Subj : Google Home app gets new secret features here's how to try them To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Fri May 05 2023 21:15:03 Google Home app gets new secret features here's how to try them Date: Fri, 05 May 2023 19:54:37 +0000 Description: Google Home is adding the ability to open and close smart garage doors. FULL STORY ====================================================================== Google is currently rolling out an update for its Home app that adds support for smart garage doors and a new Inbox feed for recently triggered events. To try out these features, you'll need to download Google Home version 3.0 from the Play Store . You can also enter the Google Home Public Preview program to try out the tools if they don't appear after installation. To join, open the Google Home app, go to the Settings menu, and select Public Preview under General. Tap Request Invite and the company will send you an invitation to install a beta version of the app. You can leave the program at any time. Now let's get into the details. Users who own a smart garage door will be able to open and close it via a large on/off toggle on the app. Interestingly enough, this feature has been available on the Google Home app for several weeks now as seen in a Reddit post from last month , but it didnt work initially. People still had to use alternate means like voice commands via Google Assistant to open the door. A report from 9to5 Google was able to confirm it is now fully functional. However, its usability is still restricted. That same report notes that the tool only works with a couple of brands; namely Tailwind and Nexx . Because Google has yet to formally announce the update, there isnt, at least at the time of this writing, an official source listing of all the supported products. Under testing Google Home is also adding a notification bell icon to the app where tapping it opens up the Inbox feed mentioned earlier. Other reports state , that by all accounts, its essentially the old Activity tab as it displays recent events in a smart home. There is some confusion as to where the bell icon will be placed. It seems to depend on which version of Google Home you have. Version 3.0 changes the Activity clock icon in the bottom bar into the bell, while the version you get from Google Home Public Preview places it next to the profile picture. Besides these features, the company is currently working on redesigning the Google Home lighting tool. Instead of just having a predefined selection, the app will one day have a circular slider giving users a better way to pick a color of their choice . A temperature slider will also be added for people who want either a warmer or cooler hue. The brightness ring is changing into a pill-like shape that, as you can probably guess, functions as a slider for more granular control. The redesigned lighting tools are not available to the public as theyre only part of the dog food version of Google Home. Its a pretty weird name for a build, but basically, it means the redesign is currently being tested internally. We asked Google if they could provide us a list of the smart garage door brands that work with the new toggle and when people can expect the Inbox feed. This story will be updated with Google's response. TechRadar's list of the best smart lights for 2023 ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/google-home-app-gets-new-secret-features-heres- how-to-try-them --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .