Unfortunately, like the Alexa, the Google Home can’t simply initiate sound or voice on its own…it needs to be “asked” to do something…The exception is an alarm, and that is still technically a response to a verbal request.
On the Alexa there are some work around with using a cell phone and the Bluetooth, but Google Home doesn’t have that capability. If you do a feature request with Google, please ask for ‘push’ notifications as that is the limiting factor here.
Now with the new Actions api released this december looks Like you can call for some things.
Actually, looking at this integration it is not as ‘smooth’ as Alexa’s…First, the voice changes when you enter the ‘skill’ or as Google calls it, the ‘Action’. While not a big deal, it does change the experience. Second, it allows less control over dynamic environments like SmartThings…Not saying it can’t be done, but may not develop this for a while until Google releases another version that is a bit more user (developer) friendly.
@MichaelS I have Echo and Google Home, and I have installed Alexa Helper, and I use Alex Helper to create the momentary switch and Alexa Switch… However, Those Switch I have created by Alexa Help also can be find when Google Home connect to SmartThings. so for example, There is the momentary switch call “one cool switch” used to turn on the AC for Tado at Alexa helper routine, In Alexa Apps, I name AC One, I do find in Google Home, the one cool switch also at Google Home controller, I name it also AC One… so I can use “Alexa, Turn on AC one” and also “OK, Google Turn on AC one”, Both work… so I wonder why We need Google Helper as those switch have been build.and routine will execute just the “one cool switch” be turn on …
Is any special purpose to create the Google Home Helper, or those who have Alexa Helper could skip…
At the end of the day, and Alexa Switch is the same as a Google Switch from a functionality perspective…just with a different icon. Most people have one device or another, so this is a rare case where you will see both. And, any Google Switch can be used in Alexa Helper and vis-versa.
Hi Michael, I’ve been playing around with my new Google Home, in conjunction with ST and Sonos. Your SmartApp rocks and really helps fill this void! Only thing I’m struggling with is I’m having difficulties changing the Sonos volume from GH/ST. Using the Google Switch in ST, I can turn on/off the Sonos, it sets the volume to the default (20 here), but the volume won’t change either via voice command or with the ‘dimmer switch’ slider. Am I doing something wrong? Sonos option is enabled in settings, and the Gswitch is the only Sonos assigned to GH.
Thanks for your help!
PS: Any ideas if Google Home and Sonos could be used as a ‘set’ of 2/3 speakers, or that’s a fantasy?
Are you saying that changing the dimming value of the switch does not change the volume? Or are you asking Google tried to “set xxxxx to 30 percent” and that doesn’t work?
Thanks for writing back! Neither work, I assumed both would. Is it a configuration on my end?
Can you a screenshot of your app? I should work as I just tested it with my configuration and it works fine.
Outside of that, have you confirmed the switch is seen by Google Home?
Michael, Just want to say thanks again. Im using both GH and Alexa and I have both your apps. They are fantastic. I have moved GH to my bedroom since the Echo dot is superior in every way at this point. Not sure why but the commands are all much much faster and smoother. Thanks again!
The gh is give and take compared to Alexa. Alexa is easier to develop for but GH has a cleaner voice and better IFTTT integration. I have both and will probably keep both until one is the clear winner.
For me Alexa has better response/awareness hearing my request in a noisy environment than GH does.
But, and it’s a big but, GH has far superior accuracy in actually understanding what I’m saying.
So Alexa hears me, but gets it wrong more often, whether or not it’s noisy, and GH makes me talk louder or stand closer, but rarely misunderstands me.
Maybe I should cross-breed them?
I’ve replaced my echo and echo dot with GH. It understands accents better (for my parents and relatives when they come by) and with how I’ve placed them, I currently haven’t had any issues with it not hearing me. My bigger problem right now is having to mute GH when I have videos of it playing on my phone or PC 
.
Could just be the way I talk but it confuses on with off allot. But other then that understands great. Why I had to rename living room siren. It would go off when it confuses off with on when I went to bed. Lol
Would I be able to use this application or this with IFTTT for adding custom voice commands?
For example the GH can turn on and off the lights within my house. Some members of my family instead of saying “OK, Google turn off the back lights” say “OK, Google Back lights off” which it does not know what to do.
Can I build custom phrases to accommodate this use case?
Yes and no…you should be able to use Google Home Helper to create the virtual switches needed to really use the power of IFTTT and to set up scenarios that react to the switches actions. The replies back from Google, however, are all based on IFTTT and GHH can’t help with that.
And for your particular scenario, the native integration should work with those commands if you have a switch called “Back Lights”…I would rename it, however, without the ‘lights’ in the name.
That is interesting that you would remove the lights from the name. I will try that and see if the behavior changes. What is the reasoning behind removing that part of the name?
I dunno the technical reason why not including “light(s)/lamp” in the name helps, but it definitely does make a big difference with getting consistent & correct responses from GH!
An example from my own experience… I have a floor lamp in my living room that has an upward-diffusing fixture using 2 bulbs, and a single-bulb reading lamp halfway up the neck. In GH, I have nicknamed the 2 upper Hue bulbs both as just “Floor” (yes, that same nickname for both). I have nicknamed the single reading bulb as just “Reading”.
When I want to manage the main bulbs in that fisture, I say “OKG, (action) the floor lights”. I do have to specifically say “…lightS” in my command since it involves multiple bulbs.
However, I can say “OKG, (action) Reading” - in that case, I don’t actually have to say “light” since it’s just one bulb (although it still works fine if I do)
In both cases, I don’t actually have to include the room name name in my commands since those nicknames aren’t used for other bulbs in any of my other rooms.
Cheers, Chris
At the time GH groups all lights together like a room.
I have only been successful in creating one functioning scenario. Google Home Helper takes me back to SmartThings when I set my scenario to “done”. Upon going back to GHH, I’m taken directly to the previously created scenario. It looks like this may be a known issue for Android users; however I’m using iOS (10.0.2). Any suggestions on how to resolve this? This app appears to be awesome…looking forward to getting this fixed and creating more scenarios. Thanks!