Control smart home devices with Google Assistant

You can control smart home devices including lights, switches, outlets, and thermostats using your Google Assistant.  

Use your Google Assistant

Important: The languages you can use depend on the device. Learn which languages work on your device.

Get started

Learn how to set up and control your smart home devices. If you use the Google Assistant on a speaker, Smart Display, or Smart Clock, refer to Control smart home devices.

Smart devices you'll need

You’ll need smart devices that work with your Google Assistant. Explore devices you can use.

Android iPhone & iPad

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Step 1: Set up your devices

If you haven’t already, to set up your smart home devices, follow the instructions provided by the device manufacturer.

Step 2: Connect devices to your Google Assistant

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Home app .
2. At the top, tap Add .
3. Tap Set up device.
4. Under "Works with Google," tap Have something already set up?
5. Tap the manufacturer, then follow the steps.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 3: Set nicknames for devices

You can choose names to call your smart home devices, such as "ceiling light" or "Ben’s lamp."

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Home app .
2. At the bottom, tap Home .
3. Touch and hold the device you want to rename.
4. At the top right, tap Device settings Device information Device name.
5. Enter the new name.
6. Tap Save.

Step 4: Assign devices to a room

To control your devices more easily, assign them to a room. For example, if you assign lights to your bedroom, you can say "Turn on lights in the bedroom."

Step 5: Control devices with commands

Disconnect devices from your Google Assistant

If you no longer want to control your smart home devices with your Assistant, you can disconnect your account.

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Home app .
2. At the top right, tap your Profile picture or initial Assistant settings.
3. Under "All settings," tap Home control.
4. Under "Linked services," tap the account you want to disconnect Unlink account Unlink.

Fix problems

Control your Smart Clock

For most actions, you can control the screen with your hands or your voice.

The Google Assistant is available on Smart Clocks in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish.

Smart Clock & Smart Display differences

Your Smart Clock is designed for the bedroom, so it has different capabilities than Smart Displays. As a result, the following features aren’t available on Smart Clocks.

• No video playback, but you can cast videos to Chromecast-enabled TVs.
• No camera.

Set & edit an alarm

To set an alarm, swipe down from the top of the screen or ask the Google Assistant to set an alarm.

To view your set alarms, swipe left on the home screen or ask the Google Assistant what alarms are set.

To change an alarm, like its time, alarm sound, or if it triggers a routine:

1. On your Smart Clock home screen, swipe left.
2. Pick an alarm.
3. Scroll for different options.
4. To change an option, tap it.

Use your clock

• Find quick actions: From the top of the screen, swipe down.
• Go back to the previous screen: From the left edge of the screen, swipe right or say "Hey Google, go back."
• Go to the Home screen: Swipe right or say "Hey Google, go Home."
• Change the volume: Use the buttons on the device or change the volume with your voice.
• Silence notifications: Swipe up, then tap Do not disturb .
  • Alarms and timers still work when “Do Not Disturb” is on.
• Turn your microphone on or off: On the back of your Smart Clock, use the switch.
• Night light: From the top of the screen, swipe down and tap on.

Change your clock's setting

Group your Google Assistant devices

You can create groups of speakers, Smart Displays, and Smart Clocks so all of your devices play the same audio throughout your house.

This feature doesn't work on Bose or Sonos speakers that have the Google Assistant.

What you need

You can group speakers, Smart Displays, and Smart Clocks in any combination. To combine smart devices, you need 2 or more of the following devices:

• Google Home
• Google Nest Speakers
• Chromecast (2nd generation and above)
• Smart Displays with Google Assistant
• Chromecast Audio
• Speakers with Chromecast built-in
• Smart Clock

Step 1: Create a group

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Add Create speaker group.
3. Tap each device you want to include in the group.
4. Enter a name for the group.
5. Tap Save.

To change the devices in an existing group:

1. Open the speaker group.
2. Tap Settings Choose devices.

To delete a group:

1. Open the speaker group.
2. tap Settings Delete group Delete.

Step 2: Change where audio is played

After you start playing audio on one device, you can ask the Google Assistant to move the audio to other devices.

Play audio on multiple devices

To play audio on more devices, say “Hey Google,” then say which devices you want to add.

You can say commands like:

• “Add Living Room display to the music.”

• “Play the music on the Kitchen speaker too.”

On Smart Displays, to add more devices, you can tap the group name on the full screen media view.

Step 3: Play audio

To play audio on the speaker group, say "Hey Google," and include the group name in your request.

You can say commands like:

• "Play rock music on [group name]."
• "Listen to the news on [group name]."
• "Play [podcast name] on [group name]."

You can automatically play audio from the device group when you open the Google Home app and make the group your default media player.

Step 4: Control audio

Control playback

• Use your voice: With your single device, use the same commands.
• Use the Google Home app: Tap the speaker group you want to control, then use the audio controls.
• Use a device: Use the buttons on your device's screen.

Control volume

• Use your voice: With your single device, use the same commands. Volume commands will only work on the nearest device unless you include the group name in your command.
• Use the Google Home app: Tap the speaker group that you want to control. Above the volume wheel, tap Speakers and adjust the volume for each device.
• Use a Smart Display: From the full screen media view, at the bottom left, tap your speaker group. Use the slider to adjust the volume of an individual speaker or all of the speakers.