Google opens Gemini for Home to third-party makers with turnkey AI hardware designs

Google won't rest until Gemini is everywhere in your home - Engadget

Google is trying to get more hardware partners to develop and release devices with Gemini for Home. The company has announced that Gemini for Home is now a "full-stack AI" offering, combining Google Home APIs with Gemini's features. It's expanding the Google Home Gemini built-in program to give companies a way to "skip the multi-year research and development phase" typically needed for the development of AI-enabled hardware. Google is giving them access to fully validated scalable reference designs, including SOCs, sensors and mics, built by its partners. Companies can then use those designs to create, mass produce and release cameras and speakers with Gemini controls. The company is also encouraging carriers, ISPs and security firms that want to use its reference designs to integrate its Google Home Premium AI subscription service with the devices they make. Google says the subscription will allow its partners to offer users features like Home Brief, which summarizes home activity while they're away, and advanced deterrents, which create simulated presence in empty homes using automations. Google Home Premium used to be known as Nest Aware and will cost users at least $10 a month or $100 a year for the standard tier, or double that for the "advanced" option. If you're already subscribed to Google's $20 monthly AI Pro subscription, that comes with standard access included, while $250-per-month Ultra subscriptions get the advanced tier. Google has been rolling out Gemini to all its products for a while now and redesigned its Home app with a focus on the AI assistant before releasing it globally last year. The new app features an "Ask Home" button that users can tap to ask Gemini, but it will just prompt them to sign up for the AI experience if they prefer to use Google Assistant, the company's pre-AI-boom assistant offering. With the advent of Google's expanded program, more Gemini-powered devices are bound to come out. Those not quite fond of having Gemini everywhere can use Home Assistant or the Apple HomeKit for their automation needs and de-Gemini their Google apps with help from our instructions here.

'Gemini built in' will bring Google Home AI features to more third-party speakers this year

On the back of a ton of Gemini announcements at I/O 2026, Google is today announcing "Gemini built in" as a new solution that brings AI features to third-party devices including speakers, cameras, and more. Building on a lot of improvements to Gemini for Home in recent months, Google has three more big updates to share, mostly happening behind the scenes. This includes opening the door to developers for some of Gemini's most powerful smart home features, which Google says include the same tools that built out features like "Ask Home" and Nest Cam's intelligent scene recognition. Another advancement is allowing carriers and internet service providers to integrate Google Home Premium and Gemini features into their apps and services. AT&T will apparently leverage this in its Connected Life security service, including Nest Cam AI features. AT&T announced Google integration for Connected Life late last year. Perhaps the biggest announcement today, at least on the consumer side, is an expansion of "Gemini built in." Google is putting out a turnkey solution for third-party brands that, like in the Assistant days, will provide Gemini features for devices outside of the Nest ecosystem. The program will provide reference designs that include all of the needed hardware to build out Gemini hardware, with Google specifically focusing on cameras and speakers - the latter being new this year. We saw the first cameras built on this program last year in Walmart's remarkably affordable Onn hardware. Google says: With this in mind, we're likely to see a lot of new Gemini smart speakers hitting the market. Again, it seems Walmart is one of Google's first partners here, as an Onn-branded Gemini smart speaker recently leaked. Google teases a few of the upcoming devices in the picture below, though the exact brands or devices aren't mentioned. Meanwhile, the "Google Home Speaker" is due to launch any time now, but a firm release date hasn't been announced.

Gemini for Google Home Prepares for More Partners, New Hardware

As Google I/O 2026 comes to a close, Google saved one announcement that relates to Google Home and the Gemini for Home experiences for this final day. The news involves developers, service partners, and future hardware makers, as Google appears ready to fully open up Gemini for Home. Google is making Gemini for Home a full stack AI offering. On a basic level, this just means that service providers, hardware manufacturers, and developers can bring their products to the full Gemini experience and access its powers. What does that look like? For developers, this would mean accessing richer camera intelligence that provides more details, access to Ask Home, and a potential piece of the Home Brief. For service providers, companies like AT&T are using Google Home APIs to integrate Gemini features into their own Connect Life app and security service. And for hardware makers, Google has created a "Google Home Gemini built in Program" with reference designs for those looking to make smart cameras or smart speakers. That's pretty much it. The takeaway here is that Google is opening up Google Home and Gemini for Home to more partners in order to super-charge the Gemini at Home experience or to make other smart home services you use smarter.