Are you a frequent user of the Google Home app? Two new features are rolling out now to upgrade your smart home in a couple of key ways.

Alongside the Nest updates, the Google Home app is also getting expanded support for smart locks connected via Matter, adding the ability to set passcodes, among other features. The lock updates are rolling out through the app’s “Public Preview” feature on Android, with iOS support coming in early 2025.

It's taken years, but Google's smart home panel is almost everywhere. It's consistent, reliable, and my favorite Google feature ever.

For years, owners of Google’s Nest Protect smoke detector have been asking when their devices would make the leap from the older Nest app to Google Home, and the answer was always the same: one day, maybe.

Buying a smart home product today means checking which ecosystems it works with by looking for the little “Works with Apple Home” or “Works with Google” badge on the package. Matter was supposed to get rid of those because if a product works with Matter,

Starting in the Public Preview, the Google Home app is finally adding support for the Nest Protect, as well as Matter-certified smart locks.