Google TVs will soon double as smart home hubs

This week, Google is holding its I/O event where it has announced a plethora of AI features coming to its ecosystem. But the announcements haven’t been limited to just AI. Today, the company announced that you’ll be able to use your Google TV services as a smart home hub and that it is opening up its Google Home platform with the launch of Home APIs.

In a blog post, Google announced that it will be upgrading its hubs so that other devices can become smart home hubs for Google Home later this year. This includes Google TV services like Chromecast with Google TV and select panel TVs with Google TV running Android 14 or higher. Some LG TVs will be eligible as well.

This is thanks in part to the fact that Google is launching Home APIs, which allow apps and other experiences to access your smart home. This means that any app — whether it is a smart home app or not — can take advantage of Google Home’s automation engine by accessing the over 600 million devices the platform supports.

One such example Google provides is potentially giving a food delivery app the ability to access your porch lights. The app would be able to turn those lights on automatically when the delivery driver is nearby.

Home APIs will be used for a range of other functions as well. For example, smart home device maker Eve will use the API to bring its experience to Android for the first time, allowing users to do things like building automations for “lowering the blinds when the temperature drops at night.” Meanwhile, ADT will use Home API for features like “Trusted Neighbor,” which lets users grant temporary access to their homes to neighbors, friends, or helpers.

There is currently no date for when Google will roll these features out.