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Google Home’s latest update makes it easier for you to start using automations

With version 4.20, the app will offer pre-built automations you can start using with a tap.

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Google Home Automations tab screenshot on gradient background
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Google is rolling out a fresh batch of updates to Gemini for Home and the Google Home app, and the headline change is one that could get more users to try out automations. Version 4.20 of the Google Home app adds a handful of pre-built routines to the Automations tab, so instead of building one from scratch, you can pick one and turn it on with a tap.

No more starting from zero

Until now, setting up an automation in Google Home meant picking your own triggers, conditions, and actions, which can be a lot to figure out for less tech-savvy users. That barrier is one of the reasons why many Google Home users don’t touch automations at all.

The new feature is designed to make it easier for new users to get started by offering ready-made automations for everyday situations, like home security, morning routines, or energy savings. In a support page outlining the feature, Google explains that users can even edit the suggested automations to tailor them to their needs or dismiss a suggestion if they don’t think it’s useful.

Smarter answers, smoother conversations

Along with suggested automations, Gemini for Home is also picking up some upgrades. Weather forecasts and general knowledge answers on smart displays will now show up with refreshed visual cards, giving those responses a cleaner, more polished look on screen. Sports fans get a practical improvement too, with more accurate scores, schedules, and team standings.

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Gemini’s Continued Conversation feature is also getting more reliable. Google says back-to-back commands and follow-up questions should no longer get interrupted by a voice verification prompt mid-conversation. A handful of smaller features and bug fixes round out the update, including a dedicated light toggle built into the camera view for the onn Outdoor Camera Plug-in and onn Floodlight Camera Hardwired, and more reliable device setup for older Nest cameras.

Pranob Mehrotra
Pranob is a seasoned tech journalist with over eight years of experience covering consumer technology. His work has been…
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