Google Home app adds search feature for Wi-Fi devices

The Google Home app has a new search feature that lets you easily find the Wi-Fi devices on your network. You can access this feature by going to the Wifi page and tapping on the Devices page. There, you will see a “Search for devices” bar at the top. As you type, the app will show you the devices that match your query. You can see both online and offline devices. This feature is useful because the device list can change frequently depending on the “Real time” sort option.

With a search, you can quickly find the device you are looking for. The Wi-Fi device search feature is available on Google Home 3.9 for Android. We don’t know when it will come to iOS. We also hope that Google will add a similar feature to the Devices tab and the Automations list, where it can be hard to find the right device among many smart home gadgets. The Favorites option helps, but it is not enough. 

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Google to bring Android TV remote to the Home app

Google has plans to bring the Android TV remote to its Home app on Android and iOS. This feature will live alongside the Android TV remote in the Google TV app. This new feature will benefit iOS users, giving them an easier way to control devices like the Chromecast with Google TV or Android TV-based televisions from other brands. Google hasn't shared when the rollout will be, but we're keeping an eye out for it.

Source: 9to5Google

Google Home app gets Air Quality setting with AQI appearing on Nest Hub

Source: Google

Google announced last month it would begin showing Air Quality (AQI) information for its Nest Hub users in the US. Many of these users are seeing a new setting in the Google Home app, even if the actual reading isn't available on all the smart displays yet. 

"Air quality" will now be a new option in the "Photo Frame" menu on the Google Home app. You can also access it on the device in the "Hey Google, change photo frame" menu with the setting "Show air quality when available in your area." It may or may not show up on your Nest Hub device yet.

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Google routers can prioritize video conferencing or gaming traffic

An update to Google's Nest Wifi and Wifi routers will allow you to choose what traffic the devices will prioritize automatically. Using the Home app, you can select if it should prioritize activities like video conferencing or gaming. The feature arrives with the Q4 firmware update (v13099.118.19), and it requires version 2.31 of the Home app.

Heading into the Wi-Fi settings of the app, you should see the new Preferred activities option. The two choices are currently focused on the two activities mentioned above. For gaming, it will prioritize Stadia. While for video conferencing, it prioritizes apps like Google Meet and Zoom. It isn't clear if this network prioritization option only applies to the mentioned apps.

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