Google Assistant
Yesterday we reported that Chamberlain’s MyQ integration with Google Assistant is breaking for some users and, now, the company has further confirmed that it has officially discontinued the integration because, well, no one actually liked it.
MyQ support with Google Assistant is different from how most garage door openers support the voice assistant. Where many brands natively support the Google Home ecosystem and the Assistant by extension, Chamberlain has long opted for a Google Assistant action instead, limiting its garage door openers to just the Assistant and also forcing users to use awkward voice commands such as “Hey Google, ask MyQ to close the garage door,” rather than the simple “Hey Google, close the garage door” that other brands are able to use.
In a statement to 9to5Google, Chamberlain explains that it has decided to do away with its MyQ integration with Google Assistant for the time being to “determine a better integration solution” because the existing one “is not a user-friendly experience.”
Due to customer feedback, we determined that our current Google Assistant integration feature is not a user-friendly experience. For the time being, we have discontinued the feature for new myQ users until we determine a better integration solution. Existing myQ users who are already linked to Google Assistant will still be able to use the Google Assistant feature with the myQ app.
Customers have indeed complained for years about this integration, with the Google Assistant action having a 1.3 star review after over 1,200 reviews, so it’s good to see Chamberlain finally acknowledging the complaints.
That said, it’s unfortunate to see the company effectively pull the rug out from customers. The existing integration does seem to be working for some and Chamberlain says that those with a linked account can continue using the integration, but now that Google has killed off the Conversational Actions that the integration was based on (with a year’s warning), it’s only a matter of time until it stops working for everyone, new and existing users alike. On a support page, Chamberlain notes that unlinking your account will disable the integration permanently.
Chamberlain points to its IFTTT support as an alternative customers can use, though notably IFTTT does come with a charge if you use more than a couple of automations. The company also noted that its partner Alarm.com supports Google Assistant and that customers can close their garage door using that integration, but Alarm.com also failed to update from a Conversational Action, which has led to the integration breaking.
For now, there’s no word on what MyQ might return to Google Assistant. Chamberlain instead pointed to its support for Amazon Key, Walmart+ InHome, its integration with cars from Telsa, Mitsubishi, and Mercedes, and the Smart Garage Video Keypad that it launched just this week.
When Chamberlain returns, the path is pretty clear. Google Home natively supports garage doors, and it’s overdue that one of the most popular smart garage door openers on the market finally gets with the times.
More on Google Home:
Source: 9to5Google
