New Google Home app starts rolling out ability to reorder favorite devices

The Google Home app Public Preview is set to get a number of features before it more widely launches. The ability to reorder devices in Google Home’s Favorites tab is now starting to roll out for those in the beta program.

When the Public Preview launched, you could favorite smart home devices so that they appear in the app’s first tab. It’s better than having to scroll through your full devices list every time. However, you cannot adjust the order and are left with a default, by-room organization.

The Google Home team promised in December that it was “actively working on the ability to reorder your Favorites look out for that in the first half of next year.”

Those on the latest Google Home app beta (2.67.x), which got access through a different dogfood program and didn’t just opt-in inside the app, are now seeing a “Reorder” button at the very bottom of the Favorites tab, while “Add” appears to have been renamed to “Edit.”

Credit: u/BlazeCrafter420

Again, those on the stable release of Google Home (2.65) and got the Public Preview by requesting an in-app invite are not seeing Reorder yet. It’s not clear when this capability is coming to more users.

During a Reddit Q&A last year, the Google Home app team also promised:

• “We’re updating more of our lighting controls and effects and will have new options for you to get the color/temperature that you want next year.”
• “In the first half of next year you can expect to see the ability to favorite all the lights in a room instead of each individually.”
• “…we’re working on a few improvements to the Devices tab to help you find devices faster.”
• “We’re working on a custom clip download feature in the Home app for camera users and will have a solution for you in 2023.”
• “Many large screen/tablet optimizations are coming in 2023.”
• “There are some devices (like the window coverings you mention) that are controllable with Assistant voice commands but cannot yet be controlled fully in the Home app – and we’re working on closing that gap. Watch this space – we’re working on adding more controls that enable you to open or close devices like shutters, in addition to other new starters and actions.”