Control smart devices with your Android phone or tablet

You can quickly add controls for compatible smart home devices like thermostats, lights, locks and cameras from your Android phone or tablet. Turn devices on or off and change some of their settings without the need to open an app.

Home controls and the home panel work with compatible smart home devices that you connect and can control in the Google Home app .

• Home controls are only available on phones with Android 11 or higher.
• The home panel is only available on devices with Android 14 or higher.
• Hub Mode is only available on Pixel Tablets attached to a Charging Speaker Dock.
• Before you control smart devices in home controls, the home panel or the Google Home app, make sure that you update your mobile device's Android version.

Set up home controls or the home panel

Home controls (Android 11 or higher)

If you haven't already, use your phone or tablet to set up your smart devices in the Google Home app. Compatible devices will be added automatically to home controls.

Home panel (Android 14 or higher)

Compatible devices that you add to your favourites in the Google Home app will be added to the home panel. Learn more about the Google Home app.

To set up how you access your home panel on your lock screen:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Display and touch  Lock screen tap an option.

Use device controls: Turn this on to control your devices without unlocking your screen. Some devices can't be controlled when your device is locked.

The first time that you open home controls or the home panel, your compatible favourites in the Google Home app will be added automatically.

With the Pixel Tablet, set up Hub Mode to check live cameras. Through Hub Mode, you can also allow everyone at home to control devices when your tablet is locked and docked. You still need to unlock your tablet to control sensitive devices and change settings.

Control connected devices

Home controls (Android 11 or higher)

If your mobile device doesn't have the home panel, hold the power button to access device controls. To add more devices, go to the home controls screen and tap More Add controls.

Home panel (Android 14 or higher)

Pixel devices with Android 14 or higher have the home panel.

To control the devices and automations in your Google Home favourites list, tap the Home icon  on your device's lock screen. You can also swipe down to open Quick Settings tap Home.

On the home controls screen or the home panel, you can:

• Turn devices on or off
• Change brightness for lights
• Change thermostat temperature
• Get live videos from cameras
• Pause music or videos
• Control smart locks

Note: You can only control locks that can be unlocked with the Google Home app . You also need to unlock your phone or tablet to access sensitive controls like cameras and locks. On a Pixel Tablet in Hub Mode, anyone in your home can view cameras or access camera controls.

Choose which devices appear in home controls or the home panel

Home controls (Android 11 or higher)

1. Press and hold the power button on your phone or tablet.
2. Above the controls on the right, tap More Edit controls.
3. To remove a device, tap the tick box next to the device name. To rearrange a device, drag the device name.
4. Tap Save.

Home panel (Android 14 or higher)

1. Wake your phone or tablet to display the lock screen.
   • Tip: You can press the power button, tap the screen or lift the device.
2. Swipe down to open Quick Settings tap Home or tap the Home icon  on the lock screen.
3. Scroll down to the 'Edit' and 'Reorder' buttons.
   • To remove a device, tap Edit unlock your device if needed tap the tick box next to the device name.
   • To rearrange devices, tap Reorder unlock your device if needed tap and hold a device tile drag it to the desired location.
     • Tip: If you edit or reorder devices here, they'll also be updated on the favourites tab in Google Home app , and vice versa.
4. Tap Save.

Home panel (Pixel Tablet)

By default, your Pixel Tablet home panel shows the same devices as your Favourites tab in the Google Home app on your phone. To keep your home panel synced to Favourites on your phone, follow the instructions for home panel (Android 14 or higher).

To display a different set of devices in the home panel, you can customise your Pixel Tablet's list of favourites. However, once you make your Pixel Tablet favourites unique, they will no longer sync with the Favourites list in the Google Home app .

First-time setup of Pixel Tablet favourites

If you don't have a favourites list yet for your Pixel Tablet, set it up from the lock screen or in the Google Home app:

1. Choose where to start your setup.
   • From the tablet display lock screen: Swipe down to open Quick Settings, then tap Home. You can also tap the home icon on the lock screen.
   • From the Google Home app: Open the Google Home app in your Pixel Tablet, then tap Favourites .
2. At the bottom right, tap Edit.
3. A prompt with the message 'Edit unique favourites for Pixel Tablet?' will appear.
   • Tap Save to continue.
   • Tap No, thanks to disagree and close the prompt.
4. Add or remove your favourite devices by tapping the tick boxes next to their name.
5. Tap Save. A 'Saved to Pixel Tablet' notification will appear at the bottom left of the screen.

Edit your unique favourites

If you already have a favourites list set up in your Google Home app, you can create a unique favourites list for your Pixel Tablet. Once created, the unique favourites list in your Pixel Tablet will not be synced to the Home app's version any more.

1. Choose where you want to start your edit.
   • From the tablet display lock screen: Swipe down to open Quick Settings, then tap Home. You can also tap the home icon on the lock screen Edit.
   • From the Google Home app: Open the Google Home app in your Pixel Tablet, then tap Favourites Edit.
2. At the top right, tap More Unique favourites.
3. A prompt with the message 'Edit unique favourites for Pixel Tablet?' will appear.
   • Tap Save to continue.
   • Tap Cancel to disagree and close the prompt.
4. Add or remove your favourite devices by tapping the tick boxes next to their name.
5. At the bottom right, tap Save. A 'Saved to Pixel Tablet' notification will appear at the bottom left of the screen.

Reset your Pixel Tablet's unique favourites

1. Open the Home app in your Pixel Tablet.
2. Tap Favourites Edit More .
3. Tap Reset favourites and a 'Reset favourites for Pixel Tablet?' prompt will appear.
   • Tap Reset to continue.
   • Tap Cancel to disagree and close the prompt.
4. After you tap Reset, a 'Reset favourites on Pixel Tablet' notification will appear at the bottom left of the screen.

Tip: After reset, your Pixel Tablet favourites will sync again with your favourites in the Google Home app.

Use the home controls screen saver (Android 15 or higher)

Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 15 and up. Learn how to update your Android version.

The home controls screen saver lets you use your phone or tablet as an always on smart home controller while it's locked and charging.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Display and touch Screen saver.
3. Turn on Use screen saver.
4. Scroll down and tap Home controls.

Choose when your screen saver starts

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Display and touch Screen saver When to start.
   • Tap While charging to have access to home controls without docking your device.
   • Tap While docked and charging to only turn on the home controls screen saver when docked.

Related resources

• Control smart home devices with the home panel on your Pixel Tablet
• Control your smart home devices with the Gemini mobile app