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How to move your Google Home routines and devices to a new smart home hub

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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There is no universal export button that copies Google Home devices and routines into an unrelated hub. The reliable approach is a staged migration: document the existing setup, prepare a destination hub that supports your protocols, move or share devices, rebuild automations, test every trigger, and retire the old bindings only after the new system works.

The exact steps depend on whether a device uses Matter, Wi-Fi cloud integration, Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave or a manufacturer-specific service. Matter devices offer the most flexible path because they can be controlled from multiple certified smart-home apps, while Google Home routines generally must be recreated unless the destination platform provides its own replacement tool.

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What actually transfers—and what does not

Google Home stores several different kinds of information: device records, room assignments, linked manufacturer accounts, scenes and routines. Those records are not one portable package. A new hub may recognize the same physical device, but it will usually create a new device record, new room membership and new automation references.

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Google does not document a one-click export of Google Home routines and devices to an unrelated smart-home platform. Plan on rebuilding routines and checking every device feature. SmartThings is a notable exception within its own ecosystem: its Hub Replace feature is intended to transfer devices and routine setups when replacing a compatible hub. That is a platform-specific replacement workflow, not a general Google Home importer.

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For Matter devices, Google states that removing a device from one Google Home removes it from that home and resets its settings and any automations or routines attached to it. Treat removal as a destructive step and record the old configuration first.

Check the destination hub before touching the old setup

Choose the hub around the radios and services your devices actually use. A hub that supports only Matter over Wi-Fi will not automatically control a Zigbee sensor, a Z-Wave lock or a camera that depends on a proprietary cloud account.

Protocol and network requirements

  • Matter: The destination must be a Matter-enabled hub or controller. Matter devices may use Wi-Fi, Thread or Ethernet, depending on the product.
  • Thread: A Thread border router is required for Thread devices. Google lists Google TV Streamer (4K), Google Home and Nest speakers and displays, and Nest Wifi Pro among Google Home hubs; Thread-capable hubs are needed when a home combines Thread and Wi-Fi Matter devices.
  • IPv6: Google requires IPv6 to be enabled on the home network for Matter to work reliably. Check the router’s LAN and guest-network settings before commissioning devices.
  • Zigbee and Z-Wave: These need a destination hub with the corresponding radio or a supported bridge. A Google Home Matter hub does not replace those radios.
  • Cloud integrations: Wi-Fi products that rely on a manufacturer’s account must be linked through the destination platform’s integration. You may need to authorize the account again and recreate device groups.

Matter is intended to improve setup consistency, compatibility, responsiveness and reliability, and a compatible device can be controlled from multiple certified smart-home apps. Feature support still varies by device type and platform, so verify that the destination exposes the functions you use—such as lock codes, camera controls, thermostat modes, media playback or energy data.

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Compare candidate hubs before buying or resetting anything

Decision area Questions to answer Why it matters during migration
Protocol coverage Does it support Matter over Wi-Fi and Thread, plus any Zigbee, Z-Wave or vendor-cloud devices you own? A missing radio or integration can leave devices stranded or require an additional bridge.
Automation portability Does it offer a native import, a hub-replacement utility or only manual recreation? Manual recreation takes longer and may not reproduce Google Assistant-only actions.
Local operation Which routines continue when the internet or a vendor cloud is unavailable? Local execution reduces dependence on cloud services for lights, sensors and safety routines.
Voice continuity Can Google Home or Google Assistant still control selected devices while the migration is in progress? Keeping voice access lets you move rooms gradually instead of cutting over all at once.
Feature depth Are locks, cameras, thermostats, media targets, presence and notifications supported with the same controls? A device may connect successfully while losing an important feature.
Recovery Can the hub be replaced, backed up and restored? Where are configuration exports stored? A documented recovery path prevents a failed hub from becoming another full migration.

Make an inventory that can be used to rebuild the home

Do this while the old Google Home setup is still working. A spreadsheet, note or printed checklist is sufficient, but give every device and routine a stable name.

Record each device

  • Google Home name, room and physical location.
  • Manufacturer and exact model, including hardware revision when shown.
  • Protocol: Matter over Wi-Fi, Matter over Thread, ordinary Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave or a vendor cloud.
  • Manufacturer account, integration and required subscription, if any.
  • Firmware requirements, battery state and whether the device needs a factory reset.
  • Features actually used: dimming, color, lock state, thermostat mode, camera stream, media playback, sensors or notifications.
  • Current Google Home room assignment, device groups and scenes.

Google reports more than 80,000 compatible Works with Google Home devices on its current compatibility page. That broad figure does not guarantee that every model, firmware revision or feature is supported by your chosen destination, so identify the exact products rather than relying on a brand-level match.

