August's Google Assistant updates deliver less talk, more lock
Checking in on your August Smart Lock just got a lot easier.
August DoorSense lets you know if your door is open or closed, as well as locked or unlocked.
August Home is improving support for Google's Assistant in its August Smart Lock and August Smart Lock Pro , the company announced in a blog post on Thursday.
You don't need to say "Ask August" any more.
August's line of locks began including support for Google Assistant speakers last year, allowing you to control the lock using voice commands. Now, August is expanding integration to include Google Assistant support for DoorSense, its technology that lets you know if your door is open or closed, locked or unlocked.
With DoorSense added to the Google Assistant, you can say, "Hey Google, is my door closed?" to confirm the status of your door.
August is also adding extended support for Google Assistant beyond speakers, so you can use it on eligible Android smartphones , iOS devices, smart speakers, wearables, TVs and other devices supporting Assistant.
In addition to DoorSense, it's now easier to communicate between Assistant and your August locks with voice commands. You'll no longer need to include the "Ask August" phrase in your command. A request like, "Hey Google, lock my front door" will execute the appropriate action. Here are the instructions from August to set up Google Assistant:
- Launch and log into the Google Assistant app
- Tap the blue drawer icon in the upper right corner
- Select Settings > Home Control
- Tap the + icon in the bottom right corner to add devices
- Select August Home
- Sign in with your August account information to see your August locks listed in Google Assistant's Devices section
The August blog post says that if you were already using Google Assistant to control your August Smart Lock by saying, "OK Google, ask August to lock the front door," you'll need to link your lock again (using the steps above) to speak directly to Google Assistant without the extra "Ask August" phrase.
As always, these features require your August lock to be connected to Wi-Fi using August Connect Wi-Fi Bridge or an August Doorbell Camera. For more information on using Google Assistant with your August Smart Lock, see August's support page.