Google Home App Receives Major update: Enhanced Device Control, Customizable Automations, and Performance Improvements
Mountain View, CA – october 26, 2023 – Google has released a meaningful update to the Google Home app, version 4.3, bringing improvements to device controls, automation capabilities, and overall app stability.The update,rolling out now with a gradual rollout for some features,aims to provide a more responsive and customizable smart home experience for users.
A key feature of the update is improved device controls for lights, plugs, and switches. Google details that these controls have been “refreshed,including quicker access to common actions with new shortcuts.” Android users will also benefit from local control of Matter-supported devices, resulting in “improved reliability and up to 2x faster response time.”
The update also introduces a revamped automation editor for “Home” and “Away” routines. Users can now fully customize these automations with conditions, new actions, and starters. Google confirms existing automations will continue to function without user intervention, and offers more granular control over camera and thermostat actions within their respective device settings.
further enhancements include improved camera feedback options. Users can now share specific feedback on camera AI descriptions, including reporting instances of a “Missed familiar face,” and provide thumbs up/down ratings on identified faces to refine facial recognition accuracy.
Alongside these major features, version 4.3 addresses several bug fixes, including crashes during device setup and casting sessions on Android. Issues with the Ask Home onboarding process and thermostat photo display have also been resolved.
The Google Home app update (version 4.3) is available now on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.chromecast.app.