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Capture every routine in detail

Open each routine and write down its spoken phrase, schedule or event starter, conditions, actions, delays, presence dependency, media target and notification text. Include routines you rarely run; those are easy to forget and often control safety, heating or vacation behavior.

Google defines routines as sets of starters and actions. A device must be in the same home as the routine, and devices that do not support routines do not appear as available starters or actions. Routine availability also varies by region and language. If an action is a custom Google Assistant command, copy the exact wording and mark it as an item that may need a native replacement.

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Choose a migration architecture

Matter-first migration

Use this when most of your devices are Matter-certified and the destination has the required Wi-Fi and Thread capability. Google TV Streamer (4K) is listed by Google as a Google Home Matter hub with Thread support. A Matter-first design can leave compatible devices visible in more than one certified app while you build the new automation layer.

Same-platform hub replacement

If you are replacing one SmartThings hub with another supported SmartThings hub, the Hub Replace workflow is designed to transfer devices and routine setups permanently. SmartThings lists the Aeotec Smart Home Hub among hubs supported for its replacement and backup features. Follow the platform’s current eligibility rules; do not assume a Google Home routine will be imported by this process.

Dedicated automation layer

Advanced users can use Home Assistant as the automation layer while exposing selected entities back to Google Home for voice control. Home Assistant documents a Request sync action, and Home Assistant Cloud can synchronize changes automatically. This arrangement lets you move critical logic without making every Google Home device disappear at once.

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Prepare the network and destination hub

  1. Update the network. Enable IPv6 on the home LAN, avoid commissioning Matter devices from an isolated guest network, and confirm that the phone used for setup is on the same local network as the hub.
  2. Update firmware. Install current firmware on the destination hub, Thread border router and devices before pairing. Firmware mismatches can look like pairing failures or missing features.
  3. Install the destination app. Create the destination home, establish rooms and decide on a naming convention before adding devices.
  4. Place border routers and hubs. Put Thread border routers and radio hubs where they have reliable power and network connectivity. Keep the old Google Home hub online during the overlap period.
  5. Back up your inventory. Save the routine list, device identifiers, QR-code photographs or setup keys, and any recovery codes in a secure location.

Move Matter devices between Google Homes

Google’s documented sequence applies when a Matter device is moving from one Google Home to another Google Home. Because removal can reset settings and erase attached routines, complete the inventory first.

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  1. Open the Google Home app and select the Matter device.
  2. Open the device settings and choose the option to remove the device from the current home.
  3. Factory-reset the device when the device instructions or the app require it. Some products can be commissioned to another fabric without a full reset; follow the specific device’s procedure.
  4. Switch the Google Home app to the destination home.
  5. Choose Add device, select the Matter setup path, and scan the Matter QR code or enter the setup key.
  6. Assign the device to its destination room and give it the name used in your migration inventory.
  7. Test basic control, status reporting and every feature used by your routines.

Removing the device from the original home removes its old room relationship and associated automations. Do not remove a device merely to change its room name; make that change in place when the app allows it.

Add non-Matter devices to the new platform

Wi-Fi devices tied to a manufacturer account

  1. Install the destination platform’s official integration.
  2. Sign in to the same manufacturer account used by Google Home, or create the account required by the destination.
  3. Approve requested permissions and wait for device discovery.
  4. Rename devices, assign rooms and rebuild groups or scenes. Destination platforms may expose different entity names for the same physical product.
  5. Check feature permissions individually. A light may expose on/off but not color temperature; a thermostat may expose temperature but not every mode.

Expect to reauthorize services. Linking the account does not guarantee that Google Home’s room names, scenes or routine references will be copied.

Zigbee, Z-Wave and bridge-based devices

Pair these devices with a destination hub or bridge that has the appropriate radio. Most require inclusion or pairing mode and may need to be removed from the old coordinator first. Record manufacturer-specific settings—such as motion timeout, association groups, lock parameters or sensor reporting intervals—because those settings are normally stored by the old hub and are not part of a generic Google Home routine.

Rebuild routines instead of trying to force an import

Use the inventory as a specification. Recreate one routine at a time, mapping each Google starter, condition and action to the destination’s native equivalent.

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Map starters

  • Schedule: Recreate the time, days and time zone. Check daylight-saving behavior.
  • Voice phrase: Use the destination’s voice trigger if available. If the destination cannot reproduce a Google Assistant phrase, keep that voice-only action in Google Home during the overlap period.
  • Device event: Map motion, contact, temperature, lock or switch events to the destination entity and confirm the event direction.
  • Presence or geofence: Recreate household-member and location conditions only if the destination supports the same privacy and account model.

