Control your smart home from your phone screen: Google Home widget appears on Android: Tech: Tech Times

Author: Quincy Jon, Tech Times
May 30, 2024 7:02 PM EDT

Google has unveiled the Google Home Favorites widget for Android, which allows users to control smart home electronics from their phone’s home screen.

The new Google Home Favorites widget lets you access devices, activities, and automation without opening the app (according to The Verge). Users can control their most frequently used smart home devices from the home screen, such as lights, locks and thermostats.

Use the new Google Home widget to change or access frequently used smart home devices throughout the day without opening the app. Moreover, according to Android Authority, Android users can adjust the widget size to change the home screen layout for smart home control.

The Google Home Favorites widget was made available to Google Home public preview users on May 30. By default, installing this version disables the widget and probably waits for the server to be activated. At the moment, the exact date when the widget will be made available to all users by the technology giant is not known.

Additionally, Google has launched a “Favorites” tile and complication on Wear OS and a widget for Android. This feature allows customers to access frequently used gadgets on their wrists, such as smartwatches. If you swipe the tile to the left, you can quickly control up to five devices by tapping the icon in the Wear OS Home app.

The Favorites feature in Wear OS can activate a fan or light on your watch’s display. Users can access device controls in the Home app by tapping on complexity,

Devices running Wear OS 3 and later will receive a new Google Home tile and complications on May 30. Users must first set up their selected devices in the Favorites area of the Google Home app to access the Wear OS widget and features.

This new widget requires a Google Home Public Preview membership. According to the Google News Telegram channel, the feature is expected to be rolled out to all Google users soon.

Android Auto 12.0: improved stability, compatibility

Among other improvements, Google also released Android Auto 12.0, its latest in-car infotainment system with new apps and features to enhance the driving experience, TechTimes recently reported.

Google Assistant with Google Home devices for connected smart homes is unveiled at the Alphabets Google Android Plaza during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 5, 2023.
(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Android Auto 12.0 adds additional apps, making it more flexible and user-friendly. The most anticipated additions are YouTube and Netflix, which are only available when the car is parked. This feature benefits drivers and passengers who spend time in parked cars, as Android Auto now offers web browsers and games in addition to navigation and audio.

Google has improved system stability and vehicle model compatibility. The update has been rigorously beta tested to find and resolve bugs, improving the user experience. These improvements reduce breakdowns and glitches, keeping your infotainment system running smoothly.

Drivers can download Android Auto 12.0 from Google Play. APK Mirror allows you to manually install the APK. For security reasons, users should avoid downloading from untrusted sources.

Also read: Fitbit launches Ace LTE: a fun tracker for kids with games and news

Goodbye Chromecast

In a separate update, Google has renamed “Chromecast Built-in” to “Google Cast.” At I/O 2024, Google quietly reintroduced “Google Cast” instead of 2016’s “Chromecast built-in.”

LG announced Google Cast and Google Home compatibility on its 2024 webOS TVs at CES. Google says LG TV customers can quickly stream videos from their phones or Chrome browsers with the press of the Cast button.

During I/O, Google announced that the Android Automotive operating system will support Google Cast technology. Cars now integrate Casting, improving in-car entertainment.

According to Google Support, Google Cast now offers multi-screen TV and audio with speakers. The name may include “Google” to emphasize your brand identity. It’s worth noting that Android.com now redirects chromecast.com/builtin to a rebranded page.

The core features and capabilities of Google Cast remain unchanged, although the corresponding device packaging will now indicate the transition from “Chromecast built-in” to “Google Cast.”

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