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Google Home beginner's question


CandC

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Posted

I activated my isy portal, added device to my Google Home Connectivity, installed Google Home App and signed in with my google account:

then when I try to add device it scans with no result and I have no option to add my Universal Devices...

Do I need to buy at least a Google Mini controller/listening device? I was hoping that I could control simply by using my google assistant on my phone...

Posted
8 hours ago, CandC said:

I activated my isy portal, added device to my Google Home Connectivity, installed Google Home App and signed in with my google account:

then when I try to add device it scans with no result and I have no option to add my Universal Devices...

Do I need to buy at least a Google Mini controller/listening device? I was hoping that I could control simply by using my google assistant on my phone...

I think you would really appreciate the difference between a constantly on guard device that listens to your every whim vs a cell phone that you have to get out of your pocket, turn it on, run an app, wait for the app to connect and then talk to it, maybe after pushing a button to activate it.

We accumulate shopping items by voice, stuff calendar event into our mobile phone calendars, ask it for jokes, games, language translations, etc.. etc.. and the list goes on as we find more for it everyday. Now we use our multiple Alexas'a  as a PA system to call the grandchildren up for meals. Get one when they go on sale. You won't regret it.

Posted (edited)

thanks for the replies! Yes I did assign spokens. I thought that isy portal would sync with google home which then in turn would be available in my Google Home app. At least I thought I could add Universal Devices in Google Home without first adding the Mini or other controller. Now larryllix highly recommends the Echo Dot: which is preferred, Google or Amazon?

Edited by CandC
Posted

when I try to upload spokens to google I get error message Error sending your spokens. Is Google Home linked with this user profile (xxxxx@gmail.com)?

Posted
13 hours ago, larryllix said:

I think you would really appreciate the difference between a constantly on guard device that listens to your every whim vs a cell phone that you have to get out of your pocket, turn it on, run an app, wait for the app to connect and then talk to it, maybe after pushing a button to activate it.

We accumulate shopping items by voice, stuff calendar event into our mobile phone calendars, ask it for jokes, games, language translations, etc.. etc.. and the list goes on as we find more for it everyday. Now we use our multiple Alexas'a  as a PA system to call the grandchildren up for meals. Get one when they go on sale. You won't regret it.

My cell phone responds to OK Google in my pocket when in standby mode.  This is actually a bit of an issue since I regularly get my phone and my google home responding to my "OK Google's"

Posted

actually I wonder whether it is possible to avoid google mini or any other controller and simply use phone alone... It seems that this is not possible... anyone has an opinion of preferring Amazon or Google?

Posted
53 minutes ago, CandC said:

actually I wonder whether it is possible to avoid google mini or any other controller and simply use phone alone... It seems that this is not possible... anyone has an opinion of preferring Amazon or Google?

"OK Google" on my phone controls my ISY just like my Google Home does.  I suppose the whole thing could require a Google Home before it becomes active, but I don't think so.  From day 1 of ISY portal, I have had a Google Home, so I never tried.

Posted

it does seem that this will work only after a google home controller is added first. I have read that if both the phone and the home controller are present, only the controller will respond to OK Google and if away from the controller then the phone will respond and controls ISY... I bought a Mini on ebay and I'll see in a few days how it works...

Posted
actually I wonder whether it is possible to avoid google mini or any other controller and simply use phone alone... It seems that this is not possible... anyone has an opinion of preferring Amazon or Google?

Amazon by far. I have had lots of problems with google that I didn't have with Alexa.

 

Main problem is google wants to apply their artificial intelligence technique to home automation. That means guessing at what it thinks you said and grouping all devices by any common word...like 'lamp' so that a command with a common word in it may affect all devices containing that name. This makes very frustrating HA operation.

 

Google doesn't seem to allow any calendar account except your google one. Try using that on two mobile phones without sharing email. Alexa allows other brands of calendars without complaining.

 

Most of the time you just guess with google as they don't think users should know anything that 'they will handle better than you can' or should I say 'you are allowed to handle'.

 

'Total control...end to end' was nothing compared to what google controls while hiding it.

 

 

 

Posted
1 hour ago, CandC said:

it does seem that this will work only after a google home controller is added first. I have read that if both the phone and the home controller are present, only the controller will respond to OK Google and if away from the controller then the phone will respond and controls ISY... I bought a Mini on ebay and I'll see in a few days how it works...

I have my phone and my google home in front of me right now.  I turned a light on and off a bunch of times.  Sometimes my phone did it, sometimes my Google home did it.  When my Home did it, the phone wrote on the screen "answering on another device".  When my phone was the one that controlled things, the home did not say anything.

Posted
48 minutes ago, larryllix said:

actually I wonder whether it is possible to avoid google mini or any other controller and simply use phone alone... It seems that this is not possible... anyone has an opinion of preferring Amazon or Google?

It all depends what you use them for.  Amazon has a greater variety of products and is actually integrated in 3'rd party products. I just ordered the EchoAuto which (hopefully) will work better than my lousy BMW Connected Drive. On the other hand GH benefits from Google's very large knowledge base and gives better information.

