Are Qolsys Smoke Detectors Compatible w/ Google Home?

No, Qolsys Smoke Detectors are not compatible with Google Home. These sensors will not work with Google Home, even if the alarm panel is set up to interact with Google Home using voice commands. Life-safety sensors operate independently of the panel's armed status, and they are incompatible.

The communication between a security system and a Google Home device works in a unique way. The interactive service that is used with the system will serve as a middleman between the system and the Google Home device. Any command that is sent through the Google Home device will be passed through the interactive service before being sent to the panel. This process requires that the interactive service used with the system is compatible with Google Home.

Most Qolsys Smoke Detectors, such as the Qolsys IQ Smoke, will be used with a system that is compatible with Alarm.com, such as the Qolsys IQ Panel 2. Alarm.com is compatible with Google Home. But the smoke detectors are not. This is because Google Home only interfaces with the armed state of a security system. Additionally, a Google Home device will not announce any burglary alarm that occurs. Only the current arming status will be announced.

Remember, the Qolsys System must be connected with Alarm.com in order for that to work. The IQ Panel 2 comes with an integrated cellular communicator for this purpose. The user will still need an alarm monitoring plan that includes cellular connectivity. For Alarm Grid, these are the Gold and Platinum level monitoring plans. More information is provided on our Monitoring Page.

After setting the system up with Alarm.com, it must then be paired with Google Home. This is done through the Google Home App. But still, a user will not be able to check the current status for their Qolsys Smoke Detector. They cannot use Google Home to find out if their smoke detector has been activated or if there is a potential fire in the building. A better way to find out if a smoke detector has been activated is by using notifications through the Alarm.com service instead.