What you need to know

• Google has launched a smart home directory to help educate users about building a smart home.
• The new directory can help users learn about smart assistant capabilities in their homes.
• Filters on the site aim to make it easier to find smart home devices from speakers to displays and TVs.

Google knows how difficult it can be to build or even get started with a smart home. That's why the company announced a new smart home directory on Wednesday, which will serve as a one-stop-shop for consumers to learn about and find smart home products.

The new directory has useful guides that can show users the various capabilities of smart home products, like some of the best smart locks to support Google Assistant, or the best smart LED bulbs. Helpful videos can be found near the bottom of the page to walk users through setting up and using their various devices.

The directory also showcases many of the Google Assistant-compatible products that users can buy and includes handy filters and categories to help sift through the many devices, which includes some of the best Android TVs and of course Chromecast with Google TV.

With more than 150 million devices and over 80+ device types in the Google Smart Home platform, Google hopes to make it easier for users to find products that will fit their needs and provide them with the information they need to get the most out of their devices.

Google's smart home platform will also expand soon, thanks to the company's work on the Matter initiative. Previously named Project Chip, Matter is the joint initiative from major tech companies that will bring smart home products under a unified standard. That means smart home appliances that are Matter certified will work on any smart home ecosystem, whether it's Google, Amazon, or Apple.

Google is also building a more seamless setup process in Android for Matter-certified devices and is already working with developers and OEMs to ensure that their products will be ready. The first Matter products aren't expected until later this year, but many existing products will be updated to support the new standard, which should help make things easier for many users. According to Google, the average household had about nine smart home products, up from just two in 2016.

Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

Your ultimate smart home hub
The new Nest Hub gets some useful upgrades from its predecessor, including the new Soli sleep-tracking feature that uses radar to tell you how restful your sleep was based on environmental factors. The new Nest Hub is practically future-proof thanks to its support for the new Matter protocols.