Control Zigbee devices with Google Home using Homey
Zigbee devices don’t connect directly to Google Home. To control Zigbee lights, plugs, or sensors with Google Home, you need a smart home hub that supports Zigbee and can make those devices available to Google’s platform.
Homey acts as that hub. It connects to Zigbee devices and exposes supported devices to Google Home. Homey stays in control of the devices and Google Home becomes an additional way to control them.
What you need
To control Zigbee devices with Google Home, you need:
- A Homey Pro, Homey Pro mini or Homey Self-Hosted Server. Note that Homey Self-Hosted Server requires Homey Bridge to add Zigbee support
- One or more Zigbee devices paired with Homey
- A Google account and the Google Home app
Zigbee devices must always be paired with Homey first, before they are added to Google Home.
What “exposing devices” means
When Homey exposes a Zigbee device to Google Home, it means Homey shares that device with Google Home through its integration.
The device:
- stays paired with Homey
- continues to be controlled by Homey
- becomes visible in Google Home
Google Home does not communicate with Zigbee devices directly. All commands are routed through Homey.
A simple way to think about it: Homey translates Zigbee devices into controls Google Home understands.
How to connect Homey to Google Home
You don’t need to re-pair Zigbee devices or change how they’re connected.
The process works like this:
- Pair Zigbee devices with Homey
Make sure the Zigbee devices you want to use are already added to Homey and working correctly. - Link Homey in the Google Home app
Open the Google Home app, choose Add / Set up device, select Works with Google, choose Homey, and allow Google to access your Homey account. - Sync devices to Google Home
After linking, Google Home automatically imports the supported Homey devices.
After this, your Zigbee devices appear in Google Home without any additional pairing steps. The devices remain paired only with Homey.
How the connection works
Behind the scenes, the setup works in three steps:
- Zigbee devices connect to Homey
Homey acts as the Zigbee hub and controls the devices locally. - Google Home connects to Homey
Google Home communicates with Homey through the Google Home integration, not with Zigbee devices directly. - Homey forwards commands
When you control a device in Google Home, Homey translates the command and sends it to the Zigbee device.
What you can do in Google Home
Once exposed, Zigbee devices usually appear in Google Home as standard smart devices, such as:
- Lights (on/off, dimming, sometimes color)
- Switches and plugs
- Sensors (for status and simple routines)
You can:
- Control devices in the Google Home app
- Use Google Assistant voice commands
- Assign devices to rooms
- Include them in Google Home routines
What to keep in mind
- Zigbee devices must stay paired with Homey
- Not all Zigbee features are available in Google Home
- Advanced automation and logic stay in Homey
- Removing a device from Homey also removes it from Google Home
Use Google Home for control and voice and Homey for automation and logic.
In short
Zigbee devices can’t connect directly to Google Home.
Homey exposes them by making them visible and controllable in Google Home, while keeping all Zigbee communication and advanced automation inside Homey.
Google Home becomes an additional way to interact with your devices and Homey stays in control.
Discover more about Homey by connecting additional devices through the Homey App Store. Control them with the Homey App and create your own automations with Flows and Advanced Flows. Monitor your smart home using Dashboards, and gain deeper understanding with Homey Energy and Insights.
Smart home technologies and platforms supported by Homey
Smart homes often use multiple wireless technologies and platforms. As a powerful smart home hub, Homey supports a wide range of communication standards, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Thread, KNX, 433 MHz, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Infrared.
Homey also integrates with popular smart home platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home. By combining multiple technologies and platforms in one system, Homey allows devices from different ecosystems to work together in one flexible smart home setup.
