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Google Home Adds Smart-Button Starters in Latest App Update

The rollout closes a long-standing gap as Matter’s rise makes simple physical controls increasingly useful.

Overview

  • App version 4.8 introduces a “Switch or button pressed” starter with single or multi-press, long press, and long-press release options.
  • New automation starters and conditions include humidity thresholds, robot vacuum docking, battery-state changes, and binary states like open/closed or leak/no leak.
  • Button triggers are currently limited to the Google Home app’s standard automations editor and are not supported by Ask Home or Help Me Create.
  • Google says the update deploys a foundational fix to reduce recurring “video not available” errors and improve near‑live camera playback in the Home app.
  • The features are rolling out now, though early tests report some Matter buttons—such as IKEA’s Bilresa—may not work for all users yet.