Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

You'll soon be able to control your smart home with the Google Pixel

By Julian Chokkattu Updated January 25, 2017

google home — Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

When Google Home launched late last fall, it only supported three Internet of Things systems: Nest, Philips Hue, and Samsung SmartThings. If you’ve been hoping for more options, you’re in luck — the search giant is expanding the Assistant’s capabilities with support for Belkin’s WeMo platform as well as Honeywell’s devices.

Google Home is the company’s Amazon Echo competitor, and it’s powered by the Google Assistant. You can ask the Assistant search queries, control smart-home products that are supported, cast Netflix to your TV if you have a Chromecast — you get the idea. The Assistant is available on the Google Pixel smartphone, and will gradually make its way to Android Wear smartwatches, Chromebooks, Android TV devices, and more. Google opened up Assistant to third-party developers in December.

While Google says more smart-home partners are “coming soon,” you can now use devices on Belkin’s WeMo platform such as smart switches, LED bulbs, as well as security cameras. Honeywell’s portfolio of products is now supported as well, including its smart thermostats. If you have products from these two platforms, all you need to do to set them up is open the Google Home app, swipe the left edge for the sidebar, and tap on “Home Control.” Press the plus sign on the bottom right to add your supported device.

But more importantly, Google says you’ll soon be able to control your smart home products with the Assistant on the Google Pixel. The company’s goal is to make Assistant able enough to perform the same functions across all devices to offer a consistent experience. Some features will be specific to the product, though, such as how you can play an emoji texting game with the Assistant in Allo, Google’s messaging app.

Assistant can do many things on the Home that it can’t on the Pixel, but there are some things it can do on the Pixel and not yet on the Home, like creating a reminder. This integration of Home Control for the Pixel is a small step, but it’s encouraging to see Google is committed to unifying the experience.

Topics

Julian Chokkattu

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…

Mobile

You can now make your current smartwatch look just like the Pixel Watch 3

The Google Pixel Watch 3 lying on top of a plant.

Using a sideloading APK, you can now make your current Wear OS smartwatch resemble the upcoming Google Pixel Watch 3, even before its official release next month. The Pixel Watch 3, announced last week, will be available in a new size with a larger display and improved components. It will also feature some fancy new watch faces.

To get started, you'll need to download the latest Google Pixel Watch Faces APK (v3.0.119.647124927) on APKMirror. Unfortunately, as Android Police explains, you need to install the APK on your watch, not your phone, to get the new watch faces. As Android Police reminds us, this is a "convoluted process" at best.

Smart Home

Upgrade your dorm with these smart home gadgets

The Echo Spot on a nightstand.

Summer is winding down, and students across the country are heading back to school. If you're heading to college, that means you're probably worried about getting your dorm room prepped for the year. That's often the most stressful part of returning to campus, as not only does your space need to be comfortable enough for all your studying, but it doubles as your home away from home. For those reasons, you'll want it to be functional, versatile, and capable of keeping you entertained when you're not hitting the books.

Thankfully, there are a bunch of smart home devices for your dorm that can turn even the tiniest and oldest of spaces into a futuristic oasis. From smart speakers and smart bulbs to smart plugs and more, here are a few smart home products that are perfect for your college dorm.
Smart light bulbs

Mobile

Google’s giving you a very good reason not to buy a Pixel 9

The Google Pixel 9 with its display on.

If you’re trying hard to decide between buying the Google Pixel 9 or any of the Pixel 9 Pro models, there’s one detail that may push you into making a final decision. You may have heard during the launch event or seen afterwards that Google will give you a free year’s access to its Gemini Advanced AI services, valued at $20 per month, when you buy a new Pixel, but it’s important to know this good value benefit only comes with the Pro models and not if you buy the standard Pixel 9.

Google talked a lot about Gemini Advanced and Gemini Live — where you can have conversational chats with Gemini — during the Made by Google launch event, and it may have piqued your interest, particularly when you heard the service was a free gift with some purchases. However, it was easy to miss the fine details about which phones it comes with, especially when you may assume it comes with all the phones as they have the same processor and general ability.