A strange Google Home app bug is automatically switching on smart lights across homes

Aug 11, 2026 — 7:19 AM ET

• Merely opening the Google Home app on iOS is automatically turning on connected smart lights for many users.
• The issue appears to affect smart lights from multiple brands (Govee, Philips Hue, Tapo, Kasa) and even hub bridges, but is confined to the iOS app so far.
• Manual toggles fail as lights turn back on seconds later, forcing users to unplug devices or unlink third-party accounts.

A strange new bug in the Google Home app for iOS is turning smart lights on across users’ homes whenever the application is opened. While Google recently rolled out a major Google Home update packed with third-party camera support and performance tweaks, this new glitch appears to be causing severe headaches for iPhone and iPad users trying to manage their smart setups.

According to Reddit user MST-1229 and others, simply launching the Google Home app on iOS causes connected smart lighting devices, including dimmers, bulbs, and LED strips, to turn on automatically. Attempting to switch the lights off manually is seemingly futile as the app forces them back on just seconds later.

Interestingly, the behavior appears confined strictly to the iOS app, with affected owners noting that the Android app and the Google Home web interface operate as expected.

The issue does not seem to be limited to a single smart home provider. Reports suggest the glitch is triggering connected hardware from Govee, Philips Hue, Tapo, Kasa, and others. Users who rely on hub bridges to connect their devices to other ecosystems are also seeing similar behavior.

For now, there does not seem to be a fix or workaround. Some users have resorted to unlinking their third-party accounts or force-quitting the app altogether, while others have temporarily unplugged their smart lighting.

We have reached out to Google to learn more about this bug and to inquire about a timeline for a fix. We will update this article when we hear back.