My setup is mostly GH for no reason other than my first device was given to me and it happened to be a GH. We now have Google Minis throughout the home and use these for info, to make phone calls and to control our ISY connected lights, fans and curtains. It works most of the time. No big complaints.

Posted

Thanks! I am beginning to get the idea and when my Mini is set up I'll see this for myself: But apparently without an initial setup with at least one Mini, Google Home does not work... 

Posted

In my experience, Google Home is much better at understanding what you say.  It is also way better at answering random questions.  And no, I do not have an accent.  Maybe a little Texas after 20 years here, but mostly Midwest.

Posted
it does seem that this will work only after a google home controller is added first. I have read that if both the phone and the home controller are present, only the controller will respond to OK Google and if away from the controller then the phone will respond and controls ISY... I bought a Mini on ebay and I'll see in a few days how it works...
I can confirm that I have no Google home devices but I can still control devices using ok Google from my Android phone.

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

Posted

@nathagt: please tell me how you were able to add Universal Devices in the Google Home app? I see no option to add UD or any other device except it only allows me to scan for new devices and scan results in no devices found. I assume that once I add the Google Home Mini Assistant I then have the option to add Universal Devices.

Posted (edited)
22 minutes ago, CandC said:

@nathagt: please tell me how you were able to add Universal Devices in the Google Home app? I see no option to add UD or any other device except it only allows me to scan for new devices and scan results in no devices found. I assume that once I add the Google Home Mini Assistant I then have the option to add Universal Devices.

Google Home asks you to link to your UDI account the only first time you install the skill. After that, google makes an assumption you want the same account. If it is incorrect, starting over may help, or google may never let go of that account address and you may have to contact google support to modify it.

 

Have you built. saved, and downloaded your google home device spoken translation table in ISY Portal yet? This appears to be a good account connection but bad data table linking.

Edited by larryllix
Posted

@larryllix: "install the skill"? is that not for Alexa? Yes, I have saved my spokens on the isy portal and I have attempted to sent spokens to Google Home only to get this error message: Error sending your spokens. Is Google Home linked with this user profile (xxx@gmail.com)? I am using the same account for both the portal and the Google Home

Posted (edited)
14 minutes ago, CandC said:

@larryllix: "install the skill"? is that not for Alexa? Yes, I have saved my spokens on the isy portal and I have attempted to sent spokens to Google Home only to get this error message: Error sending your spokens. Is Google Home linked with this user profile (xxx@gmail.com)? I am using the same account for both the portal and the Google Home

Sorry! Skills are just for Alexa. :(

My google Home stopped communicating with the ISY Portal for a few months and google support told me on several occasions they never heard of UDI or the ISY Portal. The ISY Portal started complaining with a similar error about 4-5 months ago and some here thought it wasn't required anymore.

My GH HA  started working again by itself, months later after destroying my googel account and starting over with another one, and I just gave up on it being reliable. Since I have many Amazon units here, only 3 GH minis, and Amazon trusts  people to set their own parameters I have been avoiding GH for HA lately. Great games and quick wikipedia connections though.

Edited by larryllix
Posted

OK: Got my GH Mini and once plugged in the setup is almost automatic and straight forward. Once setup completed, the GH Mini needs not to be turned on and the phone assistant will execute all commands. The entire thing is very slick!

Posted

It's just a Google home with a screen so it has on screen controls for linked devices. Some of those controls are being added to Google home on phones and tablets already. But I'll find out when mine gets delivered.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Posted

I only have the GH Mini which is voice only. But this device at least is needed for the initial setup in order to sync with our isy portal. Once this is setup our isy is fully integrated. You might be asking something else but in that case I do not know...

Posted
4 minutes ago, CandC said:

I only have the GH Mini which is voice only. But this device at least is needed for the initial setup in order to sync with our isy portal. Once this is setup our isy is fully integrated. You might be asking something else but in that case I do not know...

I already have 2 Google Home and 2 Google Mini devices, but I am wondering whether this Hub will work like Mobilinc and/or Agave....

Posted
@nathagt: please tell me how you were able to add Universal Devices in the Google Home app? I see no option to add UD or any other device except it only allows me to scan for new devices and scan results in no devices found. I assume that once I add the Google Home Mini Assistant I then have the option to add Universal Devices.


@nathagt: please tell me how you were able to add Universal Devices in the Google Home app? I see no option to add UD or any other device except it only allows me to scan for new devices and scan results in no devices found. I assume that once I add the Google Home Mini Assistant I then have the option to add Universal Devices.


Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Sounds like you may have figured this out now that you have a mini but for anyone else that only has an Android device and wants to control ISY here is what you need to do:

1) Download the Google App (not Google Home)
2) Go to More > Settings
3) From that Settings Menu, under Google Assistant, click Settings (different than step 2)
4) Under Services, click Home Control
5) Click the (+) icon
6) Under Add New find Universal Devices (there is also a search at the top)

That's all I can see without unlinking but that should give you the option to connect to the ISY portal. I don't have any Google home devices and this allows me to control devices with my voice thru Android Auto

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

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