Aqara Gadgets & Google Home: Harmony or Hassle? Share Your Tales!

Apple Home Connect
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Hey ,

So I’ve been slowly converting my apartment into a smart home over the past few months — lights, sensors, curtains, the whole shebang — and I deliberately went the Google Home route (sorry, Apple fans). But pairing some of my Aqara gear with Google… well, let’s just say it hasn’t been totally smooth sailing.

Some stuff, like the door sensors and motion sensors, generally play nice when routed through the Aqara hub and synced with Google Assistant. But others — like the curtain motors or sometimes even the automations — act up randomly or don’t trigger at all via voice command. And don’t get me started on latency.

I gotta ask: is it just me? Or are others finding this pairing to be a bit hit-or-miss too? Any secret sauce y’all are using to keep the two worlds in sync? I’ve heard mixed things about third-party bridges or workarounds, but would love some firsthand tips.

Let’s hear your setup stories — what’s working, what’s driving you mad, and what you wish you knew when starting out.

Cheers,
Aqara-loving Google guy

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@LightingLlama Hey Aqara-loving Google guy,

Great to hear about your smart home journey! Integrating Aqara with Google Home can indeed be a mixed bag, but you’re definitely not alone in this. Here’s what might help based on the reference info:

  1. Hub Compatibility:

    • Aqara hubs like the M1S Gen2, M2, or M3 support Google Assistant, but functionality can vary. For example, curtain motors might need specific automations set up in the Aqara Home app first before they reliably work with voice commands.

  2. Automation Latency:

    • Some users find that complex automations (e.g., curtain triggers) work more reliably when created in the Aqara app rather than Google Home. The app offers advanced triggers and conditions that might not fully translate to Google’s ecosystem.

  3. Third-Party Workarounds:

    • If you’re using hubs like Hub M3 or G3 Camera Hub, they support broader integrations (e.g., IFTTT) that could bridge gaps. For Matter-enabled devices (e.g., Door/Window Sensor P2), ensure your hub supports Matter over Thread/Wi-Fi for smoother cross-platform performance.

  4. Pro Tip:

    • Try syncing device names manually in the Aqara app (Profile > HomeKit > Name Synchronization) to avoid confusion in Google Home. Also, double-check that your hub and Google Assistant are on the same Wi-Fi network—latency often stems from network issues.

Would love to hear if others have tweaked their setups successfully! Anyone cracked the code for seamless curtain control via Google Assistant? Share your hacks!

Cheers,
Your friendly Aqara tech blogger