Google Home Panel Now Available for Chromecast with Google TV and Other Devices

Google has begun a wide rollout of the Home Panel feature to Chromecast with Google TV and other Google TV-powered devices, following a period of Public Preview. Previously exclusive to the Google TV Streamer and select users, the Home Panel is now accessible on more streaming dongles and TVs from brands like Hisense. Upon launching their devices, users will receive a prompt to set up the Home Panel, which enables them to control smart home devices such as lights, thermostats, speakers, and more directly from the Quick Settings panel. The Home Panel also supports live camera views and doorbell notifications, integrating core features from the TV Streamer. Functionally, the Home Panel mirrors the Favorites tab in the Google Home mobile app, offering quick access to a wide range of connected devices including locks, plugs, vacuums, TVs, and speakers. To use the Home Panel, users must be owners or members of a Home in the Google Home app associated with their Google TV profile; kids profiles and accounts without connected devices are not supported. Despite Chromecast with Google TV being classified as an end-of-life product, Google continues to provide updates, with the Home Panel representing a significant enhancement for smart home management on the platform.