Use smart lights with Google Nest or Home devices

Supported smart lights

Made for Google

When you choose Made for Google light bulbs, you can set them up from start to finish in the Google Home app. You won't need a bridge or hub or the bulb maker’s app.

Made for Google light bulbs:

• C by GE

Works with the Google Assistant

Works with the Google Assistant light bulbs are compatible with the Google Assistant but are not Made for Google. To set up Works with the Google Assistant bulbs, you'll need both the Google Home app and the bulb maker’s app. You may also need a bridge or hub from the bulb maker. Explore the Google Assistant partnerswhich make Works with Google Assistant light bulbs.

Set up and link your light bulb

Made for Google light bulbs

1. Plug in your bulb in the same room as your Google Nest or Home speaker or display.
2. Set up your speaker or display, if you haven’t already done so.
3. Open the Google Home app .
4. Tap Devices   Add Google Nest or partner device .
5. Select the light bulb you’d like to set up. Your bulb will blink when selected.
6. Where is this device? Choose what room your bulb is in.
   1. To create a custom room, tap Add custom room  type in room name  tap Next.
7. Create a unique name. Type in the desired name for your bulb that you'll use for voice commands. It's recommended to use a contextual name like "reading light" or "overhead light." For best results, don’t include the room name in the light’s name (your speaker or display already knows which room it’s in).
8. Setting up your smart light. Your bulb may blink a few times.
9. Your light is ready. Tap Done.
10. Setup is successful. You can now control your lights with your speaker or display.

Works with the Google Assistant light bulbs

1. Follow the bulb maker’s instructions to set up your bulb. You may need to set up a bridge or hub, if you haven’t already done so.
2. Plug in and turn on your bulb in the same room as your speaker or display.
3. Set up your speaker or display.
4. Open the Google Home app .
5. Tap Devices Add Works with Google Home .
6. Tap your bulb maker’s logo  follow the steps to complete setup. You may need to sign in to your bulb maker’s app. The app will guide you through the rest of the steps.

Control your lights with your speaker or display

Basic voice commands

To do this:	Say "Ok Google" or “Hey Google," then:
To turn a light on or off	"Turn on or off <light name>"
Dim a light	"Dim the <light name>"
Brighten a light	"Brighten the <light name>"
Set a light brightness to a certain percentage	"Set <light name> to 50%"
Dim or brighten lights by a certain percentage	“Dim <light name> by 50%" “Brighten <light name> by 30%”
Change the color of a light	"Turn <light name> green"
Turn all lights in room on or off	“Turn on or off lights in <room name>"
Turn all lights on or off	“Turn on or off all of the lights”

Use the Google Home app

Open the Google Home app   touch and hold the light you want. You'll find controls for brightness. If your bulb has color options, you'll also find color controls.

Schedule and control multiple lights with Routines

You can use Routines to schedule your lights and control multiple lights with one voice command.

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Automations  Add.
3. Choose Household or Personal then enter what starts the routine and what actions will happen. For actions, tap Adjust Home Devices and select which lights you want.

Set nicknames for your bulbs

For better control, give each of your bulbs its own nickname.

1. To create or change a nickname, open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Favorites or Devices
3. Tap and hold your device's tile.
4. At the top right, tap Settings   Name.
5. Enter a name  tap Save.

Note: For best results, don't include the room name or a number in the nickname. Also, this nickname only appears in the Google Home app. If you use your device maker’s app, this nickname will not appear.

Assign your bulbs to a room

To control your lights more easily, assign them to a room in a home. You can create a new home, create a new room, or add your lights to an existing room.

Note: All members of the home can control all lights in the home.

Add the bulb to an existing room in your current home

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Favorites or Devices
3. Touch and hold the bulb's tile you want to add to a room.
4. At the top right, tap Settings   Room  choose a room  tap Save.

Add the bulb to a new room in your current home

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Favorites or Devices
3. Touch and hold the bulb's tile you want to add to a room.
4. At the top right, tap Settings   Room  scroll to the bottom and tap Add a custom room  enter the room name  tap Save.

Add the bulb to a room in a different home

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Favorites or Devices
3. Touch and hold the bulb's tile you want to add to a room.
4. At the top right, tap Settings   Home choose a home  tap Next choose a room  tap Next.

​Unlink your lights from speaker or display

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Favorites or Devices
3. Tap and hold your device's tile.
4. At the top right, tap Settings  Remove device Remove.

Product specific information

C by GE

You can connect up to 6 C by GE light bulbs for each speaker or display.

Move C by GE bulbs from the C by GE app to the Google Home app

If you have bulbs already set up in the C by GE app, you can delete them from the C by GE app and set them up in the Google Home app.

Turn on your C by GE lights. The bulbs must be turned on before you continue.

Delete the bulbs from the C by GE app. This will factory reset the bulbs. They will blink 3 times if the factory reset is successful. If they don’t blink, you will need to factory reset each bulb manually. Note that the reset sequence is different depending on your bulbs’ firmware version. If the first reset sequence doesn’t work, you have an older firmware version and will need to use the second reset sequence.

Open the Google Home app  and follow the setup sequence for Made for Google.

Note: The bulb may blink during its first firmware update after being set up with the Google Home App.

