Turning your home into a connected space can have loads of benefits for most households – making the day run more smoothly, staying connected to one another, helping save energy, and keeping your home safe and secure. And most devices are easy to set up with Fast Pair for Matter devices, so creating a smart home is simpler than you might expect.¹

The Cook family’s smart home started with a gift. John Cook wanted his wife to have an easy way to listen to music when she was getting ready for the day. So he got her a Nest Audio speaker, which has Google Assistant built in, to let her use her voice to play music. Soon, the whole family was asking Google for the weather and news instead of reaching for their phones. 

Shortly after, the Cooks bought a Nest Hub Max for the kitchen and then added more speakers throughout the house. They topped it off with a smart lock and doorbell, and more. 

“At the beginning, you go, ‘Wow, this is really cool,’ but then after a while it’s part of your daily life,” Cook says.

Here’s how to choose the Google devices that are right for you, connect them with other products, and automate your home with confidence.

First things first: The foundation of any smart home is strong and secure Wi-Fi that blankets the space and keeps smart home devices running smoothly. If you’re not sure whether your signal is sufficient, use this strength test to find out whether you need to boost your Wi-Fi with a Nest Wifi network. Nest Wifi works by pairing a router with satellite devices around the house, increasing strength and reducing dead zones.² As you add devices, use the strength test to make sure your connection remains stable. You can add more Nest Wifi devices if needed.

Once you know your internet can support your smart home, building it out is easier than ever thanks to Matter and Thread. Matter is a new universal language for smart home devices that ensures they work better together, while Thread improves the connections between them. 

A smart home can take care of tasks, running home automations that are tailored to you. Automations extend how you use your Google devices, helping you run your home seamlessly through your Nest Hub (2nd gen), Google Pixel Tablet, or other devices.^3,4

Automations set up through the Google Home app can work with thousands of compatible devices. Here are some ways automations can help you get more done and have fun⁴:

• Let the devices handle basic tasks. Your smart home can help start your day off right. Create an automation that turns on your coffee maker every day at 7 AM with a compatible smart switch and sets an alarm for an early morning workout. When you head out for an afternoon break, automatically send your robot vacuum out to clean your floors. While everyone’s away, your devices can sweep up so you return to a tidy home.^3,4

• Turn devices on or off if you forget. Motion sensors can prompt connected lights to turn off after a certain amount of time – like in the garage after you’ve brought in the groceries.^3,4

• Set up a series of events. You can also set “device starters” that know what you plan to do when you turn on one smart home device. For example, with a voice command to turn on the TV, a set of actions can also include turning on the lights, setting them to yellow, and dimming the brightness to 50%.^3,4,6A doorbell ring can also serve as a starter:  Set the speaker volume to 50% when it rings, and the porch lights to turn on if it’s after 7 PM. You can also set schedules according to your daily needs and routines.

• Maintain your lawn and garden so it’s always ready for guests. Whether you’re planning a summer cookout or hosting family and friends for a soiree, the Google Home app can ensure your yard is always ready to entertain. Set a weekly schedule for your smart sprinkler and set up an announcement on your speaker for when the sprinkler is done.^3,4

Smart home devices give you peace of mind by providing an extra eye around the house. Automations will help you take security to the next level.

• See what’s going on inside and outside your home. The combination of Nest Doorbells and Nest Cams can let you know that everything is fine at home. The doorbells have a 16:9 view (very wide and pretty tall), letting you see visitors or packages head to toe. Use this doorbell compatibility test to see if the battery or wired doorbell is right for you. Nest Cams have you covered for any other areas of interest inside the home or out. Some popular spots are back and side doors, pathways, and hallways. 
  
  Consider adding a Nest Aware subscription that will store video picked up by the doorbell and cameras.⁷And if you’re elsewhere in the house, where it’s hard to hear the doorbell? Nest Mini and other speakers can be paired with the Nest Doorbell to send the sound throughout the house.

