Google to Remove Phone-Related Actions from Smart Home Automations

Google will stop supporting phone-related actions within its smart home automations during the first week of May ^[1].

This change affects users who rely on automated routines to manage their mobile devices through their smart home ecosystem. The removal of these specific controls reduces the integration between a user's smartphone and their Google Home environment, potentially disrupting established workflows for those who use voice commands or scheduled triggers to manage phone settings.

According to reports, the affected actions include setting the 'Do Not Disturb' mode, reading out the current battery percentage, and changing the volume of the phone ^[2]. These functions are part of the current automation system, but they will no longer be available as triggers or actions within the same framework.

While some initial reports suggested a broader change to the automation system, Google clarified that the core automation feature is not being eliminated. Instead, the company is specifically targeting phone-related actions ^[3].

"Google Home isn't killing automations, but phone-related-actions are going away," Google said ^[3].

Users are encouraged to check their current automation settings to see which of these phone-specific triggers are currently in use. Because the company did not specify a reason for the change, users must now find alternative ways to manage these settings manually or through other integrated apps. The transition is set to occur in the first week of May ^[1].