Before it becomes generally available, the Google Home app Public Preview will receive a lot of enhancements. The ability to reorganize devices in Google Home’s Favorites page is now being rolled out to test participants.
When the Public Preview originally became available, you could favorite smart home devices such that they appeared on the app’s first tab. It’s preferable to having to scroll through your entire device list every time. You cannot, however, change the order and are stuck with the default, by-room organization.
In December, the Google Home team stated that it was “actively working on the option to reorganize your Favorites, watch for that in the first half of next year.”
Those who have access to the latest Google Home app beta (2.67.x) through a different dogfood program and did not simply opt-in inside the app now see a “Reorder” button at the very bottom of the Favorites menu, while “Add” appears in have been renamed “Edit.”
Again, individuals who are using the stable version of Google Home (2.65) and obtained the Public Preview by obtaining an in-app invite are not seeing Reorder. It is unclear when this capability will be available to more individuals.
During a Reddit Q&A last year, the Google Home app team also promised:
- “We’re updating more of our lighting controls and effects and will have new options for you to get the color/temperature that you want next year.”
- “In the first half of next year you can expect to see the ability to favorite all the lights in a room instead of each individually.”
- “…we’re working on a few improvements to the Devices tab to help you find devices faster.”
- “We’re working on a custom clip download feature in the Home app for camera users and will have a solution for you in 2023.”
- “Many large screen/tablet optimizations are coming in 2023.”
- “There are some devices (like the window coverings you mention) that are controllable with Assistant voice commands but cannot yet be controlled fully in the Home app – and we’re working on closing that gap. Watch this space – we’re working on adding more controls that enable you to open or close devices like shutters, in addition to other new starters and actions.”