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I've been superstitiously switching between "turn the lights off" and "turn off the lights" (also with music). It seems like every few weeks or days it prefers one over the other.

I say to Siri “close the blinds” eyes and it replied “I don’t see anything like that in your home”. I say again five seconds later “close the blinds” and it closes the blinds.

I have the same problem with my “blinds” - I started calling them “shades” instead (not the usual term, in my vernacular at least) and have had much better luck. YMMV!

I think it works if the Google Home and the lights are configured in the same room, otherwise it goes crazy and does the whole house.

It's not a good reason but I believe this happens because voice command has to go to Google server, Google talk to light vendor API, light vendor communicates with your device, and lights go off only if all of this succeeds.

Meanwhile, button in vendor app will not use internet so lot less can go wrong.