Google Home starts working on highly-requested 'Vacation' feature

Google Home has recently been spotted working on several useful features and updates. A feature that has been highly requested by Google Home users also appears to be in the works now, and it's a new 'Vacation' option.

Google Home currently has a feature that detects where you are and can be configured to trigger Routines on your smart home devices quite easily. It uses your phone's location and sensors in Google Home devices to determine when you're home, and then automatically activates the Home or Away Household Routines. And now, Google is working on another Routine that you will be able to select for the feature.


As you can see on the screenshots, you will have a calendar icon that will most likely let you set the dates for an upcoming vacation that should allow you to trigger a new routine when the time comes.

However, the Vacation Routine seems not quite ready for a rollout just yet. Right now, tapping the calendar icon brings an error in the app. Also, there's no Vacation option in the Household Routines section of the Automations tabs either. So for now, we don't know exactly how this Routine will work.

Luckily though, we already have similar features offered by other companies. We have such features in the Samsung SmartThings and Philips Hue apps. Based on what these offer, we may expect that the upcoming Google Home Vacation Routine might randomly turn on your lights, play music through your smart speakers, open/close your blinds, and other similar actions to make it look like you're at home to people outside. This is useful as it could prevent malicious people from trying to break into your house if they know you're away.

The feature appears to be in the early stage of development. We don't know when it will get its official release.

I personally find this feature very useful and it's great that Google is working on it. Of course, it will not replace good old security for your home, but it's a great option to have.