solar + battery-powered security cameras that comes with PTZ features and color night vision. It provides clear video with 4K dual-lens technology over dual-band Wi-Fi.
4K Dual-Lens Wi-Fi Solar/Battery Camera
4K 8MP Ultra HD, Auto-Zoom Tracking, Pan, Tilt & 6X Hybrid Zoom, Color Night Vision, Dual-Band Wi-Fi.
Smart Video Doorbell
A smart video doorbell gives you a vision of who is at the door and has many smart features. The smart features include an alarm function when it detects some unusual activity within the selected coverage area and night vision functionality. All these features combined with Google Home and smart lock mean added convenience.
The Reolink Wi-Fi video doorbell will be a perfect addition to your home. It provides 5MP clear video and comes with person detection. It works over dual-band Wi-Fi and comes with a night-vision feature through infrared LEDs.
Smart 5MP Video Doorbell with Chime
5MP Super HD Day & Night, Person Detection, 2.4/5 GHz Dual-Band WiFi, 180° Diagonal Viewing Angle, Two-Way Audio, Rich Notification.
Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat is a device that is responsible for smartly controlling a building’s HVAC unit. It can be set up with automation triggered by different environmental conditions. Moreover, the smart thermostat allows manual control via smartphone applications if you are not connecting it to Google Home.
Nest Thermostat and Ecobee SmartThermostat are among the leading brands that are compatible with Google Home.
Smart Plug
Smart plugs fill in the huge gap created by devices that do not have the smart operation functionality in them as a built-in feature. Users can use these plugs at the main voltage line to create a smart system that can be controlled by Google Home and other smartphone assistants.
Belkin and TP-Link make the best smart plugs in terms of features and integration with Google Home.
Smart Bulb
A smart bulb works like a regular bulb with the addition of smart control. The smart control is not only about its periodic operation or light dimming but some options provide color-changing features and connectivity with other smart devices for creating an ecosystem.
Philips and LIFX are famous internationally for having some of the best smart bulbs.
Other Smart Devices
There are many other smart devices like smart faucets, smart sweeping robots, smart coffee makers, and other smart home appliances that you can integrate with Google Home. The leading brands for this type of product include Delta VoiceIQ, Nespresso, iRobot, Roborock, etc.
How to Connect Third-party Devices in the Google Home App?
Google Home is not only compatible with Google smart devices, but it also supports many third-party smart home devices. However, it is important to note that the initial setup experience with those may not be as smooth. Here is our step-by-step guide to follow for connecting your third-party smart home devices in your Google Home app:
- Start the initial setup of your smart home device according to its instructions manual
- Once your smart home device is set up you can connect it to Google Home by opening Google Home App.
- Tap devices and then select add. Here you must select the "Works with Google Home" option.
- Select the maker of your smart home device from the available list.
- Now you must continue with the on-screen steps to finish the connection process.
After completing these steps, you will complete the connection process.
How to Remove Devices from Google Home?
Adding your smart home devices to the Google Home app for convenient control is exciting. However, sometimes that device stops working or you replace it with a better one. That's when you will need to remove it from the Google Home platform. It is a straightforward process, and here are the steps on how to remove devices from Google Home:
- Open your Google Home app and tap + hold the device tile that you want to remove.
- Tap Settings then tap Remove Device.
- Finalize your decision by tapping Remove and that device will be removed from Google Home.
FAQs
1. What is the difference between Nest and Google Home?
Google Home was the range of devices that was rebranded to Google Nest. Now Google Nest devices are available in various shapes and forms and the most popular one is Google Nest Hub that comes with a 7-inch touchscreen on top of a speaker.
Google Nest can listen to your voice commands and perform certain actions or updates accordingly. Google Home is now an app or a software service that connects to your smart home devices and works as the virtual butler.
2. Can I connect any device with Google Home?
Google Home is among the home automation platforms with the widest compatibility for smart home devices. However, that does not mean that you can connect any smart device with it. That device needs to support the Google Home and Google Assistant ecosystem; otherwise, it cannot connect.
Conclusion
Almost every electronic appliance today has smart connectivity features built in. From bulbs to air conditioners and televisions, everything is smart, which allows users to integrate it into automation platforms.
One of those platforms is Google Home, which wirelessly connects to all appliances and allows users to monitor and control their operations conveniently with remote access.