I just purchased a google home and quickly made the changes to incorporate it with the emulated hue component. When I got to the screen to add the bridge, it appears Google has updated their app so you now when you add “philips hue” you have to type in a username/password to login. (Instead of doing a manual sync by pressing the button on an actual bridge.) At least I assume this is how it was done before?
So with a quick update, google has killed this functionality. Curious if I’m missing something here, or if there is something in the works to hopefully work around this issue?
I don’t have the updated version yet (tested it out by unpairing and went through the same “old” process). I’ve grabbed an older version of Google home just in case, but that’s a disappointing work-around.
The effects of this change only seem to be trickling out. I expected it would be a bigger issue. Either fewer people are using Google Home than I thought, or fewer people have the update. I have a dot to fall back on but…I like Google home’s answers to questions over Alexa’s.
In the same boat here, I prefer google home’s answers and functionality way more than Alexa’s. This change does not affect already linked accounts (so far at least) which is why we probably haven’t heard much yet. My google home/pixel are still working fine. My wife’s phone just got the google assistant update and is asking for the login to hue.
Maybe a way to trick hue’s cloud into think the emulated hue is a legit device??
Not sure where this information may figure in for anyone looking for a fix for this, but might be relevant:
I have a ‘legit’ Hue hub, and use it totally ‘legit’ without having ever signed up for a Hue account. I can’t see why Google would need you to have an online account with Hue to use the Hue software, when the Hue software does not require an online account to be used.
I’m in the UK so Google Home wasn’t an option, but currently I use an Echo Dot which controls HA via the emulated_hue component, HA then controls the Hue via automations/scripts etc. My only use for the Hue app in this scenario is to set and save scenes to the Hue bridge, and to configure the Hue Tap light switch thing. All of this is done ‘locally’ via the app, no Hue account required.
Like I say, No idea whether this info helps, but if anybody needs anything more LMK.
I think it hasn’t caused too big of a fuss yet because Google home isn’t (or wasn’t, not sure) available outside of the US, and because I think people who already have linked emulated hue to their google home can still use it, I know I can anyway. I am not too sure if I have the updated google home app though…
