How do you update portal devices?

[fasttimes]

I added a new device in the portal.  How do I add that to my google home account?  Do I have to unlink then link again?  Will that mess up my shortcuts or other settings?

[larryllix]

2 hours ago, fasttimes said:

I added a new device in the portal.  How do I add that to my google home account?  Do I have to unlink then link again?  Will that mess up my shortcuts or other settings?

There is a download button in the google home setup page. Mine hasn't worked since google changed it's security. The previously installed  devices all work from GH but the ISY Portal doesn't work to download into GH anymore. See a few other recent threads in the forum here. Tickets were opened by Benoit (writer) and myself with no solution from google yet.

 

Get an Echo.

[fasttimes]

I unlinked and linked again and my shortcuts stayed.  Yay!  Where is this download button you speak of?  In the portal?  I dumped my echos because I don’t like the AI. All in for google at this point. 

[larryllix]

In the Google Home Device list in ISY Portal. There are four icons, garbage can, download, send spokens, refresh.

 

Yeah Amazon was behind at the beginning. Now the contest is on but I find GH makes too many AI attempts that cannot be tolerated for HA. It operated things it should constantly. We hardly use it because we can't trust it and GH only understands two word phrase lengths max. For candid Internet answers GH wins.

Edited April 22, 2018 by larryllix

[asbril]

6 hours ago, larryllix said:

There is a download button in the google home setup page. Mine hasn't worked since google changed it's security. The previously installed  devices all work from GH but the ISY Portal doesn't work to download into GH anymore. See a few other recent threads in the forum here. Tickets were opened by Benoit (writer) and myself with no solution from google yet.

 

Get an Echo.

I can't echo larryllix..... and love my Google Home.  

Just say "OK Google synch my devices "

[larryllix]

1 hour ago, asbril said:

I can't echo larryllix..... and love my Google Home.  

Just say "OK Google synch my devices "

Thanks Asbril.

Unfortunately "synch my devices"  only syncs the GH devices with it's own (out of date) cloud devicebase. The update from the ISY Portal has been  broken since about DST change time and no fix is in sight. They are just taking up key receptacle space for more Alexas. They have become useless for HA.  Alexa does  it so much better, anyway.

I may keep one for the comedic  responses that GH does.

[beninsteon]

"Hey google sync my devices" works for me (tested and confirmed tonight).

I have swapped out all my Echos for GH devices. They work beautifully, especially for integration with whole home audio and the Chromecast Audio, for which there is no Amazon/Alexa equivalent.

[asbril]

8 minutes ago, beninsteon said:

"Hey google sync my devices" works for me (tested and confirmed tonight).

I have swapped out all my Echos for GH devices. They work beautifully, especially for integration with whole home audio and the Chromecast Audio, for which there is no Amazon/Alexa equivalent.

That is my setup as well. I have 5 GH devices and 2 Chromecasts (each connected to different audio systems in my home). I can instruct GH to play music on one or both of the Chromecasts. I am in no way criticizing Alexa which is a great product, but I chose GH and am happy with it.

[MWareman]

For the second year running, Google Assistant beat out Alexa, Siri and Cortana.

“Google Assistant is smarter than Alexa, study finds
But Amazon's assistant is getting better.

The Amazon Echo might sell better than its biggest competitor -- the Google Home. But for the second year in a row, a study found that Google's digital assistant is smarter than Amazon's assistant, Alexa. Alexa is catching up, though, as it was far and away the most improved from 2017 to 2018.
.....

The study found that Google Assistant attempts the most responses, and gets the most attempted responses correct. Strangely, Assistant performed even better on a phone than on a smart speaker. Surprisingly, Microsoft's Cortana took second place, with Alexa trailing both and Siri lagging far behind the rest.”

Full details at:

https://www.cnet.com/news/study-finds-google-assistant-is-smarter-than-alexa/

I have to say, we have started using Google Assistant on our phones way more. It seems to get things correct far more often. That may be due to the microphone being much closer though.