Google has officially started releasing Android 15 to Pixel devices. This update brings exciting features like Private Space, partial screen sharing, app pairs, and a new screensaver called Home Controls. This screensaver turns your Android device into a smart home dashboard when docked.
What is the Home Controls Screensaver?
The Home Controls screensaver was first introduced in the third beta of Android 15, which came out in June. On Pixel devices, you can find this feature under Settings > Display & touch > Screen saver. For now, it’s only available on the Pixel Tablet, but it may come to other Android devices soon.
When you choose Home Controls as your screensaver and dock your device, it launches the Favorites view from the Google Home app. This view gives you quick access to your favorite smart home devices. So, by selecting this screensaver, you can turn your tablet or phone into a smart home dashboard.
Is It Only for Pixel Devices?
Despite being a Pixel-specific feature at launch, the Home Controls screensaver can technically work on any Android device running Android 15, as long as they support screensavers. A good example is the Nothing Phone 2, which can use this feature while running Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta.
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Does It Only Work with the Google Home App?
No, the Home Controls screensaver isn’t just for the Google Home app. It also works with other apps like Home Assistant, which is popular for smart home controls. Interestingly, neither Google Home nor Home Assistant creates their own screensaver for this. Instead, Android 15’s SystemUI app provides the screensaver, embedding the Home Control activity from these apps.
How Does It Work?
In last year’s Android 14 update, Google introduced an API that allows apps to add a custom activity to the Device Controls interface. Device Controls lets you manage smart home devices from the Quick Settings tile or the lock screen. In Android 15, the SystemUI app takes this custom activity and uses it for the Home Controls screensaver.
Smart home apps don’t need to make big changes to support the screensaver. They only need to make sure that their custom activity is accessible when the device is locked.
Why It’s Useful
The Home Controls screensaver could be one of the most practical features in Android 15. It provides quick, easy access to your smart home controls and turns your device into a useful hub when docked.
If you’ve tried the Home Controls screensaver, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
