Google Smart Home: popular feature returns

Anyone who has set up their smart home based on Google Home lost a helpful function some time ago. When using several smart speakers, you could adjust the volume of all speakers at the same time with just one control. Fortunately, the lost feature has now returned.

Google vs. Sonos

If you use many different smart speakers in different rooms, you want them to be as easy to operate as possible. This also includes simultaneous volume control. This is practical if you are throwing a party, for example, and using all the speakers at the same time. After all, this allows you to create a uniform background noise in a flash.

But how did the tech company end up banning this helpful feature from its smart home in the first place? A patent dispute is the linchpin here too. As the king of smart speakers that work together, Sonos ensured that Google had to remove its multi-room operation from its software.

In 2021, Sonos had had enough. The company filed a lawsuit against Google for patent infringement. Two years later, the verdict was handed down in Sonos’ favor. And that didn’t just mean that Google had to remove Multiroom. The ruling was also accompanied by a whopping 30 million US dollars in damages.

How long will the feature stay?

However, there was good news for Google in October 2023. The court overturned the ruling in part. This made it possible for Google to re-establish its Multiroom feature. A report by Androidpolice reveals that control is also possible via the Google Home app. This means that it is now once again possible to control the volume of multiple speakers using voice commands.

However, Sonos naturally does not agree with the court’s decision. Accordingly, the audio manufacturer is now taking legal action against the partial reversal of the ruling. If things go badly for Google again, the recovered feature could disappear again. However, as the wheels of justice grind rather slowly in the USA too, you can enjoy the returned feature for the time being.