It took Google a while, but it finally rolled out Gemini integration to Google Home last year. Despite being rolled out as early access to limited users, it greatly improves the overall smart home experience. Unfortunately, you might be experiencing issues with Google Home this morning, with reports pouring in from frustrated users about their lights and switches showing up as offline and automations failing to run.
Over the last few hours, Google Home users have taken to Reddit to complain about their smart lights, switches, and power outlets appearing offline in the Google Home app. This is despite these smart home items being live and controllable from their respective apps. The issue only seems to affect certain categories of devices, with cameras, TVs, and other smart appliances still showing live.
It also appears that, despite Google Home showing some smart devices as offline, they can be controlled through voice using Gemini.
There have also been sporadic reports of Google Home automations failing to run. Worse, affected automations often can’t be edited or deleted. One Reddit user notes how the automations appear on his Pixel phone despite deleting them from his iPad.
Another Google Home user reports that while automations run correctly through the Google Home app, they fail to trigger when using voice commands.
Restarting the affected devices or re-adding them to Google Home doesn’t work either. All signs point to this being a server-side outage from Google’s side, so your only option is to wait until the company rectifies the problem from its end.
The official Google Nest Community account has acknowledged the issue that’s causing some devices to show up as offline in the Google Home app.
Despite the problems, Google Home has made progress
While this Google Home outage is frustrating, to Google’s credit, it has improved the Google Home experience tremendously in the last few months.
Besides Gemini integration, it rolled out faster and more reliable device controls, upgraded Home and Away automations with more advanced conditions, actions, and starters. Earlier this month, the company rolled out an additional 20 starters, conditions, and actions, enabling you to create more granular automations.
