Google Home's rogue smart light problem should now be fixed

Aug 11, 2026 — 5:33 PM ET

• Google says it has fixed an issue that caused some smart lights to turn on without user input.
• The bug had been affecting Google Home users on iOS and involved lights from several different brands.
• Google hasn’t explained what caused the problem, but the original Reddit poster says their setup is back to normal.

Google Home users had a slightly haunted-house problem on their hands earlier, with smart lights switching on by themselves without being asked. The good news is that Google now says the issue has been fixed.

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We reported on the bug this morning after users on Reddit described their connected lights turning on when they opened the Google Home app on iOS. In some cases, switching the lights back off didn’t help, as they would turn themselves on again seconds later. Reports involved lights from several brands, including Govee, Philips Hue, and Tapo, while the issue appeared to be limited to the iOS app.

Google has now responded to the Reddit thread through its official Google Nest Community account, and it came bearing good news. “We resolved an issue that was causing some lights to turn on/off without user input,” the company said, asking anyone still experiencing the problem to let it know.

The bug’s unnerving nature likely prompted Google to treat it as a priority, and users appear to acknowledge the fix. The original poster has updated the thread to say that everything appears to be working normally again.

While we reached out to Google when our earlier article was published, we’re yet to learn the cause of the iOS-specific bug. Still, if your smart lights suddenly developed a mind of their own today, they should hopefully be back under your control by the time you get home.