Alright, so I got this idea buzzing around in my head the other week about trying to set up some kind of TV schedule thing using my Google Nest gear. You know, maybe get the Nest Hub to show what’s on, or even automate tuning into a specific channel at a certain time. Sounded pretty neat in theory.
First thing I did, naturally, was grab my phone and start poking around in the Google Home app. I spent a good while digging through all the settings for my Hub and speakers. Looked into routines, device options, explored the discover tab, everything. Honestly, I couldn’t find anything that looked like a built-in TV guide or scheduling feature for regular TV channels.
So then I thought, maybe I just need to ask the Assistant the right way. Tried a bunch of voice commands. Things like, “Hey Google, what’s on TV tonight?” or “Show me the TV schedule.” Mostly, it just gave me web search results or links, which isn’t really what I wanted. I was hoping for something integrated, right there on the Hub display.
It quickly became clear this wasn’t a straightforward feature. It seems like Google Nest devices don’t just pull in live TV listings like your cable box does. They’re more geared towards controlling smart devices or streaming services.
Okay, plan B. I started thinking about workarounds. Could I use routines? Maybe set up a routine that, I don’t know, reads out the prime-time lineup from some website? Seemed really clunky and probably prone to breaking. Not exactly the smooth experience I was after.
Then I considered the TV control aspect. I do have a Chromecast plugged into my TV, and the Nest Hub can control that. So, yes, I can say “Hey Google, turn on the living room TV” or “Play Stranger Things on Netflix on the living room TV.” That works fine. But scheduling it, like automatically turning on the TV and switching to a specific channel (like BBC One, for example) at 7 PM sharp? That seemed much harder, if not impossible with just the basic Nest setup.
- Checked routines again – couldn’t find an action for specific channel tuning via antenna or cable, only for apps like Netflix or YouTube.
- Thought about smart plugs – could schedule the TV power, but not the channel.
- Looked into maybe some third-party integrations, but didn’t want to complicate things too much.
It’s kinda funny how some smart home stuff works perfectly, and other things you’d think would be simple just… aren’t there. You need the right combination of devices and services talking to each other, and even then, it might not do exactly what you want.
What I ended up doing
So, did I get my fancy automated Nest TV schedule? Nope. Not really. What I did figure out is I could put key shows I want to watch into my Google Calendar. My Nest Hub shows my calendar events, so I get a visual reminder on the screen that way. It’s not a schedule, but it’s a prompt.
For actually controlling the TV, I just stick to voice commands for turning it on/off or launching streaming apps via the Chromecast. If I want to know what’s actually on live TV, I still end up using the TV’s built-in guide or checking an app on my phone. It’s just faster than trying to force the Nest Hub to do something it wasn’t really designed for.
Maybe Google will add better TV integration down the line, who knows? But for now, my little experiment hit a bit of a wall. It works for basic stuff, but that fully integrated TV schedule on the Nest Hub remains elusive for me.
