Google Home is testing a new automation editor that adds “flexibility and convenience to control your smart home with a refreshed look.”
On Android, go to Google Home’s Automations tab and tap the “Create” FAB for “New automation.” This takes you to a new editor that starts by letting you add a name and optional description.
Tapping the ‘plus’ (which is a limited touch target) next to Starters, Conditions (optional), and Actions slides up a sheet:
- Starter: Device, Presence, “Hey Google,” Schedule
- Conditions: Presence, Time, Days of the week, Device
- Actions: Broadcast, Device, Notify, Time Delay, and Ask Google
Various Material 3 Expressive elements are leveraged throughout the redesigned editor. You can swipe to delete a starter, condition, or action, while there’s a high-level Activate/Deactivate switcher. It’s a much-needed modernization.
Of note is the “new conditions section with device state and presence conditions to control when your automation runs.”
Google is “actively working to move all existing features to this new automation editor.” From the three-dot overflow menu in the corner, you can switch back to the “Previous household editor.” At the moment, it’s “only available for Household Routines.”
- “For Personal Routines, follow the steps in Create and manage Routines in Google Home.”
- “Other household members who use Android devices and are in the US can check and start the Household Routines you create with the new editor. They can also edit these Routines on Android devices if they’ve opted in to Public Preview.”
The new automations editor is currently available in the Google Home Public Preview program for Android users in the US.
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