Get even more out of Google Home and Google Assistant with these helpful tips. Link products and services for even more convenience and add other people to your smart home.
Getting more out of Google Home and Google Assistant
The Google Home and the Google Assistant are doing well in the Netherlands. According to Google, the Netherlands is at the forefront when it comes to embracing the virtual assistant. Nowhere else in the world has the smart assistant been used as often in the first months as in our country. Since the arrival of Google Home, it is also possible to control your smart home with your voice. For example, you can ask to turn on the light, turn the thermostat a degree warmer or, for example, turn on a smart switch. The Google Home app has often been provided with an update in recent months, which was certainly necessary. Nevertheless, the app sometimes remains unclear, making it unclear which function you can find exactly where. In this article, we’ll tell you useful tips and fun facts for the Google Home app to get more out of Google Home and Google Assistant.
Add people to Google Home
It supports up to six different people in a house. So it can also recognize six different people by voice and, depending on who asks something, gets a personal answer. This also ensures that you get to hear your own agenda and not that of your partner. You can invite different people to be part of your smart home within Google Home.
To invite people, open the Google Home app and click the circle icon with the head (Account) at the bottom right. Then click Set or Add and choose the second Invite Member option. Then add the email address of the person you want to invite. They will then receive instructions via e-mail to enter the house.
Add smart home equipment to Google Home
Of course you can also control the smart home with your voice. You will have to use smart home equipment labeled “Works with Google” or use products from Google’s own kitchen, such as a Chromecast . Via the Chromecast you can suddenly turn your ‘dumb’ television into a Smart TV. You can suddenly watch content on your television from your smartphone and tablet. For 39 euros you can already get a regular Chromecast at home, with which you can watch content from YouTube or Netflix on the big screen from your smartphone. And by adding the Chromecast to the Google Home app, you can now play content on the television via your voice.
To add devices, open the Google Home app and click the circle icon with the head at the bottom right. Then click Set or Add and then Set up device. Then you have two options: New devices and Works with Google. You mainly use the first option for Google’s own devices, such as the Chomecast or an extra Home speaker. For products with the Works with Google label, use the second option, provided you have already set it up with your own applications.
For example, do you have Philips Hue lamps at home? Or a smart switch from TP-Link ? Then choose the second option. Here you can manage your accounts. At the top you can see the already linked services and below that a huge list of products you can add. Do you want to add smart bulbs from Philips Hue? Scroll to Philips Hue and click on it. You can then link your Philips Hue account with the Google Home app.
Add an extra lamp or switch
Have you already linked the product, but do you want to add an extra purchased lamp or switch to the Google Home app, for example? At first, the app often does not find the newly added product. Suppose you have added a new lamp via the Philips Hue app, it will not appear in the Google Home app. What you do is remove the linked service via the Works with Google menu in the Google Home app. Click the account at the top, then click Delete link for account. Now you can add the account directly in the same screen. It is less than ten seconds of work, but after the reconnection the new product will appear in the Google Home app. It’s a bit cumbersome, but it will certainly save you a lot of headaches now that you already know this tip.
Add Netflix to Google Home
Are you a subscriber to Netflix and do you want to be able to start your favorite series with your voice? For this you need to link Netflix to the app of Google. Open the Google Home app and click on the circle icon with the head at the bottom right. Then click Set or Add. At the bottom, click on Videos and photos. You can link Netflix with videos. Enter your Netflix password and you’re done. You do need a Chromecast. Now you can watch your favorite movie or series via ‘Hey Google, play * name of movie or series * on Netflix’.
Link Spotify to Google Home
Are you a Spotify subscriber? Then you can also start your favorite music via voice command. For this you will have to link Spotify via the Home app of Google. Click on the round icon with the head at the bottom right of the app and then on Set or add. Under Manage Services, click Music & Audio. Here you can then link Spotify, just like YouTube Music or Google Play Music. Enter your Spotify password and the music service is linked. Now simply ask the Google Assistant to start a song and you will hear it directly through the speaker or another preset music player.
Create speaker group with Google Home
Why use only one speaker when you can link multiple speakers to play the same music? You can also add Google Cast devices, such as the Chromecast (audio), to the speaker group. To do this, click again on the round icon at the bottom right of the Google Home app and then Set or add. Halfway through the list, click on Create speaker group. All connected speakers are then displayed. You can then add it to a group and give it a name.
Set up routines and shortcuts
By using routines and shortcuts you can link different tasks to one voice command. Setting routines and shortcuts in Dutch is not yet possible, but you can do this via a detour using the English language. We have written an extensive article for this. For more information, see the article How to set up shortcuts and routines with Google Home and Google Assistant.
Bilingual with Google Home
At Account (round head at the bottom right), select Settings and then swipe to the Assistant (swipe left once). At the top of languages you can add a second language. If you want to get more out of the assistant, set the top language to English (United States) and the second language to Dutch. Now you can just use Dutch for the daily questions, but English is also available for the routines and shortcuts listed above.
Change voice in Google Home
Only one voice is available in Dutch. So you cannot choose which voice will answer all your questions. In (American) English you have much more choice of different voices. Make sure you have set English as your primary language as explained above.
Before you can change the voice, you must also set the language of your phone to English in the settings of your smartphone. Once you’ve done this, many more options will become available in the Google Home app. You can click to Account> Settings> Assistant> Assistant Voice. Here you can choose from ten different English voices, so that you can personalize your Google Home and Google Assistant even more.
Hey Noodle
Finally, a fun fact. To use Google Assistant you must use ‘Hey Google’ or ‘Ok Google’. At this moment it is not yet possible to set a word yourself so that the assistant will listen. Would you like to try something different to make the microphones listen? Then use words similar to Google. Chances are, the assistant will just listen to you. Try ‘Hey Noodle’ or ‘Hey pack’. Try out variations. Not everything will work, but chances are the assistant will still listen to you with words similar to Google.
