“Ok Google, turn off all the lights in the house”
So far I’ve made some lamps smart and added a Chromecast. Wouldn’t it be nice to control all of these in one app? Lets get them all into Google Home!
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- I’ll now have a single platform that can control the TV and the lamps.
- It’ll make it much easier to share control with others via Google Account.
- It’s multiplatform (works on Android and iOS)
Cons:
- No Voice assistant integration on iOS, you’ll have to open the app then use voice control.
- We’re giving Google even more access to our lives (scary, right).
Requirements
If you have a Chromecast you would already have the Google Home app but if you just have eWeLink, get the Google Home app here (iOS Link / Android Link).
App Setup
The video from the Making Lamps Smart post included the setup of Google Home so I’ve re-embedded here starting from that time:
With screenshots to help you as well:
Step 1 
Step 2 
Step 3 
Step 4
Post-Implementation Summary
As expected, I can now use the Google Home app to control the lights as well as my Chromecast. Also, sharing with others is now super easy via Google Accounts.
My Smart Home Setup after this Implementation
How I see the interplay between apps, cloud providers and controlled devices may not and, in some cases, definitely doesn’t reflect reality. I just use it as a handy map. Read up on how I got here.
The Future
Wouldn’t it be nice to control the lights with Siri? 😉
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