I'm sorry it seems like [the device] is currently unavailable

Get Started
#1

Whenever I ask my Google Home to control a group. The Google home reports the following back. Surprisingly, the command I select does get passed along to the group device. Then, if I issue a similar command to the device in the next few minutes, that command does not return this error.

When I open the Google Home app on my phone before I issues these kinds of commands, the device doesn't correctly report back its current status, e.g. the dim level of the bulb. (The same is true when I look at its status in HomeKit on my iPhone through HomeBridge.) After issuing the command, I can see a current status.

I'd also note that both Google Home and HomeKit believe that my bulbs have the ability to change hue and color temperature, which they do not.

Any input on what to adjust so that:

  1. I do no receive this error message from Google Home
  2. These devices report back status to Google Home or HomeKit
  3. These devices don't report things like hue and color temperature to Google Home or HomeKit

Thanks so much!

#2

I have the same issue with HomeKit. I got used to just waiting upwards of 20 seconds for HomeKit to detect devices. I think the issue is with HomeBridge or MakerAPI.

I do not, however have any issues with GH communicating with any devices. Most of my devices are exposed from Hubitat To GH via the Google Home app. Some are integrated via GH cloud. Neither has any noticeable delay or inconsistent behavior. Is yours integrated directly with Hubitat?

#3

The only devices I have issues with are three groups of bulbs, all in Hubitat. These bulbs (some Cree and some Sengled) are paired with Hubitat over Zigbee, grouped together, and then connected to Google through the Hubitat Google Home integration. Using the Google Home, the groups are having issues, but the individual bulbs, also exposed through Hubitat, work just fine.

#4

Bump.

#5

Is this a known-issue or is there a "best practice" published somewhere as far as groups being opened up to Google Home and or HOOBS/Homebridge?

I just implemented HE Groups for all the lights around my house, for example, the ceiling fan in my bedroom has 3-bulbs so I made a group called "Master Bedroom Ceiling Fan Lights". It works great in HE Dashboards and while testing in the admin GUI, but I've also exposed these groups to Google Home (using the native Google Home HE app) and HomeKit (using HOOBS via the Maker API) and I am seeing issues in both Google/HomeKit as far as the correct on/off status being reported. It's very spotty.

Is there a best practice for exposing bulbs to both Google Home/HOOBS/Homebridge? Is it recommended that I do not expose them via the HE Groups, but rather use the individual bulbs instead for those other platforms?

Any guidance you can give would be appreciated! Groups make it very fast and easy to set things up in those other systems, but if they don't work reliably, I am willing to go through with the extra work of doing them all individually if I need to!

Thanks!