Google Works to Fix Home Routine and Smart Light Bugs as Gmail and Messages Users Report Problems

The main complaint concerns alarm-linked Google Assistant routines in the Google Clock app. Users say that tapping "Add Google Assistant Routine" or trying to edit an existing alarm routine can send them into Google Assistant settings instead of the routine editor. Others report that routines they had already configured no longer run after they dismiss an alarm. Google told Android Authority it is aware of the problem and is working on a fix, and that it is also investigating fresh complaints about timers.

A second fix should arrive sooner. Google says a repair for voice control of lights with non-English names should reach users within 24 to 48 hours. Android Authority noted that Google Home has produced several such failures lately, including broken TV automations and accent-related glitches, and that basic commands that once worked without thought have recently gone unanswered.

Gmail, meanwhile, has replaced the yellow stars and yellow importance chevrons it long used on the web with bright, saturated blue markers. The official Gmail team confirmed the change in a post on X, saying it updated the default star and "Important" label colors from yellow to blue to meet modern accessibility standards and make inboxes easier to read and more inclusive. Users responding to the change say the identical blue tones flatten the visual hierarchy, make scanning a mailbox harder and add clutter to the interface, according to Android Authority. There is no way to revert to the old design, but users can manually select a yellow star preset and re-star items, or hide importance chevrons entirely in Settings. The color switch came as Gmail has added features such as copying two-factor authentication codes without opening a message and AI overview search.

Owners of Google Messages report a different problem: the LED flash in the app's in-chat camera does not behave as expected. A Verizon-branded Galaxy S24 Ultra owner on Reddit said the flash refuses to activate while capturing an image from a conversation, and that its timing is off when it does fire, triggering well before the photo is taken and producing a dark image. Android Authority said one of its devices running the latest Google Messages beta shows the same bug, while on another Pixel phone the app will not activate the flash at all, suggesting the issue is not tied to a specific app version, handset model or carrier. One user described the glitch as intermittent. A similar complaint appeared on Reddit more than a month earlier, so the problem is not new. The flash works normally outside Messages on the affected devices, so photos can still be taken in a separate camera app and attached to a conversation. Android Authority said it has contacted Google about the bug and will report back when it receives a response.