Google Home sees every Device as a Light

Google Home supports a huge list of Device Types but my devices are either seen as Lights or not seen at all.

Is this the way the current integration works or is there something I can do in either HE or Google Home to fix this.

Thanks, Glenn

Maybe try asking her to "Update Devices"? Mine are all displaying correctly...I have switches, bulbs, etc...But I have run "Update Devices" a few times since I first set the integration up.

Simplest example I can give is Google Home shows my Ceiling Fan (which is a GE Z-Wave Switch defined in HE as a Z-Wave Fan) as a Light.

When I say, "Turn off the Lights", Google turns off the lights and fan. Furthermore, I can't just say raise/lower the fan or set the fan to Low, Medium or High. These are Google Home capabilities but if Google Home doesn't know the device is a fan...

https://developers.google.com/actions/smarthome/guides/

Same issue here.

I think all/most hubs currently have this issue. I'm pretty sure that it's because the fan controller represents itself as a dimmer.

Same here. I work around this by putting the fans in a separate bogus room in Google Home. That way at least if I tell a home to turn on the lights, only the lights turn on in that room. And I can still control the fan by name of the device (the room designation doesn't apply to direct device commands, just room commands).

Now, if you tell home to turn on (or off) ALL the lights, then the fans still toggle. No real way around that other than not adding fans to Google Home. I typically only turn OFF all the lights when leaving the house, so it works for me as I don't care if the fans turn off in that scenario.

1 Like

GH is weird...I have a Kitchen Fan in the kitchen room with 3 other dimmers, and a Living Room Fan in the living room...room...with 2 other dimmers. If I tell Google to set the LR fan to 50%, it sets just the fan. If I tell Google to set the Kitchen Fan to 50%, it sets all 3 level devices to 50%. I don't get it.

That's what I ended up doing.

For grins I fired up the old ST hub and associated one z-wave fan and light to see how Google Home and Alexa would see them. Both see the Fan as a switch. One thing I did notice is how much faster Google Home and Alexa communicated with ST. I'm thinking this is because the communication is Cloud to Cloud rather than Cloud to On-Premise.

If only google would allow users to manually set the device type... But oh well, I'm not holding my breath for that!

That is strange. You sure its GH turning the lights on and not a rule or group configured in HE? When you compare the Living Room and Kitchen in GH, do both rooms have a group within that says "Living Room lights" and "Kitchen lights" respectively and is the fan for both included in those groups? Furthermore, GH seems to utilize more AI to figure out what you're asking and thus may make a mistake where as I find with Alexa you have to pretty much call the device my its exact name.

Or move the device out of the "lights" group it creates within the Room.

Are you saying you can move it out of the lights group or wish google would allow you to move it out of the lights group?

"I wish" :slight_smile:

Darn in! Thought maybe someone had figured out a new trick. :disappointed:

Yeah, I currently have my GE Fan switch in a dummy room. At least until GH decides to identify different device types.

I remember a while back saw this mentioned this behaviour in ST Foruns and that there was a work around.

I think you had to create a virtual switch of the dimmer type that would toggle the different actions of the real switch. Can't remember though how was it called.

Sorry guys

Related Question.. Just installed 50+ Lutron Caseta Switches/Fan-Controllers/Dimmers and a Smart Bridge Pro.. Next added the Hubitat using the dialogue box and entered the "device-type, id, device-name".. Assigned each device to a room within Hubitat.. Finally integrated Google-Home linking it to Hubitat to which all of the devices are correct except the fans.. Home says data was provided by Hubitat.. When I link Home to Lutron this is not a problem (yeah now have 2 of each device).. I would prefer Lutron hub to only perform the actual task of turn on/off/dim based on commands solely received via the Hubitat and no user-interface to the Lutron.. As I have read here manually changing the device-type on Google-Home is impossible, it must be derived from the source being Lutron or Hubitat.. What am I doing wrong..?

Upon further investigation this problem definitely is Hubitat related as Google Home clearly states that the data was passed to it from Hubitat.. Cannot modify Home device type within the Home app.. Both Lutron & Hubitat state device-type is "fan" and again when Home is linked to Lutron the device-type is passed to Home correctly and an individual icon showing a fan is created.. With Hubitat to Home the device is grouped in with the lights.. I have 10 fans (ceiling paddle and bath exhaust) that for my purposes cannot be linked into the light group.. I do not know whether Alexa exhibits the same problem..

Footnote: All Lutron Caseta Fan switches/controllers are "PD-FSQN-xx" variable speed.. All fans were in the off condition when the Habitat to Home link was created and each fan while being off was is varying states of speed-control (0-100).. The system design is in its infancy.. No Rules, no automations, no modifications to any of the drivers.. All firmware and software are current.. I prefer to stay away from Amazon Alexa if at all possible..

I have not investigated the recommendation to create a virtual switch to circumvent this issue..

*** Note this is information from Amazon Alexa, but it might help ***

I had alot of problems with this when I converted some Tuya lights strips to Tasmota.

What I found was the capabilities in the driver decided what Alexa allowed, and how it was treated in Alexa, as either a Light, Switch or a plug.

By playing with different capabilities in the driver I came to the conclusion below:-

'Switch' only capability show as a switch in Alexa, which is controlled as a light when all lights are asked to be turned off in a group.
'Switch' and 'Light' shows it a switch in Alexa which controls as a light.
'Outlet' and 'Switch' shows as a Plug in Alexa which is not controlled as light, but can be switched to be a light, within Alexa App.
'Outlet','Switch' and 'Light' makes Alexa control it as a light (Forgot to check what Alexa type it made it)

So if you want a Driver with Alexa control as a light use Switch and Light, if you want a Power Outlet/Plug you need to use Outlet and Switch.

Fans are not supported by the Hubitat/Google Home integration at this time. The suggestion is to segregate them in a separate virtual room in Google Home so they are not treated as lights.

Wow.. fans are supported from Lutron to Home but not Hubitat to Home.. any eta if/when Hubitat will support..?

This gives me pause seeing how this is an elementary feature I would wonder what other expected components would be non-existent.. I do not want to nor can afford to devote significant time developing my environment based on the Hubitat only to hit an impasse down the road and have to scrap the Hubitat in favor of another platform.!

Any other known quirks that I can be alerted to prior to devoting significant time on this project..

Have a slew of ZWave sensors/relays to install.. Project is being driven to accommodate my paraplegic son in his endeavour to gain and maintain independence.. Reliance on automation/single-point control is imperative.. Relatively newer open-design home but not specifically built to accommodate a disabled individual.. compound this with the fact that the home is 3000+ sqft, over-kill in space but only because nothing else has been listed in the past several years and any other property would require major renovation..

Another side-note.. While I realize that most individuals on this board are occupied with their own installations I am seeking a mentor to kick around ideas with specifically addressing accommodating a disabled individual who cannot on their own perform tasks that most of us take for granted.. Hubitat seeming looks like it may address the issue of lost functionality..

1 Like