You may be familiar with the Google Cast app, and if you are, you know it’s your go-to for just about everything for your apps and entertainment, “casting” video and images from your phone to your TV or other device. Well, it’s gotten even better now with the new Google Home app.
Google has recently released the Google Home app, effectively replacing Google Cast, but you won’t miss it. If you don’t have Google Home yet, you’ll want to go ahead and get it right now once you see what it is and what it does.
Why Do You Need The Google Home App?
The introduction of Google Home, the voice-activated speaker that controls all of your smart apps from one device, has changed the way people run their houses forever. Who needs manual light switches when you can just tell Google to turn your light off from the cozy comfort of your warm bed?
But now perfection has just gotten even better.
The newly designed Google Home app is easier to use than the Google Cast app, and lets you control all of your compatible devices in one spot. Plus, it just looks sleeker.
When you set up Google Home, you can use the Watch tab to find and play Chromecast-enabled videos, use your Netflix and Hulu accounts, and more. Set up Voice Match for personalized sharing with your family and friends, search for music by genre, artist, song, or more, listen to podcasts, watch the news, and enjoy your audiobooks.
The Discover tab gives you access to thousands of Chromecast apps, and you can search for anything you need straight from the Google Home app. There is an easy-to-use dashboard to help you find content like Youtube videos or trending Netflix shows.
So that takes care of anything you might have needed to do on your phone, but what about everything else that is connected to your device?
No worries, the Google Home app takes care of all of that, too.
You just need to tap the “Devices” icon on your home screen for everything from setting up a new device, playing your movies, turning up your TV, and more. This is where you can see all of the devices that are connected in your network, and if something messes up, this is your go-to for troubleshooting it.
The Google Home app also lets you personalize your Google Assistant. This is what you need to do to connect your smart home hardware so you can say, “OK, Google, turn the kitchen lights out.” With your Google assistant, you can plan your day from start to finish, check traffic on your route, set your daily routines, and even get upcoming flight status when you are taking a trip.
You can also use the Google Home app to create your shopping list, make phone calls, set reminders, store your favorite recipes, and even find your phone when you misplace it.
Google, of course, wants you to have other friends than just your Google Assistant, so they have set up options for when you have guests over. Enabling “Guest” mode lets anyone connect to your Home without having to connect to your Wi-Fi network. They can piggyback off of your settings without having access to your password.
The more hardware that Google releases, the more you will want to have Google Home. You can still use the regular Google app, but there will eventually seamlessly become a point where Google Home is your one-stop app for everything you need to do with any of your smart devices.