What you need to know
- Google Home APIs and the Home runtime are now available for all Android developers to use in beta.
- These tools streamline app control, smart home device onboarding, and Matter support.
- Eve, Nanoleaf, and LG have already shipped apps on the Google Play Store leveraging these integrations, with more coming soon.
Google announced two new ways for smart home developers to integrate Google Home within their own Android apps at Google I/O last year: Home APIs and the Home runtime. At the end of 2024, select smart home developers were able to try out these new integrations, and Eve, Nanoleaf and LG have already shipped them in their Google Play Store apps. Now, the Home APIs and runtime are entering public developer beta, meaning any Android developer can use them.
There are a few types of Google Home APIs that will now become available for use in all Android apps, including Device and Structure APIs, Commissioning API, and the Automation API. The Device and Structure APIs allow Android apps to manage and control smart home devices in the Google Home and Matter ecosystems. Google says that there are over 600 million smart home products out in the wild that could be controlled by this new API.
Similarly, the Commissioning API makes it easy to connect new smart home products with select Android devices using Fast Pair. Aside from enabling Fast Pair support on three billion eligible Android devices, this API will also add support for Google Assistant voice control and Matter device onboarding. With the API, third-party developers can let their users set up new smart home hardware in their own app.
Finally, the Automation API makes it possible to create Google Home automation straight from a developer's own app. These tools will become available to Android developers first, and will later arrive on iOS.
In a blog post, Google described how Eve, Nanoleaf, and LG used these new APIs to deliver new features in their smart home apps:
- "Eve was able to unlock advanced features like autonomous heating schedules on Eve Thermo for their users and also expand their reach within the Android ecosystem, establishing a solid foundation for future development.
- Nanoleaf used the Home APIs to make entertainment even more delightful by giving customers simple voice commands to turn on their Nanoleaf 4D screen mirroring light strip.
- LG used the Home APIs to integrate Google Home devices directly into their TV smart home experiences."
Now that the Home APIs and runtime are publicly-available developer tools, you'll start seeing new functionality hit more of your favorite apps. Google says that Aqara, GE, Cync, and Yale are a few more early-access partners that will add cross-platform experience using these tools soon.
For now, Android devs can test these APIs with up to 100 users. They'll become widely available later this year, when Home APIs exit the beta stage.
