The OnHub has been out for more than six months now, and it hasn’t evolved much beyond the basic router functionality. Google promised us smart home features, and now it’s starting to happen. The latest OnHub update added support for IFTTT. The channel is already live for you to start crafting automation recipes, but your OnHub needs to be on firmware version 7978.51.0, which is rolling out now.
The IFTTT integration is definitely the headliner here, but that’s not all that came in this software. Here are the full release notes from Google.
- IFTTT integration: This gives you creative control over OnHub and other devices. Setup at IFTTT.com/OnHub
- Device list now shows usage data for wired devices
- Updated device usage graphs in the app
- General stability and performance improvements
For the unaware, IFTTT stands for If This, Then That. It’s an online automation service that plugs into hundreds of devices and services. Now that OnHub has a channel, it can be used as the If or That part. Google made a video demoing some of the things you can do with the new IFTTT functionality.
The options for OnHub in IFTTT are pretty limited right now. Your If triggers include a device of your choosing either connecting or disconnecting. That’s basically the same as leaving or getting home, assuming you choose a phone. The only That ingredient for OnHub is device prioritization. So you could, for example, send an email when a device connects or disconnects, prioritize a certain device with a button on your watch, or turn off your Hue lights when you leave home.
The OnHub has antennas for some home automation platforms, but none of that works yet. IFTTT is unrelated to those features. IFTTT is all online, meaning you need to have an internet connection for your recipes to work. I’ve played around with the IFTTT integration, and it does what it’s supposed to. The delay after triggering a recipe isn’t bad (just a few seconds), and there are some useful things you can do with it. I don’t think this will fundamentally alter how I use the router, but it’s a nice extra. IFTTT is running a contest on Twitter for creative OnHub recipes. Winners get a bunch of smart home stuff. Learn more about that here.
- Source:
- Google OnHub