Google is investigating a bug affecting Google Assistant voice commands for smart lights, drawing user complaints on Reddit and Google support forums, as initially reported over the weekend.
On Saturday, July 26, the official Google Nest account acknowledged the issue on Reddit, stating, “We’re aware of an issue with using voice commands to control some lights. We’ll share an update as soon as possible, thanks for your patience.” Android Authority‘s Rita El Khoury reported experiencing this problem, noting her Nest Audio speaker failed to execute light control commands.
Users report varied issues, including Google not recognizing light groups, activating incorrect lights, or responding silently to commands such as “Hey Google, turn off the lights.” While control through the Google Home app remains functional for most users, indicating the issue specifically impacts Assistant voice functionality, no timeline for a fix has been provided two days after Google’s initial response. Some users have attempted workarounds, including re-syncing devices or removing and re-adding lighting services, with inconsistent success.
One Reddit user suggested, “You just need to reconnect the service you use for your lights. Go to Google Home app, click the + button to add a new device. Go to the works with Google section and reconnect any of the services you use for the lights. That should work… Maybe.” This method may not be practical for users with numerous connected lights.
