Efficient control and/or linking of smart devices

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• determining that a third-party (3P) application is installed at a client device;
• determining that an automated assistant user account of a user lacks any association to a 3P user account of the user, wherein the automated assistant user account is associated with an automated assistant application installed at the client device, and wherein the 3P user account is associated with the 3P application;
• responsive to determining that the automated assistant user account lacks any association to the 3P user account:
• causing the automated assistant application, also installed at the client device, to render output, at the client device, that includes a suggestion for associating the automated assistant user account with the 3P user account;
• receiving affirmative user interface input in response to rendering of the output;
• and
• responsive to receiving the affirmative user interface input, and responsive to determining that the 3P application, of the 3P, is installed at the client device:
• providing, to the 3P application installed at the client device, an intent that causes the 3P application to execute with a linking function;
• receiving, from the 3P application in response to providing the intent, an access token obtained by the 3P application responsive to executing with the linking function;
• and
• using the access token, received from the 3P application, to create an association of the automated assistant user account to the 3P user account.