Google Nest

Google Nest is a line of connected, smart home automation products including smart speakers, smart displays, streaming devices, thermostats, smoke detectors, routers and security systems including smart doorbells, cameras and smart locks.

The Google Home App (GHA) allows you to set up, manage, and control your Google Nest devices, as well as hundreds of compatible smart home products like lights, cameras, and Matter-enabled devices, all from a single app.

RSL Role

RSL has been working with Nest for 8+ years, and has made significant contributions to the development of the Nest App and the Google Home App, along with development contributions to Hangouts, Google+, Google Chat and Gmail.

Google Home App

RSL worked on key modules on the Google Home Android and iOS apps including Nest Home Hub, Nest Cameras, Nest Doorbell, and Google Wifi router. RSL helped with multiple key user flows like the Camera Pairing Flow, Thermostat Pairing Flow, Camera Familiar Faces, Nest Aware Subscriptions, Wifi devices UI flows, etc. We played a critical role in the GHA UI refresh released in 2023 including Camera Player Refresh, Camera Events Playback, Sightline View with timeline, etc. RSL was involved in shipping 40+ releases of the product, and helped triage and fix a large number of critical launch blockers.

Key technologies and frameworks include: Kotlin, Swift, Objective-C, Java, WebRTC, Firebase, Bluetooth/BLE and Wifi discovery and pairing, gRPC, ExoPlayer, TypeScript, Hilt, Jetpack Compose, Bazel, etc.

Automation

RSL is involved in adding extensive automation support for critical user journeys across GHA Apps — this includes end-to-end testing for complex scenarios like Camera streaming (audio / video), Zoom in Video, Camera events playback, Nest Aware flows, Script Editor workflows, as well as benchmarking screen latencies. These complex tests are written using a combination of internal tools/frameworks, Espresso, EarlGrey, XCUITests, etc.

Nest App - Mobile and Web App

For the past few years, RSL has been handling the end-to-end responsibilities for shipping the Legacy Nest App on Android, iOS and Web. This includes development of new features, performance and bug fixes, including crash reports, triaging customer issues, A11y compliance, etc.

Some of the key features we have worked on in recent years are: Nest Aware Subscriptions, reCAPTCHA Support, Google Login Support, Accessibility, SDK upgrades, Pairing flows, Material UI updates, Camera streaming updates, etc.

Key technologies and frameworks include: IoT, Bluetooth/BLE, NFC, Location best practices, streaming protocols, gRPC / Weave, React, Redux, Backbone, Ember.js, Java, Kotlin, Swift, Objective-C, EarlGrey/Espresso test frameworks, Python, Shell-scripting, Geofencing, etc.

GSuite Mobile Apps

RSL worked on Google Hangouts and other GSuite mobile apps for 3 years. On Google Hangouts and Google Currents (previously Google+), we worked on both Android and iOS apps and helped with feature development (including key features like instant text messaging, audio-video calling), A11y compliance, bug fixes and managed the end-of-life transition to Google Chat. On Gmail, we helped with the UI redesign effort to integrate Google Meet and Google Chat into Gmail, and helped with Accessibility issues to achieve WCAG compliance.