Google Home’s latest update brings long-requested automation tweaks and more
Source: Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Google Home app now includes pre‑defined voice assistant actions in the automation editor.
- Users can delete built‑in routines such as “Good morning” and “Bedtime.”
- The web version of Google Home supports continuous video‑clip downloads of up to five minutes.
New pre‑defined voice assistant actions
The biggest change is the addition of pre‑defined voice assistant actions in the automation editor. Instead of typing custom commands each time, you can pick from a list of common actions and add them with a tap. These actions appear under the Devices action type and work on compatible devices.
Available actions
- Announce the current time
- Announce today’s weather
- Ask what time to set an alarm
- Play a chime
- Play music
- Play news
- Play a podcast
- Play radio
- Play sleep sounds
- Tell a joke
These actions are currently limited to the Google Home app’s automation editor and do not yet work with Ask Home or Help me create.
You can finally delete pre‑made routines
Google has added the long‑requested ability to delete built‑in routines (e.g., “Good morning,” “Bedtime”). Removing these routines frees up space for the custom automations you actually use and reduces clutter in the automations list.
Easier way to send automation feedback
Reporting problems with automations is now simpler: tap and hold an automation to open a feedback menu, then select the issue you encountered. This streamlines the process of reporting bugs as they occur.
Better video‑clip downloads on Google Home for web
The web version of Google Home now supports continuous video‑clip downloads of up to five minutes. Longer camera clips will no longer be split into awkward chunks, even when they consist of multiple short events.