Great question! The SmartThings Bulb does require the SmartThings Hub, or a device with SmartThings Hub functionality, and cannot link directly to Google Home. Once you have the SmartThings Bulb connected to a SmartThings Hub, you can integrate with Google Assistant. You can find out more information about integrating with Google Assistant on our Support page here -- https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/214837343. If we can assist in any way, please reach out directly to our SmartThings team at 1-866-813-2404 or support@smartthings.com. Thank you! ~Samsung Brand Ambassador