Google unable to operate smart home devices? You aren't the only one with the issue

If you tried using Google Assistant this week to execute a task and found that it didn't work as expected, don't worry – you're not alone. The Google Assistant had a problem on both phones and speakers that caused it to be unable to control smart home devices. Instead, it would reply with something like, “I don't understand.” However, the issue now appears to have been remedied.

The virtual assistant that allows users to control appliances and other devices with their voice experienced technical problems early in the morning. According to reports, users had trouble getting Google Assistant to “understand” prompts related to activating or deactivating a device.

Some customers complained that Google Assistant had trouble deciphering their commands

The Google Assistant is appealing because it understands and can respond to questions using natural language processing. Additionally, it can control many smart devices in your home hands-free. For example, you can command it to turn on the lights in a room, and the virtual assistant will comply.

However, it seems as if Google Assistant wasn't functioning as it should have earlier this week when it comes to smart home requests. No matter what you asked it to do, the Assistant would respond with “Sorry, I don't understand” or “Sorry, I didn't understand”.

Fortunately, the glitch only impacted smart home devices, as Google Assistant was still able to perform other tasks, like answering questions and having two-way conversations. Also, it seems the issue was fairly widespread, as we've seen it crop up in the United States and the United Kingdom, among other places.

Furthermore, the problem appears to exist regardless of using the Virtual Assistant on an Android phone or a Nest smart speaker/display. But the good news is that the issue has been resolved, and Google Assistant should work as intended again.

Priya Walia

General Google Assistant