Control smart devices with your Android phone or tablet
You can quickly add controls for compatible smart home devices like thermostats, lights, locks, and cameras from your Android phone or tablet. Turn devices on or off and change some of their settings without the need to open an app.
Home controls and the home panel work with compatible smart home devices that you connect and can control in the Google Home app 👁 Google Home Application Icon
.
- Home controls are only available on phones with Android 11 or higher.
- The home panel is only available on devices with Android 14 or higher.
- Hub Mode is only available on Pixel Tablets attached to a Charging Speaker Dock.
- Before you control smart devices in home controls, the home panel, or the Google Home app, make sure you update your mobile device’s Android version.
Set up home controls or the home panel
If you haven't already, use your phone or tablet to set up your smart devices in the Google Home app. Compatible devices will be added automatically to home controls.
Compatible devices you add to your favorites in the Google Home app 👁 Google Home Application Icon
will be added to the home panel. Learn more about the Google Home app.
To set up how you access your home panel on your lock screen:
- Open your device's Settings app 👁 Settings app
. - Tap Display & touch 👁 and then
Lock screen 👁 and then
tap an option.
Use device controls: Turn this on to control your devices without unlocking your screen. Some devices can't be controlled when your device is locked.
The first time you open home controls or the home panel, your compatible favorites in the Google Home app 👁 Google Home Application Icon
will be added automatically.
With the Pixel Tablet, set up Hub Mode to check live cameras. Through Hub Mode, you can also allow everyone at home to control devices when your tablet is locked and docked. You still need to unlock your tablet to control sensitive devices and change settings.
Control connected devices
If your mobile device doesn’t have the home panel, hold the power button to access device controls. To add more devices, go to the home controls screen and tap More 👁 Image
👁 and then
Add controls.
Pixel devices with Android 14 or higher have the home panel.
To control the devices and automations in your Home Favorites 👁 Image
list, tap the Home icon 👁 Home panel
on your device's lock screen. You can also swipe down to open Quick Settings, then tap Home.
On the home controls screen or the home panel, you can:
- Turn devices on or off
- Change brightness for lights
- Change thermostat temperature
- Get live videos from cameras
- Pause music or videos
- Control smart locks
You can only control locks that can be unlocked with the Home app 👁 Google Home app
. You also need to unlock your phone or tablet to access sensitive controls like cameras and locks. On a Pixel Tablet in Hub Mode, anyone in your home can view cameras or access camera controls.
Choose which devices appear in home controls or the home panel
- Press and hold the Power button on your phone or tablet.
- Above the controls on the right, tap More 👁 Image
👁 and then
Edit controls. - To remove a device, tap the checkbox next to the device name. To rearrange a device, drag the device name.
- Tap Save.
- Wake your phone or tablet to display the lock screen.
- Tip: You can press the Power button, tap the screen, or lift the device.
- Swipe down to open Quick Settings, then tap Home, or tap the Home icon 👁 Home panel
on the lock screen. - To remove a device:
- Scroll down and tap Edit.
- Unlock your device if needed.
- Tap the checkbox next to the device name.
- To rearrange devices:
- Scroll down and tap Reorder.
- Unlock your device if needed.
- Touch and hold a device tile, then drag it to the desired location.
- Tap Save.
Tip: If you edit or reorder devices on the home panel, they'll also be updated in the Google Home app 👁 Google Home app
Favorites tab, and vice versa.
By default, your Pixel Tablet home panel shows the same devices as your Favorites tab in the Google Home app on your phone. To keep your home panel synced to Favorites on your phone, follow the instructions for Home panel (Android 14 or higher).
To display a different set of devices in the home panel, you can customize your Pixel Tablet’s list of favorites. However, once you make your Pixel Tablet Favorites unique, they will no longer sync with the Favorites list in the Google Home app 👁 Google Home app
.
First time setup of Pixel Tablet Favorites
If you don’t have a Favorites list yet for your Pixel Tablet, set it up from the lock screen or in the Google Home app:
- Choose where to start your setup.
- From the tablet display lock screen: Swipe down to open Quick Settings, then tap Home. You can also tap the Home icon 👁 Home panel
on the lock screen. - From the Google Home app: Open the Google Home app 👁 Google Home app
in your Pixel Tablet, then tap Favorites 👁 Image
.
- From the tablet display lock screen: Swipe down to open Quick Settings, then tap Home. You can also tap the Home icon 👁 Home panel
- At the bottom right, tap Edit.
- A prompt with the message “Edit unique favorites for Pixel Tablet?” will appear.
- Tap Save to continue.
- Tap No thanks to disagree and close the prompt.
- Add or remove your favorite devices by tapping the checkboxes next to their name.
- Tap Save. A “Saved to Pixel Tablet” notification will appear at the bottom left of the screen.
Edit your unique favorites
If you already have a Favorites list set up in your Google Home app, you can create a unique favorites list for your Pixel Tablet. Once created, the unique favorites list in your Pixel Tablet will not be synced to the Home app’s version anymore.
- Choose where you want to start your edit.
- From the tablet display lock screen: Swipe down to open Quick Settings, then tap Home. You can also tap the Home icon 👁 Home panel
on the lock screen 👁 and then
Edit. - From the Google Home app: Open the Google Home app 👁 Google Home app
in your Pixel Tablet, then tap Favorites 👁 Image
👁 and then
Edit.
- From the tablet display lock screen: Swipe down to open Quick Settings, then tap Home. You can also tap the Home icon 👁 Home panel
- At the top right, tap More 👁 Image
👁 and then
Unique favorites. - A prompt with the message “Edit unique favorites for Pixel Tablet?” will appear.
- Tap Save to continue.
- Tap Cancel to disagree and close the prompt.
- Add or remove your favorite devices by tapping the checkboxes next to their name.
- At the bottom right, tap Save. A “Saved to Pixel Tablet” notification will appear at the bottom left of the screen.
Reset your Pixel Tablet’s unique favorites
- Open the Home app 👁 Google Home app
in your Pixel Tablet. - Tap Favorites 👁 Image
👁 and then
Edit 👁 and then
More 👁 Image
. - Tap Reset favorites and a “Reset favorites for Pixel Tablet?” prompt will appear.
- Tap Reset to continue.
- Tap Cancel to disagree and close the prompt.
- After you tap Reset, a “Reset favorites on Pixel Tablet” notification will appear at the bottom left of the screen.
Use the Home Controls screen saver (Android 15 or higher)
Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 15 and up. Learn how to update your Android version.
The Home Controls screen saver lets you use your phone or tablet as an always on smart home controller while it’s locked and charging.
- Open your device’s Settings app 👁 Settings app
. - Tap Display & touch 👁 and then
Screen saver. - Turn on Use screen saver.
- Scroll down and tap Home Controls.
Choose when your screen saver starts
- Open your device’s Settings app 👁 Settings app
. - Tap Display & touch 👁 and then
Screen saver 👁 and then
When to start.- Tap While charging to have access to home controls without docking your device.
- Tap While docked and charging to only turn on the Home Controls screen saver when docked.