Except Google Can’t Do Most Of ThatĪlexa’s Triggers on the left, Google’s Starters on the right. We still use voice commands, but often we don’t have to because my smart home already did what I needed before I asked.īut that’s no thanks to Google. When someone opens our mailbox, a sensor just inside triggers yet another routine to announce in the home that “the mail is here.” In my home, routines trigger due to schedules, voice commands, smart device functions, camera notifications, and more. Other routines occur when I leave home, or when I come back thanks to a location trigger. When the sensor stops seeing motion, it triggers a second routine to turn the lights back off. If the sensor detects motion, it triggers a routine that turns on the lights in that room. That’s thanks to motion sensors in each room and a routine that fires on some basic logic. My family doesn’t have to ask it just happens based on our presence. When the sun sets, the lights in the dining room, kitchen, and elsewhere automatically turn themselves on when we enter a room. But we don’t just have automations on a schedule. So four minutes after we unlock a door, it locks itself-no more forgetting. Speaking of the doors, we sometimes forget to lock them when we leave home.

I have at least two dozen routines with various triggers.

And the coffee outlet that turned on in the morning? That powered down before lunch. As evening approaches, the blinds lower automatically, and doors lock themselves. In the morning, my coffee maker outlet turns on, the blinds in our two home offices rise to let in light. In my home, I have scheduled automations that fire every day. Instead of your home reacting to your commands, it can anticipate your needs. Automations, on the other hand, change the game. Realistically speaking, with just voice or app control, the convenience level isn’t much better than the old-fashioned way of doing things. The same goes for smart plugs, blinds, locks, and more. Some would argue that’s not much more convenient than flipping the light switch. If you need to turn a light on, you ask a smart speaker or pull out your phone. Chances are, it’s probably by voice or through an app. So why is automation essential, and what can routines do anyway? If you have a smart home now, think about how you primarily interact with it.

Google home control computer