Say API and most people will switch off immediately – us included. But if you’re a developer, seeing the acronym API – which stands for application programming interface – is probably like being a kid in a candy shop.
APIs aren’t as scary as they sound though. They are actually pretty useful, allowing different systems and applications to communicate with each other and sometimes that’s a great thing for us mere mortals.
In the case of Google Home APIs, which Google announced during its Google I/O developer conference, the idea is to make it easier to develop for the home and have apps – whether smart home related or not – working with various devices for a better experience overall.
This is what you need to know about Google Home APIs. Don’t worry, we will keep it interesting so we don’t send you to sleep before you’ve even discovered what products and devices are already on board and what kind of experiences they could result in.
What are Google Home APIs?
Building on the foundation of Matter, Google is attempting to “re-envision Google Home” as a platform for all developers, not just smart home app developers. Google Home APIs enable app developers to integrate and manage a wide range of smart home devices, including lights, thermostats, and locks, all through a unified platform.
The Google Home APIs grant access to over 600 million connected devices within Google Home and the Matter infrastructure, along with the Google Home automation engine, available on both Android and iOS. It means that a delivery app or fitness app, could access any Matter device or Works with Google Home device and design a range of experiences through their own app incorporating those devices.
You as a consumer will need to grant access to the devices of course – and you will be able to revoke it through the Google Home app too. But there’s plenty of potential for a range of apps to control and interact with smart home devices, enhancing overall user convenience and home automation capabilities.
Matt Van Der Staay, engineering director at Google Home said in the blog post about the Google Home APIs: “You can build a complex app to manage any aspect of a smart home, or simply integrate with a smart device to solve pain points – like turning on the lights automatically before the food delivery driver arrives.”
In another couple of examples, Van Der Staay explained: “With the Home APIs, a workout app could keep you cool while you are burning calories by turning on the fan before you begin working out. Or a vacation rental app could make sure that the lights are on and the temperature is just right when a guest arrives. With the Home APIs, now anyone can bridge digital experiences and physical devices.”
What is Google Home runtime?
Google Home runtime is an extension of the Google Home platform that enhances the functionality of smart home hubs. This runtime environment will be integrated into various devices, including Chromecast with Google TV, select TVs with Google TV running Android 14 or higher, and eligible LG TVs.
These compatible devices will serve as hubs, enabling remote access and local control of Matter devices over Wi-Fi and Thread, whether you are home or away.
By upgrading hubs with the Home runtime, Google aims to provide faster, more responsive control of smart home devices, improving the overall user experience.
In a nutshell, it should ensure that interactions with smart devices are more efficient, making the home automation system more reliable and intuitive.
Van Der Staay explained: “Home APIs make controlling lights and switches locally over a hub feel snappy. We are adopting these APIs in the Google Home app, and our early tests show device control operating up to three times faster than before.”
What products and devices are using Google Home APIs?
Google Home APIs are being utilized by a diverse range of products and devices across multiple categories, including lighting, security, automotive, energy, and entertainment. There are a couple of APIs within the Google Home APIs.
The Commissioning API will enable Matter devices to be setup more easily through developer’s own apps or Google Home, as well as through Fast Pair on Android, with no need to create a new Matter fabric.
There’s also an Automation API that will enable developers to create and manage home automations within their apps, like lights coming on when the door is unlocked, for example.
Automations can also benefit from Google’s Home and Away feature that uses signals from devices around the home, like the Nest Thermostat to determine presence detection.
First partners that Google has announced as working with and what they are doing include:
ADT
ADT’s Trusted Neighbor feature allows users to grant secure and temporary access to their homes. Naveen Chhangani, Chief Product Officer of ADT, said: “ADT’s new Trusted Neighbor will revolutionize the universal practice of ‘giving a trusted neighbor a key to your home’, enabling users to easily grant secure and temporary access to their homes for neighbors, friends or helpers. We are excited to take this next step in our partnership with Google Home to combine ADT’s leading security services with Google’s intelligence to solve problems for customers in new and delightful ways.”
LG
Millions of LG TVs will function as hubs for Google Home, enabling seamless device control from any app built using the Home APIs. You’ll also be able to use the LG ThinQ app on mobile or the Home Hub on LG TVs to control devices.
Eve Systems
Eve announced it would be extending its automation solutions to Android in 2022, but it has announced it will use the Google Home APIs to offer features like automated blinds control based on temperature in the upcoming Eve for Android app.
Jerome Gackel, CEO of Eve Systems said: “The Home APls are a significant leap for the Google Home and Matter. Through direct integration, they unlock the full Eve experience on Android, with extensive value-added features while maintaining the highest standards of simplicity and reliability.”
Google Pixel
Google Pixel phones will integrate bedtime mode with home automation to dim lights, lower shades, and lock doors. If you’ve ever used Google Home Routines (now called Automations), we’d say it’s an expansion on that, automating things a little more seamlessly with less setup from you.
Yale
Yale is using the Google Home Automation API to do things like turn on foyer lights when the front door is unlocked at night.
And more…
Volvo, Aqara, Wiz, GE Appliances, Nanoleaf, Cync and Tuya are all brands Google has said are developing unique smart home experiences leveraging the Home APIs.
When will Google Home APIs and Home runtime arrive?
Google is rolling out access to the Home APIs and Home runtime on a phased basis. Interested developers can join the waitlist for access, with the first apps utilizing these APIs expected to appear in the Play Store and App Store starting this fall.
The expansion will continue progressively, allowing more developers to create and launch innovative smart home solutions over time. This timeline is said to ensure that we will start experiencing new and enhanced smart home functionalities by the end of 2024, with continuous improvements and new applications becoming available thereafter.
What could Google Home APIs mean for the future of the smart home?
The Google Home APIs have plenty of potential. By making it easier for developers to create integrated and intelligent home automation solutions, these APIs can significantly enhance our convenience and interaction with smart devices.
We could see apps across different domains, from fitness to home security, seamlessly interact with smart home devices, creating a more cohesive and intuitive user experience, for example.
Meanwhile, automation could become far more advanced, with a range of apps potentially leveraging Google’s home and away feature (for example) to create complex, automated scenarios that respond to real-time events and our behaviors.
As more developers adopt the Google Home APIs, a wider range of smart home applications should become available, making advanced home automation more accessible.
Google Home APIs promise a future where smart homes are not only more interconnected and responsive, but also more adaptive to individual needs and lifestyles. Whether it will happen or not depends on how far app developers take them, but there’s certainly potential here so watch this space.
