Message-based device interactions for assistant systems

One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

• receive, from a client system via an assistant xbot of a messaging application, a first user input comprising a command for controlling a network-connected device, wherein the device is associated with a contact identifier (ID) in the messaging application, and wherein the command for controlling the network-connected device is in a message thread associated with the contact ID;
• identify the device based on the contact ID;
• generate one or more control instructions for the device based on the command;
• send, to the device via a communication network, the control instructions to cause the device to perform one or more actions associated with the command;
• receive, from the device via the communication network, a response to the command;
• and
• send, to the client system via the assistant xbot, an output based on the response from the device, wherein the response is in the message thread associated with the contact ID.

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to:
• receive, from a client system via an assistant xbot of a messaging application, a first user input comprising a command for controlling a network-connected device, wherein the device is associated with a contact identifier (ID) in the messaging application, and wherein the command for controlling the network-connected device is in a message thread associated with the contact ID;
• identify the device based on the contact ID;
• generate one or more control instructions for the device based on the command;
• send, to the device via a communication network, the control instructions to cause the device to perform one or more actions associated with the command;
• receive, from the device via the communication network, a response to the command;
• and
• send, to the client system via the assistant xbot, an output based on the response from the device, wherein the response is in the message thread associated with the contact ID.