Rita Deutschbein Managing Editor

July 30, 2025, 2:32 pm | Read time: 3 minutes

For a smart home to function, devices and software must seamlessly integrate and operate without errors. However, complaints are currently on the rise with Google’s Smart Home, as reported by the U.S. portal “TechRadar.” The current issues are said to particularly affect lighting controls, as well as fans, speakers, and other smart home devices. Users worldwide are expressing their frustration in various forums.

Some users report, for example, that the “Movie Time” routine, instead of dimming the lights as intended, suddenly reads out movie schedules. Another user described that their fan was not turned off, but instead, all the lights in the house were deactivated. According to a post on “Reddit,” the system only works flawlessly about 25 percent of the time for some users. Google confirmed the problem and announced a solution, but the issue persists even days later.

Suspected Planned Obsolescence

Due to the increasing errors and Google’s delay in addressing them, some users are even speculating that the company might be intentionally reducing the performance of existing devices to boost sales of new products with enhanced AI functionality. These speculations are fueled by the fact that the issues coincided with Google’s focus on the new AI platform Gemini.

However, these assumptions cannot be confirmed. In the past, Google has caused a stir by suddenly discontinuing certain product categories with little to no notice. This included the Nest Protect smoke detector in March. New security cameras last appeared in 2021, which does not suggest that Google is focusing on this area. Some devices, like the current Nest Thermostat, are only available in the U.S. Others, especially older series, are increasingly losing their functions and receive little support.

Read also: Google Removes More Assistant features from Android

U.S. Law Firm Investigates Possible Contract Violations

The increasing functional issues with Google Home have now also caught the attention of legal experts in the U.S. The law firm Kaplan Gore has launched an investigation into possible contract violations by Google and is considering a class-action lawsuit. The allegation: Google is not delivering promised services and is not only ignoring existing problems but even exacerbating them. Affected users are therefore asked to share their experiences to prepare for possible legal action.

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Google Apologizes on X

The increasing reports about its home system have not gone unnoticed by Google. Just a few days ago, Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer for Google Home and Nest, spoke out on X and publicly apologized to users. He also promised significant improvements in fall 2025. Whether this will be enough to regain trust remains questionable.

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TECHBOOK has reached out to Google for a statement. However, we have not yet received a response.

Problems Also with Smartphones

Aside from Google Home, the company is currently facing less favorable press. The company recently released an update for its Pixel A series that renders the smartphones nearly unusable. We have also experienced such a case with the Pixel 6a in our editorial team. The company seems aware of the problem and is offering compensation for the purchase of new devices.