- Control all smart home devices
- Personalize Google responses
- Equipment starts under $200
- Monitoring is $20/mo.
- Hear about security concerns
- Integrate with other Nest devices
- Hear about security concerns
- Integrate with other Nest devices
Bottom line: Google makes Vivint Smart Home smarter
Vivint is a smart home security darling. When you take Vivint’s smarts to the next level with voice control through Google Assistant, it reaches Star Trek-level convenience.
No, it doesn’t come with a replicator, but you can tell it to do just about anything that comes to mind for security and smart home—from arming the alarm to pumping up the jam at your backyard BBQ.
The best security systems that work with Google
Compare the best Google home security systems
| Lowest monthly price* |
| Installation |
| Contract required |
| Arm with Google |
| Unlock doors with Google |
| Smart home control with Google |
|
Best smart home control
|
Best budget option
|
Best Google integration
|
|
|
 |
|
| $29.99 | $19.99 | $19.00 |
| Pro | DIY | DIY |
| No** X |
No X |
No X |
| Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
| Yes ✓ |
No X |
No X |
| At higher plan price | Yes ✓ |
Requires more Google Nest devices† |
| View packages | View packages | View packages |
Data effective 09/28/20. Offers and availability subject to change.
*Price listed for the most affordable monitoring plan that is compatible with Google Home.
**No contract options available with up-front equipment purchase.
†Google, Google Nest Secure, and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC.
Our approach
We started with our favorite home security systems and then dug in to see how each one works with Google Assistant. We looked at factors like monthly fees, contracts, tech and equipment, and overall value.
On top of that, we looked at how easy it was to integrate each system with Google Assistant. From there, we lined up the features and actions you can use with voice control through Google.
We gave preference to security systems with professional monitoring and those that expand Google voice control beyond simply checking the status of your system. We paid special attention to the following actions:
- Arm and disarm with Google
- Lock and unlock smart locks with Google
- Control other smart home devices with Google
- View security camera footage with Google
The best security systems that work with Google reviews
Vivint: Best smart home control
Vivint leads the way when it comes to integrating true smart home tech with home security protection. It’s no surprise that Vivint’s integration with Google Assistant gives you some of the most extensive smart home voice control available.
But all of that control comes at a price. You need to bump up to Vivint’s $40 a month mid-tier plan for full smart home control. And if you want to max out your voice control powers to access footage from your security cameras, you’ll pay even more.
Pros
- Customized Google responses
- Voice control for smart home devices
- Daily routines and schedules
- Lock and unlock smart door locks with Google
Cons
- Expensive equipment
- Higher monthly fees with smart home control
Vivint and Google Home
Unlike most other security systems, Vivint lets you both lock and unlock your smart locks using Google Assistant.
Voice control is usually limited to arming your security system and locking up the house. While the ability to use voice control to unlock is perceived as a potential security risk, we like that Vivint gives you this option.
Google Assistant can be trained to recognize your voice and perform certain actions for only that voice. This mitigates some of the potential security risk that comes with using voice control to disarm and unlock.
Get all the details about Vivint home security in our full Vivint review and YouTube video that reveals four things you need to know before you buy Vivint.
Insider info
What you can do with Vivint and Google
In addition to arming and disarming your Vivint home security system, you can use Google to control your Vivint smart home devices and set up customized routines.
Here are more actions you can ask Google to perform with your Vivint security system:
- Control your Vivint or Nest thermostat and set different temps for different rooms.
- Turn smart lights on and off and dim or change colors on smart light bulbs.
- Lock and unlock smart door locks.
- Open and close the garage door.
- Set up daily routines to trigger automatic actions (like turning down the thermostat when the front door locks after everyone leaves in the morning.
- Create customized Google responses for different voices in your home—so you can be the only person whose voice will unlock the front doors.
Blue by ADT: Best budget option
When it comes to protecting your home on a budget, Blue by ADT is hard to beat. Best of all, you don’t have to sacrifice luxury upgrades like voice control with Google Assistant.
You can get a Blue security system for around $200, and as long as you have a Google Home or Google Home Mini, you can start telling Google to check on it without paying another dime.
Blue also gives you the option to self-monitor your security system (that’s free!) or add ADT”s pro monitoring for just $20 a month. That gives you the full power of the ADT name and its nine monitoring centers for less than any other ADT plan.
Pros
- Affordable equipment
- Contract-free monthly monitoring for $20
- Z-wave compatibility
Cons
- No smart home equipment
- Confusing Google action name (LifeShield, not Blue)
Blue by ADT and Google
Before we dive into the specifics, there’s an important detail you need to know. Because Blue is basically a rebranded LifeShield home security system, you need to add the Lifeshield action to your Google device to get voice control.
And Blue home security equipment doesn’t include any smart home devices—but it’s compatible with Z-wave. That compatibility makes it easy to incorporate smart gadgets with your security system and control them all with Google Assistant.
What's Z-wave?
Blue is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to voice control. You can disarm your security system when you also say the four-digit code you set up for your system, but you can’t unlock doors or open the garage door with voice control alone.
We don’t really understand why the company feels that using voice to disarm your system is okay while deciding that unlocking doors or opening the garage via voice as too risky.
Learn more about Blue by ADT in our full review.
