Google Home users can now take advantage of a new feature that allows them to control their smart home devices using buttons. The recent update on February 2 introduces support for smart buttons, physical and programmable switches, enabling users to trigger automations or control various devices with the press of a button.
This new functionality expands the options for managing smart home tasks, such as adjusting lights, operating shades, activating scenes, or initiating a robot vacuum. Unlike relying solely on voice commands or app interfaces, smart buttons offer a convenient hands-on approach with options for single press, double press, and long press actions.
The introduction of this feature fills a notable gap in the Google Home platform’s capabilities, as major smart home platforms like Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant have long supported button controls for connected devices. The integration of the Matter interoperability standard further streamlines the process of managing devices with buttons across different ecosystems.
Users can now leverage the ‘Switch or button is pressed’ function within the Google Home app, enhancing their control over smart devices through various press actions.
Source: The Verge