Google Assistant is a great way to set up groups with friends and family. You can ask it to create a group for you, or you can set up a group for your work or school. You can also set up a group for your favorite hobby. To set up a group with Google Assistant, follow these steps:
- Open the Google Home app and type “google assistant.”
- Type “groups” into the search bar and hit enter.
- The Google Assistant will show you a list of groups that are available to join. If you don’t see any groups that match your interests, try again later.
Rooms Make Voice Commands Easier
Without using rooms in the Google Home app, you have to say lengthy commands such as “turn off Living Room Table Lamp and Living Room Floor Lamp.” With rooms, you can simply say “turn off lights” while in your living room and Google will know which devices you mean.
That’s the beauty of organizing your devices into rooms. When you have a smart speaker and some smart lights associated with a specific room in your house, Google knows which lights you’re talking about when the speaker in that room hears a simple command like “turn off the lights.”
How to Add New Devices to Rooms
To add a device to a room, open the Google Home app for iPhone, iPad, or Android and go to the “Devices” tab. Tap the “Add” button in the bottom right.
Tap “New Device” for any Google Home or Chromecast-enabled device, or tap “Works With Google” for external devices like Philips Hue or Kasa. For this example, we’re using the latter option.
Find the service or company for the device you’d like to add. You can use the search bar at the top of the screen to help.
You’ll be guided through the process of linking your account with the service to Google.
Next, go back to the “Devices” tab and look for the “Linked to You” section. Select the device you’d like to add to a room.
Tap the gear icon in the top right on the device page.
First, tap “Home,” select your home, and tap “Next.”
Tap the appropriate room name and then tap “Next.” If necessary, scroll to the bottom, where you’ll see a “Create Room” option that lets you create a name.
You’re all done. Your device will now be associated with that room.
How to Add Existing Devices to Rooms
Devices that have been linked to your Google account, but not designated to a room, are listed at the bottom of the “Devices” tab in the Google Home app under “Linked to You.”
When you select one of these devices, you’ll see a shortcut to “Add to a Room.”
Choose the appropriate Home location and then tap the “Next” button.
Next, tap “Move Device.”
Tap the Room with which you want to associate the device and then tap “Next.”
Grouping your devices in rooms means you can control those rooms by referring to them. If you have grouped devices in a room labeled “bedroom” you can say “Hey Google, turn off the bedroom lights” from anywhere.
Keeping devices grouped in rooms will not only keep your Google Assistant app better organized but will make working with those devices easier. If you have three lights in one room, it’s much easier to say “Turn off the lights” than having to tell it to turn off each light in turn.
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