The giant tech company has updated its Google Home app, allowing users to remotely unlock their Nest x Yale smart lock-equipped homes.
The new Google Home app, which has similar features with the Nest app, also allows users to view the present status of their smart locks. Google's announcement came after their teaser ads and promotion last month showing the likelihood of a new Google Home app that has extended connectivity with Nest x Yale locks.
In its teaser ad and promo in August, Fred Armisen, the advertising partner of Google, was shown unlocking his Nest x Yale lock-equipped door directly using the Google Home app. At the time, no one has seen the User Interface on Google's Home app, much less witness it in action. In the past, the only smart lock control expansion anyone has seen beyond the standard nest app is the ability to disengage the lock using a PIN number entered through the smart display of the Google Assistant.
Speculations were rife with the revelations shown by the teaser ad. However, many say they will not be surprised in case Google does come out with an app that provides users the ability to control their Nest x Yale locks as the giant tech company is known to migrate features from the Nest app to its Google Home app after the "Google Nest" branding debut.
During that time, most smartphones work really well with Nest x Yale locks, with the latter integrating well with the smart speakers of Google and its Personal Assistant app. Previously, Nest smart locks do appear in the Google Home app, however, you can only access its controls using the standard Nest app.
Today, 9to5Google reveals that such limitation has ended with the introduction of the new Google Home app. The giant tech company announced the availability of the improved app which now can lock and unlock Nest x Yale locks, as well as to check the lock's status.
The change comes as a Google Home app v2.27 server-side update. When activated, tapping the lock icon opens up the page below showing the lock status. From this point, users have the power to lock or unlock the Nest x Yale-equipped doors on their homes. Similar to the standard Nest app, you only have to long-press the icon to perform either action.
Another notable improvement with the new Google Home app is that users can now access the Nest x Yale lock settings within the app. Users can also change the name, the lock tone volume, the rooms, and also toggle the "One-touch locking" feature of the app.
The Google Home app still has a few limitations such as not allowing users to customize Nest x Yale lock privacy settings. For now, users would have to use the standard Nest app to change privacy settings. Industry observers note, however, that it will not be long until Google migrates these settings to its Home app.
