Technology

This screensaver turns your Pixel into a smart home control panel

A new feature in Android 15 allows your phone or tablet to display an interactive smart home control panel while charging — and it’s not limited to Google Home.

Published

1 month ago

Oct 18, 2024 05:00 AM

Web Desk

This screensaver turns your Pixel into a smart home control panel

A new Home Controls screensaver in Android 15 turns your tablet or phone into a smart home dashboard, where you can control devices with a single tap. The interactive screensaver does away with the need to unlock your device or tap a shortcut button, making controlling your connected lights or cameras much quicker.

The feature is live now on the Google Pixel Tablet and Pixel phones running Android 15 and should be available on more devices soon.

The screensaver appears when your device is docked or connected to a charger. It works with the Google Home app and displays your Favorites tab, which can be customized to show your most used devices, such as individual smart lights, thermostats, and security camera feeds. The tab also has shortcuts to access all your cameras, lights, and climate control devices.

I tested it on Google’s Pixel Tablet and could tap the controls directly to turn off the light or view a live camera feed. While the Pixel Tablet has a home shortcut button that gets you to the same screen, this removes that step, making it simpler and faster.

Google has been putting its Favorites tab in lots of new places recently, including on Google TV, where a Home Control Panel can appear on the right side of the screen, and on Android phones and Pixel Watches, with a Favorites widget. All these interfaces just make it easier to control your smart home, which is a good thing.

The new Home Controls screensaver is a great upgrade for Google Home users, but according to Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority, it’s not limited to the Google Home app. He was able to add his Home Assistant dashboard as a screensaver for a Pixel Tablet and explained it's a simple process for other smart home apps to add this feature.

You can share photos directly from the tablet’s photo photo frame.

Image: Google

Android 15 also includes a few other upgrades for the Pixel Tablet:

The ability to cast content from your Pixel Tablet to your Pixel phone is coming soon. According to Google, you’ll be able to “bring your phone close to your tablet and what you’re playing on Spotify or YouTube music will seamlessly move over without the extra steps of tapping the cast icon.” Notifications on your Pixel phone and Pixel Tablet will now sync when you’re on the same Wi-Fi network.You’ll be able to share photos directly from the digital photo frame on the tablet, and there are some new clock designs to choose from.