Google Home adds Favorites widget to Android

Quick access to smart home devices is coming to Android in the form of a new Google Home Favorites widget. This will allow you to control devices, activities and automations directly from your phone’s home screen. Wear OS will also feature a new Favorites and Complications tile that lets you access frequently used devices right from your wrist.

The new Favorites widget allows you to view and interact with your most frequently used devices directly from your home screen without having to open the Google Home app.

Currently, the easiest way to do this is by tapping the Home app shortcut tile, but this will open the full app. An interactive widget should be generally faster when it comes to turning on lights, closing doors, or checking the temperature.

As with most widgets, it is adjustable in size, so it would be ideal to have an entire page with smart home controls (just me?). The widget is available to people registered for the public preview of the Google Home app starting today, May 30.

A new tile and complications with your favorite Wear OS devices bring similar functionality to your wrist. The tile, which can be accessed by swiping left, allows you to quickly control up to five devices. Clicking the icon takes you to the device controls in the Wear OS Home app, where you can unlock the doors, dim the lights, or adjust the thermostat.

The complication can be set to control a specific device directly from the watch face, such as a fan or light, and tapping it will take you directly to controls in the Home app.

The Google Home tile and complications for Wear OS will be available today, May 30, on devices running Wear OS 3 or later.