Color control voice commands for C-Sleep bulbs

To do this:	Say "Hey Google" or “Ok Google," then:
Set C-Sleep bulbs to Vibrant or wake color	"Set lights to bright white"
Set C-Sleep bulbs to Active or everyday color	"Set lights to soft white"
Set C-Sleep bulbs to Calm or sleep color	"Set lights to candlelight"
Change the color temperature of C-Sleep bulbs	"Change lights to 2700 kelvin" (2000-7000 range)

 

Unlink your bulb(s) from your speaker or display

Note: You cannot unlink individual C by GE smart lights. When you remove one bulb through the “Unlink C by GE” flow, it will remove all C by GE light bulbs.

1. Make sure your bulb(s) are powered on.
2. Open the Google Home app .
3. Tap Favorites or Devices
4. Touch and hold the C by GE light bulb's tile.
5. Tap Settings  Remove device Remove. (This will remove all your GE bulbs. This currently doesn't support the removal of individual C by GE light bulbs).

If the Google Home app can't find your bulb during set up

• Turn the bulb off for 10 seconds, then turn it back on.
• Make sure you have the latest version of the Google Home app.
• Reboot your speaker or display.
• Force close the Google Home app.
• Factory reset your C by GE bulb.
• Factory reset your speaker or display.

Note: If your bulbs don’t show up in either the Google Home app or the C by GE app, they probably need to be factory reset. They might also use older firmware, so follow the second factory reset sequence if the first sequence doesn’t work.

If your bulb doesn't respond

• Make sure the wall outlet receives power. Check that your wall switch is on.
• Turn the bulb off and on. The bulb takes up to one minute after receiving power to reconnect to the speaker or display. Try your light and check if it works. If so, you’re done.
• Try to use the bulb in a different lamp or socket.
• If the above steps don’t work, you may need to factory reset your C by GE bulb and set up the bulb again.

If you get the error message "Something went wrong"

• The signal between your bulb and your speaker or display might not be strong enough. To increase the signal strength, move the bulb and your speaker or display closer to each other. They should be no more than 15 feet apart.
• You might not be a member of the home that the bulb was set up in. Ask the person who created the home to add you as a member.
• Other devices near your speaker or display, or C by GE bulbs, might cause interference. If you have a nearby Wi-Fi router, cordless phone, microwave, or Bluetooth speaker, move it further away if you can.
• You might have too many C by GE bulbs on one speakers and displays. You can add up to 6 bulbs on each speakers and displays.

If you're still unable to resolve the issue, share feedback about speakers and displays.

Factory reset your C by GE bulbs

1. Make sure all your bulbs are turned on.
2. Factory reset your bulbs. Note that the reset sequence is different depending on your bulbs’ firmware version. If your bulbs don’t flash on and off 3 times after you finish the first reset sequence, you'll need to use the second reset sequence.
3. Reboot the speaker or display you use to set up your bulbs. Then attempt to re-setup your bulbs using the Google Home app.

Note: If your bulbs are connected to the C by GE app, you can also factory reset your bulbs by unlinking them from the C by GE app. The bulbs will blink 3 times when unlinked from the app. This confirms the factory reset was successful.

Philips Hue

Voice commands for Philips Hue scenes

To do this:	Say "Hey Google," then:
Activate a scene	"Activate <scene name>" or "Set <scene name>" "Set <room name> to <scene name>"
Deactivate a scene	"Deactivate <scene name>"

If you can't pair your Philips Hue bridge with speaker or display

1. Say the voice command, "Hey Google, sync all devices."
2. Check the following items on your Philips Hue bridge:
   1. Is your Philips Hue bridge powered up?
   2. Have you plugged your bridge into your Wi-Fi router?
   3. Are all the lights on the top of the bridge illuminated?
3. Make sure your speaker or display, and Philips Hue bridge, are on the same Wi-Fi network and connected to the same router.
4. Reboot your speaker or display and the Philips Hue bridge.

General troubleshooting

Initial checklist

1. Is your speaker or display powered on?
2. Is your speaker or display successfully set up on your Wi-Fi network?
3. Are your smart light bulbs successfully set up on the same WiFi network?
4. Are you using the supported voice commands listed above?
5. If your lights are also set up in the device maker’s app, are you able to control your lights through that app?

Troubleshooting steps

• Make sure your mobile device, your speaker or display, and your smart light bulbs, are all on the same Wi-Fi network. If you use a bridge, also check the Wi-Fi network of the bridge.
• Make sure your mobile device and your speakers and displays are linked to the same Google Account.

  • Verify that the Google Account shown is the one linked to your Google device. If correct, tap to close the account window. To switch accounts, tap the dropdown icon , then tap another account or Add another account

  • To check the account of your speaker or display, open the Google Home app  . Tap Favorites or Devices  touch and hold your device's tile  tap Settings   Recognition & sharing  Linked account(s).
• Make sure your light bulbs are linked in the Google Home app.
  • Open the Google Home app  . Tap Favorites or Devices
  • If you can't find your lights, force close the Google Home app and try again.
  • If you still can't find your lights, set up your lights again in the Google Home app.
• Say the voice command, "Hey Google, sync all devices."
• Rename your light bulb.
  • Remove the room name from the light name. For example, use "Desk Light" instead of "Bedroom Desk Light."
  • Remove numbers and special characters from the light name. For example, use "Favorite Light" instead of "The #1 Light."
  • Make all bulb names unique. For example, use "Reading Light" and "TV Light" instead of "Right Sofa Light" and "Left Sofa Light."