Non-Google smart speakers aren't performing Assistant Routines correctly

While Google Home products are by far the most popular smart speakers which integrate Google Assistant, there are plenty of speakers out there made by third-party OEMs that also have Assistant features, like the JBL Link Bar, shown above.

Unfortunately, it seems that these third-party products have a serious flaw right now: Google Assistant Routines don’t work correctly, via Android Central.

Google Assistant Routines are programmable tasks that you can create and modify for Google Assistant to then enact through smart speakers or your smartphone. An example of this would be writing a Routine which when you say, “OK Google, let’s watch a movie,” Assistant will turn on your television, start up Netflix, and turn off the lights.

Users around the globe are flocking to /r/GoogleHome on Reddit as well as the Google Assistant Help Community to find answers for why Routines simply don’t work on third-party speakers anymore. However, they’re not finding much help.

Since Routines work correctly on Google Home hardware, Google is instructing users with problems related to Routines to go to the OEM of their particular speaker. This is frustrating as the problem seems to be widespread across the entire industry which suggests an issue with Google Assistant, not the third-party hardware.

Google Assistant doesn’t have a support line, so users are stuck airing their grievances on Google Home support lines for now.

Hopefully, Google will realize that this is most likely a server-side issue and fix it up soon. Until then, users will likely just have to wait it out.

Are you having problems with Routines on your third-party smart speaker? Let us know about it in the comments!

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