Policy changes and certification requirement updates for Smart Home Actions

Google has updated its Smart Home Actions policy to streamline the certification process for developers, enhancing user experience and ensuring device reliability and security. These updates introduce minimum latency and reliability metrics for device quality, mandate persistent connections for cloud-controlled devices, and require secondary user verification for actions that could compromise safety, such as unlocking doors. Developers must provide certifications like UL for high-risk devices before releasing actions. The "Works With Hey Google" badge is now limited to specific Smart Home Direct Actions, requiring updates to digital assets by the end of 2021. A one-month grace period is granted for compliance with these new requirements, after which all actions must be recertified annually or upon the addition of new devices or functionalities. Developers are encouraged to share feedback via the issue tracker and engage with the community for continued improvements.