Google Home is making big changes to how people share access to their smart home devices and settings. The newest version of Google Home gives users more control over who can do what in their smart home by introducing a new “Member” role that can be adjusted by the admin user.
The Member role lets the main user set different levels of access for household members and guests. These changes help solve the common problems people face when sharing control of their smart homes. This should keep everything secure while giving others access to what they might want.
The new Member role works alongside the existing Admin role. When someone is invited to join a Google Home, the main user can now choose whether to give them full Admin access or the more limited Member role. What makes the Member role special is that it comes with two customizable options: “Activity” and “Settings.”
If Activity access is turned on, the Member can see past activity for devices and the home, helping them keep track of what’s been happening. If Settings access is turned on, the Member can change device settings and manage automation, giving them more control over how things work. This way, the main user can decide exactly how much access each person gets based on how much they trust them.
Another important new feature in the Google Home app is support for child users. For the first time, kids under 13 (or whatever age local rules say) can be added to a Google Home setup. To do this, the child must be part of the Google family group, and they can only be given the Member role. This means kids can use smart home features like turning lights on and off, playing music, or unlocking doors when they get home from school. However, they can’t change important home settings.
This should make smart homes easier to manage for younger family members while keeping everything safe and supervised. An Admin has the most control over the Google Home setup. They can add, manage, or remove other users, deciding who has access to the home. They can also delete the whole home setup if needed.
When it comes to devices, Admins can add or remove them, keeping the smart home up to date. They can also share devices and data with other services, making it easier to connect different apps. Plus, they can link subscriptions to the home account. It’s set up so that admins have the control they need, but hopefully in the future we’ll get to be able to customize how much access is given in more detailed ways.
This is a very helpful update for Google Nest. These kinds of ways to limit access to others always make things better for those who own the system. Thanks to this update, there are no major changes made to the home without the admin doing it themselves.
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
Affordable, powerful, and compatible with a laundry list of apps, the Google Nest Hub 2nd Generation is an excellent smart display to help you bring order to your home.
