Google Revealed It’s Working on Multiple Projects for Its Smart Home Platform

Introduction

Several new initiatives are in the works for Google Home, the company’s smart home platform. One of the most important is the addition of an offline mode. The present implementation of Google Home, as described by Android Authority, involves the device first transmitting orders through business servers before impacting your network. It can be rather frustrating for homeowners when their internet goes out because they cannot send any requests. The offline mode will solve this problem head-on by allowing for control at the local level.

It may be prudent for the team to take their time fixing the holes, given that Wyze experienced (yet another) security breach and service outage. That might be the full scope of what the Google Home development team is up to at the moment. Aside from the team’s assurances, we didn’t find anything significant in the almost a thousand comments.

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Why Does This News Matter?

Improving interaction with third-party businesses such as Wyze and Eufy is another area the team is actively working on. A few respondents questioned Google’s decision to prioritize Nest devices above supporting other brands’ hardware. Regarding the delays, they state that “security and quality controls” are to blame. To make sure everything goes smoothly, collaboration with partners is key for projects like these.

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But the feature rollout might not happen for some time. A Google developer informed a commenter that the company is putting more effort into localizing device interaction routing using the Matter standard. They want to build a solid, low-latency software base first, therefore they’re doing this. There is an ecosystem full of gear that should work together, but alas, does not, because the older models are incompatible with the latest version of Google Home. Currently, support is inconsistent. It has been quite difficult, according to another developer, to update the firmware for those older devices. By today’s technological standards, a few of them are as old as the hills, having debuted in 2015. Some of them are compatible with Google Home; for example, the first Nest Cam Indoor.

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Benefits

1. Offline Control: Google Home’s new offline mode allows homeowners to control devices locally, even when the internet connection is lost.
2. Improved Compatibility: Efforts are underway to ensure older devices work seamlessly with the latest version of Google Home.
3. Enhanced Third-Party Integration: The Google Home team is actively collaborating with brands like Wyze and Eufy to improve interaction.
4. Focus on Security: Delays in feature rollout are attributed to prioritizing security and quality controls for seamless user experience.
5. Mitigating Security Risks: Given recent security breaches, the team is diligently addressing vulnerabilities to safeguard user data.