• Know immediately when smoke or CO becomes a problem. Nest Protect monitors smoke and carbon monoxide levels and connects to the Google Home app, where you can check the battery level or turn off the alarm remotely. The 5x5-inch device tests itself automatically (400 times a day), knows the difference between smoke and steam, lights your way at night, and 2nd gen Nest Protect lasts up to a decade from the date of manufacture. How many will you need? It’s recommended that you place a smoke alarm on every floor, while a carbon monoxide alarm is recommended in every room containing a fuel burning appliance, and we’d highly recommend checking with your local regulations.

• Automate safety. Create an automation that connects your Nest Doorbell to conditions such as “between 6 PM and 10 PM,” turning your porch lights on automatically each night. And in the morning, your shades and curtains can routinely open when your outdoor lights turn off.^3,4

• Keep an eye on your home at all times. Through the Google Home app, set Home and Away automations so your Nest Cam can notify you if motion is detected when no one is home. Your Pixel Watch can pick up the camera’s live video stream for easy viewing right from your wrist. And when you return, your indoor cameras can turn off automatically.^4,8

There are so many movies, TV shows, and songs to choose from. Smart speakers and streamers make it easier to find the ones you want, then watch or listen wherever you’d like.

While Nest Audio makes it easy to hear your favorite music on demand, and Nest Hub Max (2nd gen) lets you stream videos, you can also bring it all together for movies and gaming.

• Let the entertainment follow you from room to room, screen to screen. Using Chromecast with Google TV, you can start watching a movie and continue right where you left off when you go to another room, simply by asking the stream to move to a different device – from the TV in the family room to the Nest Hub Max in the kitchen, for example.⁸

• Find shows quickly and easily. Just ask Chromecast with Google TV for the show or movie you want to watch.⁸ It learns from your viewing habits, pulling content from your streaming subscriptions onto one screen and making recommendations based on your subscriptions, viewing history, and content you own. It can also match your mood: Just say, “Show me some funny shows,” or “Show me a scary movie.” Want to watch something from your phone? Chromecast allows you to stream content from other devices connected through Bluetooth.

• Create an audio system for your entire home. Nest Audio speakers provide powerful audio, as well as adaptive sound that responds to the acoustics of the rooms where they’re located.. Link Spotify or YouTube Music to play your favorite songs.⁸ Two or more speakers will give you stereo sound, or sound from room to room. Nest Mini is a smaller option, good for smaller spaces or less immersive audio (think podcasts and doorbell chimes).

• Enjoy a family movie night. By connecting smart lights to your Google Home app, you can build an immersive setting while watching a favourite flick.^3,4 Select a specific color palette, or just soften the intensity to create a cozy and comfortable scene. With a starter such as “every Saturday at 8 PM” for a movie night, you can set an automation to dim the den lights, start the TV, and send an announcement to your family (through Nest speakers and displays) to grab their favorite snacks for movie time.

The best place to start setting up your smart home is wherever your need or interest is greatest. Over time, you’ll see how adding devices increases the benefits: A doorbell is a good way to keep tabs on the front door; when you pair it with a smart lock, you’ll also be able to let in someone at the door. A smart speaker provides help and entertainment on its own; pair it with smart lighting to create Google Assistant routines for the morning and evening that turn the lights on and off. And with Nest Hub Max, you get a central dashboard to manage and sync your devices. 

When is a good time to start? Anytime! Some households have found that moving into a new home is a great opportunity to set up a smart home.

Ready to get started? Snag the best deal with our Smart Home packages, curated to your needs here!

Refer to this checklist to help you kickstart your smart home journey:

• Begin by considering which everyday challenges you’re trying to solve. 

• Explore Google’s connected home products and select your connected devices.

• Download the Google Home app and sign in with your Google Account.

• Plug in your devices and follow the setup instructions in the Google Home app. 

• Use the Google Home app or Nest Hub to manage compatible devices like lights, and more with your voice.

• Set up routines to automate your home and complete multiple actions at once