Map conditions and actions

Add conditions before actions and verify the order. A routine that turns on a light only when it is dark may need a native sun-position condition rather than a copied phrase. Replace custom Assistant commands with direct device actions, scenes or scripts where possible. Preserve delays, parallel actions, notification recipients and media targets explicitly; these are common sources of silent differences.

Handle unsupported actions deliberately

If a camera, media service, lock function or notification target is not supported by the new hub, do not substitute an action that merely looks similar. Leave that portion in Google Home, run it through a separate integration, or redesign the routine and document the changed behavior. Proprietary features and camera history are not guaranteed to transfer.

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Use an overlap period when the platforms allow it

Matter supports control from multiple certified smart-home apps. Compatible devices can remain available to Google Home while they are commissioned or shared with another Matter platform, allowing a room-by-room migration. Confirm support for the exact device type and feature on both platforms because Matter support changes over time.

During the overlap, give each routine a clear owner. Disable the old routine before enabling an equivalent destination routine if both would issue the same command; otherwise a light could toggle twice, a lock could receive conflicting commands or a notification could be duplicated.

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With Home Assistant, expose only the entities that still need Google Home voice control. When entities change, use Home Assistant’s Request sync action; Home Assistant Cloud can synchronize changes automatically. This keeps the Google voice surface intentionally small while the new automation layer is tested.

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Test every routine before deleting the old setup

Testing only by tapping a routine’s manual run button is not enough. A routine may work manually while its schedule, sensor event or presence trigger is misconfigured.

  1. Run the routine manually and confirm every action in order.
  2. Trigger it through its real starter: wait for the schedule, speak the phrase, open the contact sensor, change the thermostat state or cross the geofence.
  3. Check device state feedback, not just the visible action. Verify that a lock reports locked, a thermostat reports the intended mode and a sensor reports the expected value.
  4. Test delays, conditions, media targets and notifications.
  5. Simulate a failure where safe: disconnect a noncritical device, interrupt internet access if the platform supports local execution tests, and observe whether the routine fails safely.
  6. Review the destination platform’s activity or event log for skipped actions, permission errors and duplicate triggers.
  7. Leave the old setup available until each routine has completed at least one normal trigger cycle.

Safety-critical routines need a separate check

Give locks, garage controls, heaters, smoke or leak sensors and medical or accessibility routines extra tests. Confirm the fail-safe state, notification recipients and manual override. Do not declare the migration complete because a dashboard tile responds; verify the behavior that protects the household.

Retire the old Google Home bindings in a controlled order

  1. Export or save the final destination configuration and update your inventory with the new entity names.
  2. Disable old routines that duplicate destination automations, starting with noncritical routines.
  3. Observe the home through one normal day or schedule cycle and correct any missed triggers.
  4. Remove old integrations and devices only after confirming that no remaining routine, voice command or household member depends on them.
  5. Factory-reset hardware only when you are certain it will not be reused in the old home. A Matter reset can erase settings and attached automations.
  6. Store recovery codes, setup keys and destination-hub backups securely.

Troubleshoot common migration failures

The Matter device will not pair

  • Confirm IPv6 is enabled and that the phone, hub and device are on the intended local network.
  • Check that the destination has a Matter controller and, for Thread products, a Thread border router.
  • Update hub and device firmware.
  • Verify that the device is not still commissioned exclusively to the old fabric. Remove it or use the product’s documented multi-admin sharing procedure.
  • Use the setup key if QR scanning fails, then assign the device to a room after commissioning.

The device appears but a feature is missing

Compare the destination’s entity type and integration permissions with the feature recorded in your inventory. Matter device-type support and vendor integrations do not expose every capability uniformly. Keep the device in Google Home for that feature, add a supported bridge, or redesign the automation rather than assuming the pairing is defective.

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A routine runs manually but not from its trigger

Recheck the starter’s time zone, day selection, presence account, sensor threshold and device-room relationship. Review the activity log for skipped conditions. A destination platform may require a separate permission for location, notifications or media playback.

Both old and new routines fire

Search both platforms for routines using the same starter. Disable one owner, then run a single controlled test. Duplicate automations are especially risky for toggles, locks, thermostats and notifications.

Voice control stopped after migration

Check whether the destination entity is still exposed to Google Home and run its sync or rediscovery process. For Home Assistant, request a sync after changing exposed entities. Recheck names and rooms; a renamed device may no longer match an established voice phrase.

How to decide when the migration is complete

Consider the move complete only when the destination has a documented backup or replacement path, every device has an owner and room, every routine has a tested starter and action list, and the old Google Home setup no longer contains unique functions you still need. Keep a short record of exceptions—such as a camera that remains cloud-connected or a voice-only command that stays in Google Home—so future troubleshooting does not mistake an intentional split setup for a failure.

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