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Control smart home devices with the Favorites widget

For iOS, the Favorites widget is available as a Public Preview feature. Join Public Preview to try it on your iOS devices.

Access your smart home devices using the Favorites widget. Your preferred devices are a tap away from the Home screen. The Favorites widget is available on iOS 17 or later and Android 12 or later. Make sure to update to the latest version of the Google Home app to use this feature.

Before you set up your Favorites widget, you must first add a home and set up smart home devices in your Home app. You can also add other compatible smart home products, like lights, cameras, and Matter-enabled devices. After your devices have been set up, you can add them to your Favorites list.

For added flexibility, the devices and actions in your widget are synced with your Home app Favorites list. Or you make your own list that is unique to the widget. You can also add multiple widgets to your Home screen.

Create or add a home in the Home app
  1. Open the Google Home app .

  2. Tap Create Home .
  3. Name your home and then Next.
  4. Follow the on screen steps.

How to add the Favorites widget to your Home screen

From smart locks to lighting, the widget lets you manage and access your smart home devices in a convenient way. To add the Favorites widget to your iOS device’s Home Screen, follow the instructions for your iOS version.

Widget sizes are limited to 3 standard options:

  • Small

  • Medium

  • Large

Note: In Standby mode, the default widget size is small.

Choose controls for the Favorites widget

Once added to your Home screen, devices should sync with your Favorites from the app. If you haven't selected Favorites in the Google Home app, you can follow the prompt from the widget to add Favorites. The number of devices shown will depend on the number of devices selected, the size of the widget, and size of your device’s screen.

Choose your Favorites
  1. On the widget, click Add favorites.

  2. On your favorites picker screen, select the favorites that will show on your widget.

  3. After selecting your favorites, click Save.

Edit your Favorites widget through the Widget Settings

Sync your Home app Favorites
  1. Tap and hold the widget, select Widget controls.

  2. Tap Favorites  to sync with your favorites in the Home  app.
When you edit your Favorites  in the Home app, your widget will refresh to reflect the latest changes from the app.
Choose a custom set of widget controls

You can modify your Favorites list specifically for the widget through the settings page.

  1. Tap and hold the widget and then Edit Widget information.

  2. Select Widget controls and then Custom and then Add new item 

  1. Select a device.

  2. Select Add new item for each device you want to add.

  3. Tap outside the settings window to exit and save your changes. 

Note: The number of devices visible within the widget may be limited by the widget size.

Rearrange your Favorites widget (Custom only)

Rearrange your favorites through the widget settings. 

  1. Tap and hold the Favorites widget.

  2. Tap Edit Widget information.

  3. Tap and hold the reorder button  next to the favorite's name.

  4. Drag up or down to rearrange your favorites list.

If you select Favorites for widget controls, ordering will be the same as what is in the app.

Remove your widget
  1. Tap and hold the widget.
  2. Select Remove Widget Red minus sign icon.
  3. Remove Widget confirmation will appear and then tap Remove.

How to control devices in the widget

Check the status of your device through your Favorites widget. The widget will indicate if the device is active or not and will refresh its status every 30 minutes. Depending on the status of the device, the color shade of the device tile will change.

Some devices can be switched on or off with the Favorites widget (kitchen lights, bedroom blinds, etc.). Tap the device tile you want to toggle on or off. Devices may take some time to complete the task but the widget will present the progress of completion.

There are devices that don’t have the toggle on or off option. If you tap on the Camera, Wi-Fi, Thermostat, and Command tiles, they instead will open the device on your Home  app.

Sensitive actions like opening smart locks, garage doors, or checking the cameras require different levels of user authentication. This is to keep your home safe and under your control.

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