The Google Home app will soon receive the long-awaited upgrade with the new User Interface and completely new light controls, as unveiled at the Google IO 2023 conference. Over the previous version, Google Home 3.1 includes several upgrades and updates that make some functionalities more easily accessible.
Google is releasing version 3.1 of the Home app, which includes a number of the updates revealed at I/O 2023 as the major revamp of the app leaves a preview.
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What’s new in Google Home 3.1 update?
For improved use, the redesigned Google Home app separates several features into separate tabs for Favourites, Devices, Automation, Activity, and Settings. These tabs are now housed in containers with rounded sides. Particularly on tablets, they are located on top of the viewport that features several colour schemes.
When utilising various backgrounds, the top navigation bar toggles colours. The dynamic nature of the Google Home 3.1 UI is evident in subtle components of the user interface, which is pretty fascinating.
The Devices page now includes a new secondary navigation that lists all the rooms and displays the devices in each of them. It is undoubtedly a time-efficient improvement that will undoubtedly help the consumers. There are minor abnormalities, but we anticipate that the view will be properly optimised for both big and small devices in the upcoming releases.
New lighting controls are an important innovation made by Google Home 3.1. A pill-shaped slider and six colour-changing tiles stand in for the brightness arc. When you click the tile, more settings appear, allowing you to select a colour from the colour plate and modify the temperature.
On the devices’ controller page, there are also minor adjustments. The device name’s typeface and alignment have been altered; they are now smaller and top right rather than centre aligned. Instead of being on top of the controller module, the track name is now shown below it.
New Lighting Controllers with Google Home 3.1
In relation to lighting, version 3.1 of the Google Home app for Android now has new lighting controls.
A pill-shaped slider with six quick temperature options is present in place of the brightness arc. A lighting FAB is followed by a new page with two tabs. The first tab shows a temperature control strip, while the second tab shows a circle with a colour picker.
Google has made changes to the controller page for other devices, moving the name from the centre to the top-left corner. While playing information now shows beneath controls, suggestion chips may now appear higher up on the page.
The Play Store is now offering Google Home 3.1.
Samsung One UI 3.1 adds Google Home device controls to quick settings
One of Android 11’s most notable updates was the inclusion of smart home device controls to the power menu, however, Google did not mandate that all Android 11-powered phones show the new options. With its One UI 3.0 implementation of Android 11, Samsung persisted with the outdated power menu look, but the smart home controls are now available on the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Tab S7/S7+.
The Samsung One UI 3.1 software that came pre-installed on all of Samsung’s previous Android 11 smartphones was slightly different on the Galaxy S21 series of phones. To rapidly access connected devices (such as Bluetooth accessories, SmartThings, etc.), you could previously tap the “Devices” button on the fast settings page. However, with One UI 3.1, Samsung has included a dropdown menu from which you may choose different device controllers.
You may choose it as an option and manage devices linked to your Google account if the Google Home app is installed. Although there are a few more steps required to reach the control panel, it is still relatively straightforward and uses the same APIs as the standard power menu in Android 11. This implies that other apps, such as Tasker, that add their own smart home controls may potentially appear in the menu.
Whether Samsung will update One UI 3.0 devices with the enhanced controls through an OS upgrade, a service update through Galaxy Apps, or a service update through the Play Store is not yet apparent.
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