Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home

How to use IFTTT with Google Home

Kelly Hodgkins
By

Google Home makes it easy to automate your connected devices, but you can only do so much with the platform. Take your smart home to the next level by integrating Google Home into IFTTT (If This Then That). IFTTT is an online automation and productivity tool that you can use to connect two widely different services. Ever want to use Google Home to create a calendar event on your iPhone? Then IFTTT and this tutorial are for you.

What is IFTTT?

Screenshot of getting started with IFTTT.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

IFTTT works just as its name implies. If “This” trigger happens, then “That” event occurs as a result. This type of automation is common. For example, MacOS features the Automator app that lets you create scripts that’ll resize images, delete files, and so on when triggered. What’s unique about IFTTT is that the trigger and the resulting event can be on two different services. In the example mentioned above, you can use a trigger from Google Voice assistant to add a calendar event that IFTTT will send to the Calendar app on your iPhone or iPad.

Recommended Videos

Log in to your IFTTT account

Complete the IFTTT Login screen to get started.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You’ll need to use IFTTT to create and manage all your cross-platform automations, so you must have an IFTTT account. If you have an account, log into the service via the website or the mobile apps (iOS or Android). Those who have never used IFTTT will need to create an account either at IFTTT.com or by downloading one of the mobile apps. Don’t worry about the cost. The basic plan at IFTTT is powerful enough for most casual users and is available for free. Those who want complex or real-time automations can upgrade to the Pro version which costs $40 per year or $4 per month.

Related

Connect services to IFTTT

Start using IFTTT with Google assistant automations.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Once you have logged into your account, you can connect the services you want to use. In this case, we want to use Google Assistant with IFTTT. Google Assistant is the service that you will use to control your Google Home-connected devices. IFTTT makes it easy by listing all the available services to which it connects. Be prepared, there are a lot of them. If you are unable to find your service, use the search bar to locate it quickly.

Use recipes for Google Assistant and Google Home

IFTTT recipes working with Google Assistant.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You can find Google Assistant by typing Google into the search bar. Select the connect button for Google Assistant and follow the prompts to log in to your Google account. You also can log in to the other services you want to use and authorize IFTTT to connect to them on your behalf.

Once you link a few accounts, you can begin to use recipes. Recipes are user-created applets that you can use immediately. Simply select the applet you want to use and turn on the button to enable it (the button will turn green).

Live life and let IFTTT do the work

How to configure Google Home IFTTT.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Spend some time choosing recipes or creating your own. Think of the triggers that would be useful for your productivity flow. Then consider the outcome you want. For example, do you want to send a text message to someone or add an item to your To Do list. In no time, you’ll have an arsenal of applets working on your behalf. As the saying goes, “Work smarter, not harder.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kelly Hodgkins
Kelly Hodgkins
Contributor
Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…
The best smart light switch for Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit
A person using a smart light switch.

They may not be as flashy as smart speakers or smart displays, but smart light switches bring just as much functionality to your home. These seemingly simple devices can be toggled on or off like a standard light switch, but they're often packed with other useful features -- such as support for voice assistants or the ability to customize their performance through a mobile app. That makes them incredibly useful and gives you plenty of ways to quickly manage lights throughout your smart home.

With so many smart light switches available in 2024, it can be challenging to figure out which ones are best for your needs. Some are budget-friendly but don’t offer premium features, while others are quite expensive yet allow for remarkable personalization. Whatever your needs, there's a smart light switch that'll work with your setup.

Read more
The most common Google Nest Mini problems and how to fix them
A coral Google Nest Mini mounted on a brick wall.

The Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) is one of the best smart speakers of 2024. Despite its low price, the Nest Mini gives you full access to Google Assistant, provides surprisingly great audio for a device its size, and is compact enough to fit nearly anywhere in your home. Whether you want to listen to music, dish out commands to other smart devices, or check the news, the Nest Mini can do it all.

However, the Nest Mini isn't without its faults. Setting up and using the smart speaker is typically a straightforward, hassle-free experience. But like all electronics, some owners have noticed strange issues when performing simple tasks — such as connectivity problems or an unresponsive unit.

Read more
Can you use a Blink Outdoor Camera without a subscription?
Blink Outdoor cam wet from the rain.

For security and peace of mind around your home, a Blink Outdoor Camera is one of the most popular choices for keeping an eye on your property. The outdoor cameras have features like motion detection, a Live View which lets you see what is going on at your property right from your smartphone, and an Activity Zones option that lets you choose which areas of your property you want to record -- which is handy if you live near a busy street where cars could constantly set off annoying motion detection notifications. The recently released Blink Outdoor 4 has improved on these features to make them even better than the previous Blink Outdoor 3.

Like most home security systems, Blink operates on a subscription plan, with a monthly charge starting at $3 to use the service. But if you don't want to pay for the charge, you might want to try using the cameras without the subscription -- though there will be some severe limitations if you do.
Does the Blink Outdoor Camera require a subscription to use?

Read more