Google announced at its annual developer conference that it will open access to the application programming interface (API) for its smart home platform Google Home.
This means that any app builder (smart home or not) can access the more than 600 million devices connected to the Google Home platform and leverage the Google Home automation engine to create smart solutions for its users to create.
The Google Home API can access and work with any Matter device.
The Google Home Platform API allows developers to build experiences with Google Home devices and automation in Android and iOS apps.
This is an important step for Google as it opens up its smart home platform after wrapping up the Works with Nest program in 2019.
“We're providing access so developers can start building and testing their apps,” Google said. “The first apps using the Google Home API will be available in the Google Play Store and the App Store this fall.”
Access is not limited to smart home developers, as the Google Home API allows smart home devices to connect to fitness or communication apps.
“You can create a sophisticated app to manage every aspect of your smart home, or integrate it with smart devices to solve problems like automatically turning on lights before a food delivery person arrives,” the company explains.
The company also cited ideas like a fitness app that could keep you cool while exercising by turning on a fan, or a vacation app that could prepare a home for guests by turning on the lights and adjusting the temperature.
The API provides access to most devices connected to the Google Home platform and allows apps to control and manage devices such as Matter lights or the Nest Learning Thermostat.
It also uses Google Home Automation signals, such as sensor movements, device mode changes, or Home and Away modes, which use different signals to determine if someone is home.
The move expands the appeal and reach of smart homes, allowing smart home developers to create powerful applications that take advantage of any device that can connect to the Google Home platform.