Meet the Google Home app

The Google Home app helps you set up and control Google Nest thermostats, cameras, doorbells, speakers and displays, Chromecast, and thousands of other compatible devices. You can also check your reminders and recent notifications, all from a single app. Use this article to learn more about the Home app and how to use it to control your home.

Get the latest version of the Google Home app

Download or update the Google Home app from the Google Play Store.

Ways to use the Google Home app

Set up Google devices such as cameras, speakers, displays, Wi-Fi routers, and Chromecast products.
Control, organize and manage Google Nest and compatible devices (look for the Works with Hey Google or Works with Google Home badge) from other companies including lights, door sensors, smart vacuums, temperature sensors, TVs, Matter supported products (look for the Matter logo on the package), and more.
Use the Google Assistant on your mobile device to call your Home to ring all your devices linked to Duo, or to Broadcast a message from your Google Assistant speakers and displays.
Create and manage routines using your devices and the Google Assistant for your home.
Change settings and preferences for your devices, Google Assistant, your Google Account and more.

Navigating the Home app

The Home app is divided into several sections to help you easily find what you need.

Favorites

You can add or remove devices to Favorites for quick and easy access. To open the controls for a device, touch and hold its device tile. Some device tiles show the device status or have some controls.

The Favorites section is customizable so you can pin the devices, rooms, automations, actions that you want quick access to, and check the device state.

Customize Favorites

To change which devices you have on Favorites, scroll down and tap Edit .
- To add more tiles, check the box next to the tile.
- To remove tiles, uncheck the box next to the tile.
To organize your devices, tap Reorder to drag the tiles into the position you want.

Tapping on a Favorites tile will open the controls for your cameras, thermostats, speakers and displays, Chromecast, and other smart devices.

Other key features in Favorites

Home name / picker: The name of your home appears on top of the Favorites section. If you have multiple homes set up, you can tap your home name to switch between homes.
Inbox: Favorites also has the Inbox , which is where you can find important notifications about your home, such as device issues, suggested automations, invitations to join a home, and more.
Device categories: These appear at the top of the Favorites section:
- Cameras: Shows the video feed from your camera. If you have more than one compatible camera, you will see them in a single view.
- Lighting: Switches your compatible smart lights on or off. Control all the lights in your home or only the lights in a specific room.
- Wi-Fi: Runs speed tests and manages your Nest Wifi or Google Wifi network and settings.
- Climate: Opens the controls for your compatible thermostat. If you have more than one smart thermostat, you can choose which one to control.
Media mini-player: shows what media you’re currently playing and which device it’s playing on. If you have more than one device, you can choose to stream from one device to another. You can start or stop the media with a single tap.

Devices

In Devices , you can see all the devices that you’ve added to your home organized by the room that they’re assigned to. To open the controls for a device, touch and hold its device tile. Some device tiles will show the device status or some controls.

Device controls

From Favorites or Devices , touch and hold your device's tile to control or access all of its settings. Different types of devices have different controls, and some controls may be on the device tile itself.

Google Nest and Home speakers and displays - Control the speaker's volume and EQ (equalization) or access settings. You can also play, pause, skip forward or backward in a song, podcast or audiobook, or stop casting.
Cameras - View the live video stream from your compatible cameras. Newer cameras also let you change settings and view history.
Thermostat - Adjust your compatible thermostat's set point, change modes, and check the ambient temperature. Depending on the thermostat model, you may be able to change other settings.
Chromecast devices - Control the display's volume or access settings. You can also play, pause, skip forward or backward in a video, movie or TV show, or stop casting.
Lights - Turn your compatible smart lights on and off and adjust their brightness, if supported.
Smart plugs - Turn your compatible smart plug on and off.
Speaker Groups - Access the group's settings.

Automations

Automations shows all the automations you currently use, and suggested automations that work with the devices in your home.

To learn more about Automations, please visit this help center article.

Activity

Activity shows your home’s history, which includes events captured by cameras, interactions with Google Assistant, device states, and more.

If you want to look for specific types of activity, you can tap Filter to select what you want to appear. Pick from any combination of events and devices to find what’s most important to you. Select the filters you want to use and tap Save.

Settings

Settings is where you can view your home’s information, members, add devices, create new rooms and groups, see which services you have enabled, and more,

Account menu

Use the account menu to change settings and preferences for your devices, Google Assistant, your Google Account and more.

Tap your account in the top right of any of the main app screens.
Tap to open the menu.
- Add another account – Set up devices and services, add household members, and create speaker groups and homes.
- Manage accounts on this device – (To find, tap the down arrow next to your account.) Add or remove accounts.
- Help – Access the Chromecast and Google Nest Help Centers. Get answers to questions and troubleshooting information.
- Feedback – Submit a feedback report for your speakers and displays, Chromecast, and Chromecast built-in devices.