How to Set up the Google Home App
Even without devices like the Google Mini or Google Nest Displays, the Google Home app can do a lot when it comes to your smart home: It acts as a control panel for all your smart devices. And if you use Google Wi-Fi routers , all the information about your Wi-Fi network, including your current connection speed and the devices using the network, is contained there. You can even prioritize or block devices on a network or change the network name.
In short, the Google Home app can serve as a digital hub for all your automation and record all the activities on your devices from Google Home. It’s a powerful app and takes almost no time to install.
Download the Google Home app on your mobile device.
You might think that Google Home is an Android exclusive, but if you’d rather skip Apple’s Homekit app, you can also use Google Home on your iPhone . While you’ll need a Google account to set up the app, you don’t actually need any smart devices yet.
Link your Google Account to Google Home
To set up the app, you’ll need a Google account, such as Gmail. If you have multiple Google accounts, carefully consider which one you’ll use. Setting up home devices for a work account may not be a good idea; you want to make sure that this is an account that only you can manage.
In the lower right corner of the screen, you will see a button that says “Get Started.” Click on this button to continue. On the next screen, enter the Gmail account you have chosen to use. You may have to enter your account password even if you’re already signed in on your mobile device.
Add services to Google Home
You should now return to the main screen and see the “Service Link” option. While it’s not required, you’ll find that linking media services to your account can be helpful. For example, if you want to ask Google to play a specific song, it will fetch that song from Spotify, but only if you have a Spotify account.
You’ll see all the available services from YouTube to Netflix and can move down the list.
Set up your new home in the Google Home app
Google wants to know where you are so it can provide you with more accurate information. For example, to tell you the time, it needs to know your time zone. To tell you the weather, it needs your address. When you add devices, it wants to know what room they’re in, so when you say “turn off the living room lights,” it knows what kind of lighting you’re talking about. All of these tasks start with setting up your Google home. You’ll likely only have one (the house you live in), but if you have Google set up in your office or second home, you can add additional houses.
By clicking the “Get Started” button in the center of the home screen, you can set up your first home. Google will ask for a name; you can call it whatever you want, including just “home.” Google will help you add your address, which is optional, but for the reasons above, you should probably include it.
Adding devices to Google Home
At this point, Google Home is configured. You don’t need to add a device, but that’s probably why you were interested in the Home app in the first place, so let’s add it. If you have a Smart TV, any Google device from a Chromecast to a Nest device, or any other smart device, it most likely works with Google Home and can be added. So, to get started, go to “New Device” and you will be asked to help classify the device type:
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Materia Enabled Device: Your device will be very clear that Materia is enabled if it is. This should be somewhere on the packaging or in the name of the device.
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Google Nest or partner device: Anything from Google’s line, such as Mini , Chromecast or Nest.
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Works with Google Home: This is any device that has its own app that you’ve already added the device to. For example, Meross devices, SmartThings, Eufy, iRobot , Govee , LG, Leviton , etc. Google Home has thousands of integrations and clicking on this option will show you all the ecosystems that are associated with Google.
Depending on what you choose, the next steps will vary. On your Google Nest device, you’ll be prompted to turn on Bluetooth and the device will search. Once it finds a device, it will perform a series of guided steps to connect to the device via Wi-Fi, then give the device a name and assign it to a specific room.
For third-party devices that work with Google Home, you simply need to find the service and then allow it to connect to Google Home. You will log into the back office and then be asked which rooms to place the devices in.
For Matter devices, you will be prompted to scan a QR code that appears somewhere on the device, which will trigger some guided actions to connect to the device.
Managing devices in Google Home
From the Devices tab, you can monitor and manage these home devices. By long pressing on one of them you can access its settings. You can move rooms or change any other settings available through the control panel. On some devices, especially those that “Work with Google” but have their own app, you will likely have fewer controls in Google Home than in their native app, but you will always be able to turn the device on and off.
Now that Google Home is installed and connected, start automating and adding Google Assistant.