Google Home Adds 20 New Automation Triggers and Actions

• Key Takeaways:

• Google Home added 20 new "starter" conditions and actions to build finer-grained automations.
• New triggers include media playback and volume levels; actions include arming security, device on/off, blinds and appliance controls.
• The changes appear in Google Home v4.6.55.1 for Android as a staged rollout; availability depends on device support.
• Google’s Anish Kattukaran said more triggers and actions will arrive in the coming weeks.

What’s included in the update

New starters and conditions

Google introduced triggers tied to media and appliance state. You can now use conditions such as "if the TV is playing" or "when the volume is 50%" to start automations.

Other new starters let routines watch brightness levels and check the state of supported smart appliances (running, paused, stopped, error).

New actions you can use

Control and security

Actions allow turning specific devices on or off and arming a security system (Google notes arm-only for now; disarm is not included).

Appliance and device controls

You can start, stop, pause or resume supported appliances and control blinds. There are also commands for robot vacuums (pause, resume, dock) and a stop-only control for light effects on smart bulbs.

Examples

Practical automations include dimming lights to 50% when your TV is playing media, or arming a security system automatically at 10:00 PM every night.

Support, limitations and rollout

Google bundles these changes in Google Home 4.6.55.1 for Android. It is a staged rollout, so the new options may take time to appear on all devices.

Device support varies. Google’s release notes call out select support for washers, dryers and coffee machines, while noting some categories (smart ovens, certain robot mops and vacuums) may not be supported yet.

Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer for Google Home and Gemini for Home, announced the additions and said more triggers and actions are coming in the next few weeks.

Why this matters

These additions make Google Home automations more context-aware and useful for everyday scenarios involving media, timed routines and appliance states.

For smart-home owners, the update lowers friction for multi-step automations without requiring third-party services. Expect incremental improvements as Google expands device compatibility and adds more triggers and actions.

How to get it

Check the Play Store for Google Home v4.6.55.1 and watch for the staged rollout. If the new starters and actions aren’t visible yet, Google’s phased release means they should appear in the coming days or weeks.