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Google Home Adds Smart Button Triggers With v4.8 Update

Button support arrives as Google limits the feature to the standard automations editor, with Gemini tools excluded.

Overview

  • The app now recognizes “Switch or button pressed” as a routine starter supporting single or multi-press, long press, and long‑press release.
  • Additional starters and conditions include humidity thresholds, robot vacuum docking, battery status changes, and binary states such as open or closed or leak or no leak.
  • Button presses function as starters only rather than conditions within automations.
  • Early testing reports some Matter-enabled buttons, including IKEA’s $6 Bilresa, may not function for all users during the rollout.
  • Google says version 4.8 includes a foundational fix to reduce Nest Cam “video not available” playback errors, and automations can now set lights to specific colors or temperatures.