Google Home app now lets you control fans, air purifiers, TVs

The Google Home app lets you control compatible TVs running Android TV or Google TV. It can also help you control fans, air purifiers, TVs, and even vacuum cleaners. TV sets that are compatible with Nest Hub and the Google Home app can now be controlled via the app’s touch controls. Back in August 2022, it was announced that the Google Home app would gain the ability to control popular smart home devices. The controls were supposed to be added to the device’s control page. Now, after the official announcement, users are also seeing the new controls on the Google Home app. According to multiple Reddit users, the new touch controls include the ability to turn the volume up/down, mute/unmute/, power on/off, play/pause, channel, or select Source. These control features were already available for Nest Hub devices, and now they are rolling out for the Google Home app. As per the user reports, the changes are visible in the Google Home app (version 2.62.1.9). Moreover, the new Google Home TV controls are arriving via a server-side update. Also, the controls are available for some but not all of the devices. However, the controls are a bit different from those on Google Cast-enabled TVs and Android TVs. Reportedly, LG and Samsung TV owners are seeing changes in the Google Home app. Do note that this feature isn’t widely rolling out yet, and is available only to a limited set of users. So, if you don’t see new controls, then you might have to wait a bit.