Switch/Light Classification in Google Home?

Devices & Integrations Connected Things
1

I have a Google Home, Hue Hub and lights and Smartthings hub, and just purchased a GE Z-Wave Dimmer.
I have two sets of lights in my kitchen, an overhead sink light, which has a Hue bulb, and then the four recessed lights that are controlled by the Z-Wave dimmer.
Smartthings can control all of them just fine, but I’m having issues with the voice commands. The phrase “OK Google, turn on my kitchen lights” only turns on the sink light. I found out that the GE Dimmer is classified as a switch, so I have to say “OK Google, turn on/off my kitchen switches”. I can also use “OK Google, turn on my Kitchen Floods”.

Is there a way to classify this GE dimmer as a light, rather than a switch, so I can say “Turn off my kitchen lights” to get both the Hue and GE Dimmer on the same command?

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Solution!

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OK, I’ve named them Recessed Lights in both ST, and GHome, and now all seems to be working great. Apparently not having the word light in this switch threw the systems a curve ball.

2

You could use a virtual switch and connect it to a SmartThings routine, or a CoRE Piston to automate what you want.

Google Home Helper is a good app to quickly create virtual switches, and then you would link a SmartThings routine that turns on your two sets of lights to run automatically when that virtual switch is thrown, and then call the virtual switch from an IFTTT action.

CoRE is another app that could help - again create the virtual switch using Google Home Helper (and you can also create a switch in the IDE, of course), then create a CoRE piston that turns on whatever you want turned on, and set the piston to run when the virtual switch is thrown. Then link the virtual switch to an IFTTT action.

Sounds like a lot of work, but it’s really quite simple once you’ve done it. I have a “Goodnight” routine that turns several lights (both connected bulbs and smart switches) off, and others on, when we’re ready to go to bed. I set that routine to run whenever a virtual switch I created is thrown, and created that virtual switch in Google Home Helper. Then linked the switch to an IFTTT action called “Goodnight” and when I say goodnight the switch is thrown and the Goodnight routine runs.

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3

Very simple, you can do one of the following:

  1. Rename the device in ST so that it has the word lights in it.

Or

  1. In the Google home app, open up the devices you control and add a nickname with the word light it lights in it.
4

Thanks for the suggestions. I gave it a nickname of Recessed Lights, and now it seems to be somewhat working.

"OK Google, turn On/Off kitchen lights seems to be working, but “OK Google, set kitchen lights to 50%” only controls the Hue.

I’ll try naming the light Recessed lights, and also the nickname and try that.

OK, I’ve named them Recessed Lights in both ST, and GHome, and now all seems to be working great. Thanks for the suggestions!

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