Free Google Home update makes it easier to find your smart home devices

Google Home app gets helpful search upgrade that users will love

A Google Home Mini sat next to a phone with the Google Home app on the screen
(Image credit: Bence Boros / Unsplash)

Google Home has just added a free upgrade to its app to make it easier to find your smart home devices. This new helpful search feature means you’ll never have to endlessly scroll through your devices again to find the right one, making your smart home experience more seamlessly and streamlined.

Google Home has seen some major updates this year, including a complete redesign of the app, and further expansion into AI with its “Help me script”. But this new search feature has simplicity in mind and is designed to help users find the device they need in little to no time at all.

In the Google Home app, Google has added a new search bar so you can quickly and easily find your smart home devices. 

Everyone who has a smart home set-up will know how time consuming it can be to scroll through to find the right devices on an app. Whether you have one of the best security cameras set up or have a full ecosystem featuring the best video doorbells and the best smart lights, having more than one device in an app can be overwhelming and it’s surprisingly easy to turn off the wrong thing with the many names and gadgets on your list.

To solve this problem, the new Google Home search bar allows you to easily access everything. All you have to do is go to the Devices page, and you’ll see a ‘Search for Devices’ bar. There, you can type in the name of your devices to immediately locate it in the app. You’ll be able to see smart home devices that are currently on your network and gadgets that are currently offline.

Google Home AI updates

(Image credit: Google)

This latest upgrade is exclusive to devices that are linked to your Wi-Fi network and is currently available on Google Home 3.9 for Android. The new functionality has yet to be added to iOS but it’s expected to become available down the line. 

The new search bar feature probably sounds incredibly simple… and it is! But it’s a much needed upgrade for those who have a lot of smart home devices dotted around their home. Not only does it make it quicker and easier to manage your devices, but you can have immediate access to everything you have set-up so you can make changes accordingly.

While the Google Home app is getting incredibly advanced improvements to its interface, like the new AI “Help me script”, it’s important to remember that not everyone is great with technology. For technophobes or people who find routines and automations a little tricky, having a simple upgrade like a search bar can make controlling and customising your smart home less daunting and more straightforward.

Bethan Girdler-Maslen
Home Editor

Beth is Home Editor for T3, looking after style, living and wellness. From the comfiest mattresses to what strange things you can cook in an air fryer, Beth covers sleep, yoga, smart home, coffee machines, grooming tools, fragrances, gardening and much more. If it's something that goes in your house, chances are Beth knows about it and has the latest reviews and recommendations! She's also in the know about the latest deals and discount codes from top brands and retailers.

Having always been passionate about writing, she’s written for websites, newspapers and magazines on a variety of topics, from jewellery and culture, to food and telecoms. You can find her work across numerous sites, including Wedding Ideas Magazine, Health & Wellbeing, The Bristol Post, Fashion & Style Directory, TechRadar, CreativeBloq and more. In her spare time, Beth enjoys running, reading, baking and attempting craft projects that will probably end in disaster!