Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Voice commands for changing light colors are not functioning as expected for several Google Home users.
- Google Assistant reportedly responds that the lights are offline, even though changing colors works fine through the app.
- Google is aware of the issue and is actively looking into the matter.
If you’ve been experiencing issues changing the color of your smart lights using voice commands, you’re not alone. Many Google Home users have recently reported a bug affecting this functionality, but Google is already on the case.
Instead of changing colors as expected, Google Assistant responds that the connected lights are offline, according to reports on Reddit and the Google Nest community forums. However, the lights appear online in both the Google Home and OEM apps, and users can change colors manually without problems.
This problem is not limited to smart lights from any particular brand. User reports indicate that the issue affects lights from Philips Hue, WiZ, Xiaomi, Yeelight, and Tuya, suggesting that a bug in Google Assistant may be to blame. Interestingly, the bug does not affect the ability to change the brightness or turn the lights on or off.
Thankfully, Google has already acknowledged the issue and is “actively looking into it.” However, the company has yet to reveal the underlying cause or share details about a potential fix. We expect the company to share more details once it identifies the root cause. In the meantime, you’ll have to stick to using the Google Home or OEM-specific companion apps to change the colors of your smart light.
