AI-generated Key Takeaways
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Smart Displays are visual-forward devices used in homes, and developers can create Actions for in-home productivity or entertainment with rich visuals.
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Actions on Google offers rich responses such as basic cards, lists, carousels, and more, that are optimized for Smart Displays, allowing for visual interactions.
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While Smart Displays have screens, the primary user modality is voice, so rich responses should be designed with voice invocation in mind.
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Developers should leverage rich responses and theme customization to enhance the visual experience and consider the user's home environment when designing their Action.
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Media responses are ideal for Actions involving media playback, but developers should ensure their Action requires media playback support and remember that web linking from Smart Displays is currently not supported.
Smart Displays bring visual-forward devices into users' home environments. Be a part of your users' daily routine, by creating an Action that helps with in-home productivity or entertainment, accompanied by rich visuals.
Build rich responses for Smart Displays
Actions on Google provides rich responses that are optimized for Smart Displays. You can build visual interactions for your Actions using components such as:
In addition, you can also create custom themes to more deeply customize your Action’s look and feel.
Modalities
Even if the device has a display, remember that the primary modality for users is voice-first. Make sure to design your rich responses specifically to support voice invocation.
To detect the availability of a screen and the input modality on a Smart Display, you can use the following code:
- Has screen:
if (conv.screen) - Uses voice modality:
if (conv.input.type === 'VOICE') - Uses touch modality:
if (conv.input.type === 'TOUCH') - Uses keyboard modality:
if (conv.input.type === 'KEYBOARD')
Tips & best practices
- Use rich responses and theme customization to make the most out of the screen.
If you're playing media, consider using media responses.
Think about the user's environment and how your Action can add to their home productivity.
Linking out to the web from smart displays is currently not supported.
