Google Home Automations Get Smarter with New Triggers and Actions

Daily Technology

14/01/2026

Google is significantly enhancing the automation capabilities within the Google Home app, introducing a host of new starter conditions and actions. This update allows users to create more sophisticated and granular smart home routines, moving beyond basic commands to more dynamic and responsive automations.

Key Takeaways

Google Home app now supports 20 new starter conditions and actions for advanced automations.
New triggers include media playback status, volume levels, and smart appliance states.
Expanded actions allow control over specific devices, security systems, blinds, and robot vacuums.
These updates aim to make smart homes more intuitive and personalized.

Enhanced Automation Capabilities

Google has rolled out a significant update to its Home app, focusing on empowering users with more robust automation features. Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer for Google Home and Gemini for Home, announced the addition of 20 new starter conditions and actions. This expansion enables the creation of more complex and finely tuned smart home routines.

For instance, users can now set up automations such as dimming lights to 50% when the TV is playing media, or automatically arming the security system every night at 10:00 PM. These new capabilities allow for a more integrated and responsive smart home experience.

New Triggers and Actions Detailed

The latest update introduces a variety of new triggers and actions to build more dynamic routines:

Starters/Conditions:

Control volume on media devices (e.g., "When the volume is 50...")
Monitor media playback status (playing, paused, buffering, not playing) (e.g., "When the speaker is paused...")
Set specific brightness levels for lights (e.g., "When the brightness is above 80%")
Check the operational state of smart appliances (stopped, running, paused, error) (e.g., "When the washer is running...")

Actions:

Turn specific devices on or off (e.g., "...turn off the coffee machine")
Arm a security system (disarming is not yet supported) (e.g., "...arm the security system")
Open and close blinds (e.g., "...open the living room blinds")
Control robot vacuums (pause, resume, dock) (e.g., "...pause the vacuum")
Start, stop, resume, or pause smart appliances like washers, dryers, and coffee machines (e.g., "...start the coffee machine")
Control light effects on smart bulbs (stop light effects only) (e.g., "...stop the light effect")

It's important to note that support for smart appliance states and actions may vary by device. Currently, ovens, robot vacuums, and robot mops have limited support in these new automation features.

Future Updates and Availability

Google has indicated that more triggers and actions will be released in the coming weeks, further expanding the potential for smart home automation. The new features are available as part of Google Home version 4.6.55.1 for Android. As this is a phased rollout, users may need to wait a short period for the update to become available on their devices.

For those interested in staying updated on Google Home's evolving automation features, a dedicated newsletter is available for focused coverage and practical use cases.

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