The new Vacation Mode feature in the “Home & Away” menu of the Google Home app may be preparing to randomly control your smart home devices while you are away At the very least, it could be like the away or vacation modes of other smart home platforms such as SmartThings

Android Authority discovered a new “vacation mode” while testing the latest Google Home app Aside from adding one of the best security cameras to your setup, this is one of the best ways to protect your home from criminals

Google Home can sense your presence using your phone's location and the various sensors built into many of its best smart home devices This automatically initiates a routine or designated set of tasks, such as turning down the thermostat or turning off the lights while you are away However, if you are away for an extended period of time, your home will remain turned off

Version 32313 of the app introduces a new vacation feature in the Home & Away menu, indicated by a calendar icon Clicking on this allows the user to set travel dates and have Google Home randomly activate the device throughout the day It can do things like open (or close) smart blinds, play music from a smart speaker, or adjust smart lights

Google's Vacation routine is not yet complete, and in the current release an error message appears when users try to tap the calendar icon There is also no trace of a “Vacation” option in the “Home Routines” section of the “Automation” tab at this time Still, this highly requested feature could give the Google Home platform a much-needed boost