How to access Google Home Device Controls on Samsung devices running One UI 3.1

With Android 11, Google introduced a new feature that helps you easily control all your connected Google Home devices. The feature, called Device Controls, adds home automation shortcuts in the power menu. This lets users control connected smart devices without opening the Google Home app. But while Google intended the Device Controls to show up in the power menu, the company didn’t require all OEMs to add the new controls on their respective Android skins. Because of this, Samsung has stuck with its older power menu design and has included the Device Controls in the quick settings page in One UI 3.1.

As a recent report from Android Police points out, Samsung has added Google Home device controls in the ‘Devices’ button in the quick settings page on One UI 3.1. To access these controls on your Galaxy device, you can follow these steps:

• Make sure you have the Google Home app installed on your device and you have at least one smart home device connected via the app.
  
• Swipe down on the home screen to open the notification shade and tap on the ‘Devices’ button found underneath the quick settings toggles.
  
• In the following screen, tap on SmartThings.
  
• Select the Home option in the drop-down menu and you should now see all your connected devices.

You can tap on the tiles for your smart home devices to get access to basic controls. For connected smart lights, you get the option to turn on/off the light, change the brightness, and pick a color. For smart speakers, you get the option to control the volume and cast audio, and for smart plugs, you get the option to quickly turn them on or off. For additional controls, you can tap on the arrow button in the top right corner to open the device controls in the Google Home app.

It’s worth noting that if you want quick access to these Device Controls on the lock screen, you’ll have to enable an additional setting. You can do so by tapping on the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner on the Devices page, tap on Settings, and then tap on the toggle next to the ‘Use while phone is locked’ option.

These new Device Controls are limited to Samsung devices running One UI 3.1. As such, they’re currently only available on the Galaxy S21 devices and the Galaxy Tab S7/S7 Plus. Other devices may also receive the new Device Controls following their One UI 3.1 update.

Much like Samsung, Xiaomi has also taken a different approach to Android 11’s Device Controls feature on its latest MIUI release. You can follow this guide to enable Device Controls on your Xiaomi device.

The post How to access Google Home Device Controls on Samsung devices running One UI 3.1 appeared first on xda-developers.

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