Google Assistant on mobile devices

Apps & Remote Access Vera Concierge
#1

As luck would have it … I was just enabled for Google Assistant on my Samsung S7 today…

When I try:

talk to Vera Concierge
I get:
Vera Concierge is not supported on this device.

The following is the only specific comment I can find from google at this time … and it’s vague:
On the Actions on Google website:

Actions on Google let you build for the Google Assistant. Your integrations can help you engage users through Google Home today, and in the future, through Pixel, Allo, and many other experiences where the Google Assistant will be available.
I assumed it meant when Google Assistant was available on these devices ... But they may need to do something else. The App clearly recognizes it as a service ... it just has not enabled it. I made a request to Tech support today to clarify.
#2

Well google Tech Support got back to me:

Unfortunately, Actions on Google is only available on the Google Home at this time. Sorry for the inconvenience.

So for the time being Google Assistant will not support Vera Concierge on a mobile device. But it is on their roadmap.

I have plans to release a Android App that will do this until Google steps up.

#3

I’m curious, is the plan to be able to use Concierge on mobile to link Vera and communicate with Google Assistant without actually having a Google Home? I’m wondering how much power they’ll put into the Assistant without requiring a Home purchase.

#4

Google’s roadmap is to be able to use Google Assistant on mobile without a Google Home device.
Right now when I am in my Office if I say
OK google XXX
The Google Home or the Phone will respond … not both … the first to react handles the request.
This is a feature of Google Assistant. You should be able to put many Google Assistant devices in your house without the concern of two devices reacting to the same command.
(They will react to the same command if they are linked to different Google Accounts).
[hr]
My short term workaround to their plan is to release a Vera Concierge android app … that you can talk to the same way you do the Google Home.
You might have to start it with
OK google start Vera Concierge

instead of
OK google talk to Vera Concierge

#5

Richard,
We have so many phone apps… AuthomationHD, Vera Mobile, Sceneflow (still in Alpha), Imperihome, Vera Alerts, and others like Tasker, AutoVera, etc

Adding yet another app I’m always concerned about battery usage.

Is there a way you can integrate this functionality into Vera Alerts app?

Better yet, convince Garrett to OpenSource AuthomationHD and extend that… its already the best app for Vera, by FAR.

#6

Seconded on AuthomationHD. The only reason I switched to ImperiHome is that Garret left for OpenHAB and ceased development quite a while ago. I would jump right back if Garrett restarted development of AuthomationHD.

#7

It will not have any UI … it’s Voice only … and will interact with the currently narrowly focused Google Assistant on mobile.
When Google fully supports assistants developed with their Google Actions API … this app would disappear.

It will look and behave like it is a part of Google Assistant. So there is no reason to integrate it with an existing app.

#8

[quote=“RichardTSchaefer, post:4, topic:196176”]Google’s roadmap is to be able to use Google Assistant on mobile without a Google Home device.
Right now when I am in my Office if I say
OK google XXX
The Google Home or the Phone will respond … not both … the first to react handles the request.
This is a feature of Google Assistant. You should be able to put many Google Assistant devices in your house without the concern of two devices reacting to the same command.
(They will react to the same command if they are linked to different Google Accounts).
[hr]
My short term workaround to their plan is to release a Vera Concierge android app … that you can talk to the same way you do the Google Home.
You might have to start it with
OK google start Vera Concierge

instead of
OK google talk to Vera Concierge[/quote]

Good info! I look forward to giving it a try. I’m glad to see I won’t have to buy a Google Home to get the functionality. I’ve already got an Echo and 3 dots, so would rather not have another gadget.

#9

Any chance you would also release an iOS app?

#10

I will think about releasing an Apple app.
I will need to renew my Apple Developer License (Google does not continuously charge you to be a developer).
That in combination with the fact that the release process for Apple is quite onerous lowers my motivation.

#11

[quote=“RichardTSchaefer, post:1, topic:196176”]As luck would have it … I was just enabled for Google Assistant on my Samsung S7 today…

When I try:

talk to Vera Concierge
I get:
Vera Concierge is not supported on this device.

The following is the only specific comment I can find from google at this time … and it’s vague:
On the Actions on Google website:

Actions on Google let you build for the Google Assistant. Your integrations can help you engage users through Google Home today, and in the future, through Pixel, Allo, and many other experiences where the Google Assistant will be available.
I assumed it meant when Google Assistant was available on these devices ... But they may need to do something else. The App clearly recognizes it as a service ... it just has not enabled it. I made a request to Tech support today to clarify.[/quote] Well , i don't know what I've done. i've installed the Android data manager on my phone , it can only be used to manage data on your phone, and it can't do what you say,
#12

[quote=“Saverty, post:11, topic:196176”][quote=“RichardTSchaefer, post:1, topic:196176”]As luck would have it … I was just enabled for Google Assistant on my Samsung S7 today…

When I try:

talk to Vera Concierge
I get:
Vera Concierge is not supported on this device.

The following is the only specific comment I can find from google at this time … and it’s vague:
On the Actions on Google website:

Actions on Google let you build for the Google Assistant. Your integrations can help you engage users through Google Home today, and in the future, through Pixel, Allo, and many other experiences where the Google Assistant will be available.
I assumed it meant when Google Assistant was available on these devices ... But they may need to do something else. The App clearly recognizes it as a service ... it just has not enabled it. I made a request to Tech support today to clarify.[/quote] Well , i don't know what I've done. i've installed the Android data manager on my phone , it can only be used to manage data on your phone, and it can't do what you say,[/quote] neither can't I
#13

Remember the good cop, bad cop technique? Well, Google has always been the first one to show the maximum loyalty to developers. Unlike Apple, Google doesn’t have strict requirements for design. The approvement period in the Play Market is much shorter and not as fastidious as in the Apple App Store too.
Nevertheless, in a question of smart assistant integration, it appears quite conservative. For now, Google assistant works with the selected apps only. The list includes such hot names as eBay, Lyft, Airbnb, and others. They are allowed to make their own Now Cards via special API (from [url=https://www.cleveroad.com/blog/how-to-create-virtual-assistant-apps-like-siri-and-google-assistant]https://www.cleveroad.com/blog/how-to-create-virtual-assistant-apps-like-siri-and-google-assistant[/url]).
The good news is that you still have a chance to join the ranks of the proud owners of a Now assistant in your app. For that, you need to register the application with Google.
Remember not to confuse Google Now with the voice commands. Now is not just about listening and responding. It is an intelligent creature that can learn, analyze, and conclude. Voice actions are the narrower concept. It works on the basis of speech recognition followed by information search.
Google provides the developers with a step by step guide for integrating such functionality into an app. Voice Actions API teaches how to include a voice mechanism both in mobile and wearable apps.