What you can do with Blue and Google Assistant
Here’s a rundown of all the things you can control with your voice when you add the Lifeshield smart home action to your Google Home setup:
- Arm and disarm your Blue security system (only allowed when you also say your security system PIN).
- Dim lights or turn them on and off.
- Turn small appliances on and off when plugged into a smart outlet or smart plug.
- Lock doors outfitted with a smart lock.
- Close and check the status of the garage door (but you can’t can’t open it with voice control).
- Customize temperatures in different rooms with smart thermostats.
- Set up scenes to trigger automatic actions like turning on the porch light before everyone heads home from the office.
Google Nest Secure: Best Google integration
It’s kind of a no-brainer that Google’s acquisition of Nest gives Nest products an edge when it comes to integration with Google Assistant.
We like using Google Assistant with Nest Secure because the setup is so easy. And, just like the sleek smarts in the Nest Secure home security system, voice control with Google is straightforward and convenient.
Pros
- Easy Google integration
- Compatibility with other Nest products
- Optional monthly monitoring with Brinks
Cons
- Limited voice control actions
- Expensive equipment
Nest Secure and Google Assistant
You can use Nest Secure with any Google Home compatible device—Google Home smart speakers or the Google Home Hub smart display.
Once you’re connected, you can ask Google to check in on the status of your security system, set the system to Home, Away, or Guarding, and integrate with your other smart Nest devices.
But you won’t be speaking directly to your Nest devices. You need to talk to the Google Assistant, and ask it to initiate the desired action on your Nest equipment.
Once again, you can’t use voice control to disarm your Nest Secure system or unlock doors. But you can ask Google to “cancel security” if you use voice control to arm the security system and if you do it within a few seconds of arming.
Voice control won’t work if you set up your Nest Secure to require a passcode for arming. If you want to use Google Assistant to arm the system, you’ll need to disable the passcode requirement.
Find out all the details about Nest Secure in our full review.
What you can do with Nest Secure and Google Assistant
Even though Google Assistant and Nest Secure are part of the same Google ecosystem, there’s not a huge list of things you can do with voice control:
- Arm the security system.
- Check the status of your security system.
- Change Nest Secure from “Home and Guarding” to “Away and Guarding.”
Voice control and home security: Google vs. Alexa
Our top three Google-compatible home security systems do the best job of integrating with Google Assistant for simple, convenient voice control. We also looked at our other top security brands, but we didn’t find any that offered more options or better integration than the three we selected.
After researching how all of our favorite home security systems work with both Google and Amazon Alexa, we found that Alexa is more useful for home security voice control.
The brands that we picked as the best Alexa-compatible security systems use voice control for more than just arming the system and dimming the lights. In fact, Scout lets you use Alexa to call emergency services or your emergency contact list for help—a feature that isn’t even available with Google Assistant.
When you line up Google against Alexa in regard to home security functionality, Alexa just does a better job of utilizing voice control for both convenience and safety. If we were to pick a winner in the voice control wars, Amazon Alexa would be the clear champion.
Final word
We love voice control, and we love to see home security systems harnessing this technology to improve the ways we protect our homes and loved ones. Even though Google doesn’t offer a ton of voice control options, it’s still better than no voice control at all.
Here’s a recap of our top three picks and why we recommend them for Google Assistant:
1. Vivint: Best smart home control
You get an advanced smart home experience when you add the power of voice control with Google Assistant to your Vivint home security system.
2. Blue by ADT: Best for your budget
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get the perks of voice control when you combine ADT’s DIY security system with Google Assistant.
3. Google Nest Secure: Best Google integration
Nest and Google Assistant come from the same ecosystem, so it’s easy and seamless to combine the twin powers of voice control and Nest’s smart home security.
If you still want to shop around, check out our favorite smart home security systems.
FAQ
How do I connect Google Assistant to my home security system?
To connect your security system to Google Assistant, you need to add the action for your home security company to your Google Home app.
You can either search the Google Home app for your home security brand or check on your home security system’s website to find out if it supports Google Assistant compatibility.
Nearly every system out there offers at least minimal voice control with Google, so chances are a quick search for “Vivint” or “Nest” will be all you need to do to get started.
Why can’t I disarm my home security system with Google Assistant?
Disarming your security system with voice control is considered a security risk. You don’t want an intruder telling Google to disarm your system to gain undetected entry into your home. That’s why most home security companies only let you arm your system using voice control.
Google’s voice recognition feature might help mitigate this risk, but it’s not proven enough for most security companies to risk it.
Do I have to use special voice commands when I add Google Assistant to my home security system?
Yes. Most of the time you can’t use your Google Home smart speaker to talk directly to your security system. Think of Google as the interpreter that lets your home security system understand your voice commands.
Instead of saying, “Nest, set the system to Home and Guarding,” your voice command needs to be, “Ok Google, set Nest Secure to Home and Guarding.”
It’s a tiny extra step that’s fairly common when it comes to voice control for smart home devices and home security—whether or not you use Google or Amazon Alexa.
What cameras work with Google Home?
Most of them. You can use security cameras from Arlo to Zmodo with Google Home. And if you have Nest cameras, it’s even simpler to connect them and add voice control. Google provides a full list of compatible cameras to make it easy for you to see if yours will work with Google.
Related articles
Disclaimers
†Google, Google Nest Secure, and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC.
The post The Best Google-Compatible Home Security Systems appeared first on SafeWise.
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