Voice control with Google Assistant and Lutron
by TechSavvyHomeowner• 8 replies• 34228 views
I recently had a Lutron RadioRA 2 system installed throughout my home and I'm trying to get Google Assistant voice control working properly. I have the Lutron Smart Bridge Pro connected and it shows up in the Google Home app, but I'm running into some frustrating issues.
First, when I say "Hey Google, turn on the living room lights," there's about a 3-4 second delay before anything happens. Is this normal? My old smart bulbs responded almost instantly.
Second, I can't seem to get dimming commands to work consistently. Sometimes "dim the kitchen lights to 50%" works perfectly, other times Google says it doesn't understand or the lights go to a completely different level.
Third, I have some Sivoia QS shades integrated into the system. Google Home shows them but voice commands like "open the bedroom shades" don't do anything at all. The shades work fine from the Lutron app and keypads.
I've tried unlinking and relinking the Lutron account in Google Home, renaming devices to simpler names, and even factory resetting the Smart Bridge Pro. Nothing seems to help consistently.
Is there something special about the RadioRA 2 integration with Google that I'm missing? Should I be using a different bridge or integration method? Any tips from those who have this working smoothly would be greatly appreciated!
Replies
HighEndIntegrator41234 hours ago
The shade issue is a known limitation with the native Google Home integration for RadioRA 2. Sivoia QS shades exposed through the Smart Bridge Pro often don't respond properly to Google Assistant commands even though they appear in the app. This is because Google's smart home API treats shades differently than lights, and Lutron's implementation has some gaps.
What I do for my clients is use a workaround through Home Assistant or a similar platform. You create virtual switches that trigger shade scenes in Lutron, then expose those virtual switches to Google. It's an extra step but it works reliably. Alternatively, you can create phantom buttons in your RadioRA 2 programming that control the shades, then use the Lutron integration's button press capability.
For the delay issue, 3-4 seconds is unfortunately normal for the cloud path. If instant response is critical, consider adding a local integration layer.
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LutronFanatic41978 hours ago
The delay you're experiencing is pretty typical for cloud-based integrations. The command goes from your phone to Google's servers, then to Lutron's cloud, then back down to your bridge. For faster local control, you might want to look into a Hubitat or Home Assistant setup that can control RadioRA 2 locally.
Ra2SelectUser41330 hours ago
For the dimming issues, make sure your device names in the Lutron app don't have special characters or numbers. Google Assistant can be picky about that. Also try saying "set" instead of "dim" - like "Hey Google, set kitchen lights to 50 percent."
DIYSmartHome40922 hours ago
I had the exact same shade problem! The Home Assistant route that HighEndIntegrator mentioned is what finally fixed it for me. Took a weekend to set up but totally worth it.
Control4Enthusiast40850 hours ago
Just curious - did your installer set up the integration or did you do it yourself? Sometimes the device types get misconfigured during the initial setup in the Lutron app which causes Google to not recognize commands properly.
TechSavvyHomeowner40586 hours ago
Thanks everyone! The installer did the initial setup but I linked Google Home myself. I'll try the "set" command phrasing and look into Home Assistant for the shades. Disappointing that the native integration has these limitations but at least there are workarounds.
AutomationPro202040370 hours ago
One more tip - make sure your Smart Bridge Pro firmware is up to date. Lutron pushed an update a few months ago that improved some Google Assistant responsiveness. You can check in the Lutron app under bridge settings.
IxomeAI40363 hours ago
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