Google's Smart Home Revolution: Gemini AI Takes Center Stage

Google's Gemini-powered smart home revamp is here with a new app and cameras

Google's products and services have been flooded with AI features over the past couple of years, but smart home has been largely spared until now. The company's plans to replace Assistant are moving forward with a big Google Home reset. We've been told over and over that generative AI will do incredible things when given enough data, and here's the test. There's a new Home app with Gemini intelligence throughout the experience, updated subscriptions, and even some new hardware. The revamped Home app will allegedly gain deeper insights into what happens in your home, unlocking advanced video features and conversational commands. It demos well, but will it make smart home tech less or more frustrating? A new Home You may have already seen some elements of the revamped Home experience percolating to the surface, but that process begins in earnest today. The new app apparently boosts speed and reliability considerably, with camera feeds loading 70 percent faster and with 80 percent fewer app crashes. The app will also bring new Gemini features, some of which are free. Google's new Home subscription retains the same price as the old Nest subs, but naturally, there's a lot more AI. Google claims that Gemini will make your smart home easier to monitor and manage. All that video streaming from your cameras churns through the AI, which interprets the goings on. As a result, you get features like AI-enhanced notifications that give you more context about what your cameras saw. For instance, your notifications will include descriptions of activity, and Home Brief will summarize everything that happens each day. Conversational interaction is also a big part of this update. In the home app, subscribers will see a new Ask Home bar where you can input natural language queries. For example, you could ask if a certain person has left or returned home, or whether or not your package showed up. At least, that's what's supposed to happen -- generative AI can get things wrong. The new app comes with new subscriptions based around AI, but the tiers don't cost any more than the old Nest plans, and they include all the same video features. The base $10 subscription, now known as Standard, includes 30 days of video event history, along with Gemini automation features and the "intelligent alerts" Home has used for a while that can alert you to packages, familiar faces, and so on. The $20 subscription is becoming Home Advanced, which adds the conversational Ask Home feature in the app, AI notifications, AI event descriptions, and a new "Home Brief." It also still offers 60 days of 24/7 video history. Free users still get saved event video history, and it's been boosted from three hours to six. If you are not subscribing to Gemini Home or using the $10 plan, the Ask Home bar that is persistent across the app will become a quick search, which surfaces devices and settings. If you're already subscribing to Google's AI services, this change could actually save you some cash. Anyone with Google AI Pro (a $20 sub) will get Home Standard for free. If you're paying for the lavish $250 per month AI Ultra plan, you get Home Advanced at no additional cost. A proving ground for AI You may have gotten used to Assistant over the past decade in spite of its frequent feature gaps, but you'll have to leave it behind. Gemini for Home will be taking over beginning this month in early access. The full release will come later, but Google intends to deliver the Gemini-powered smart home experience to as many users as possible. Gemini will replace Assistant on every first-party Google Home device, going all the way back to the original 2016 Google Home. You'll be able to have live chats with Gemini via your smart speakers and make more complex smart home queries. Google is making some big claims about contextual understanding here. If you've used Gemini Live, the new Home interactions will seem familiar. You can ask Gemini anything you want via your smart speakers, perhaps getting help with a recipe or an appliance issue. However, the robot will sometimes just keep talking long past the point it's helpful. Like Gemini Live, you just have to interrupt the robot sometimes. Google also promises a selection of improved voices to interrupt. If you want to get early access to the new Gemini Home features, you can sign up in the Home app settings. Just look for the "Early access" option. Google doesn't guarantee access on a specific timeline, but the first people will be allowed to try the new Gemini Home this month. New AI-first hardware It has been four years since Google released new smart home devices, but the era of Gemini brings some new hardware. There are three new cameras, all with 2K image sensors. The new Nest Indoor camera will retail for $100, and the Nest Outdoor Camera will cost $150 (or $250 in a two-pack). There's also a new Nest Doorbell, which requires a wired connection, for $180. Google says these cameras were designed with generative AI in mind. The sensor choice allows for good detail even if you need to digitally zoom in, but the video feed is still small enough to be ingested by Google's AI models as it's created. This is what gives the new Home app the ability to provide rich updates on your smart home. You may also notice there are no battery-powered models in the new batch. Again, that's because of AI. A battery-powered camera wakes up only momentarily when the system logs an event, but this approach isn't as useful for generative AI. Providing the model with an ongoing video stream gives it better insights into the scene and, theoretically, produces better insights for the user. All the new cameras are available for order today, but Google has one more device queued up for a later release. The "Google Home Speaker" is Google's first smart speaker release since 2020's Nest Audio. This device is smaller than the Nest Audio but larger than the Nest Mini speakers. It supports 260-degree audio with custom on-device processing that reportedly makes conversing with Gemini smoother. It can also be paired with the Google TV Streamer for home theater audio. It will be available this coming spring for $99. Google Home will continue to support a wide range of devices, but most of them won't connect to all the advanced Gemini AI features. However, that could change. Google has also announced a new program for partners to build devices that work with Gemini alongside the Nest cameras. Devices built with the new Google Camera embedded SDK will begin appearing in the coming months, but Walmart's Onn brand has two ready to go. The Onn Indoor camera retails for $22.96 and the Onn Video Doorbell is $49.86. Both cameras are 1080p resolution and will talk to Gemini just like Google's cameras. So you may have more options to experience Google's vision for the AI home of the future.

Google teases its new Gemini-powered Google Home speaker, coming in spring 2026 | TechCrunch

On Wednesday, Google offered an early preview of its next flagship smart home device, the AI-powered Google Home speaker, launching in spring 2026. The device, priced at $99, will be built around the company's AI assistant Gemini AI and will come in four colors: Porcelain, Hazel, Berry, and Jade. The somewhat delayed timing of the launch is an intentional choice on Google's part, explained Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer at Google Home and Nest, in a press briefing ahead of Wednesday's event. The company first wants to ensure the new Gemini functionality reaches its other Google Home customers on older devices and gives them time to work out the kinks. Those existing customers will be able to try out Gemini in Early Access, offer feedback, and report bugs, he says. "It's got to work for the existing users. We don't want to force you to buy a new one unless you want to," said Kattukaran. "And by the way, we think you may want to, but you don't need to," he added. Being built for Gemini means the new speaker will have a processor capable of handling Gemini AI, which will also handle things like background noise suppression, reverb (echo effects), and echo cancellation. That way, the speaker won't (in theory) get confused if you're talking to Gemini Live and someone else who's further away in the room begins to speak. The new device will also have a light ring underneath it that will deliver more expressive, visual feedback of what Gemini is doing, like listening, thinking, reasoning or responding in Gemini Live mode. (Gemini Live will require a Google Home Premium subscription.) In terms of its speaker capabilities, the Google Home device will offer 360-degree audio and the ability to add the device to speaker groups -- collections of multiple speakers that play audio simultaneously -- in the Google Home app, as before. Users will also now be able to pair two Google Home speakers with a Google TV Streamer -- Google's streaming device for TVs -- for a surround-sound style setup, which is something its users have long requested. The device is covered with 3D-knitted material that is said to reduce fabric waste and be more eco-friendly. Google plans to launch the new device in spring 2026 in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Google's Home app, a command center for the smart home, gets a Gemini upgrade | TechCrunch

Google admits that its Google Home app for managing smart home devices has not offered the best experience, and it now aims to change that. On Wednesday, alongside new Nest devices and an upcoming Google Home smart speaker, the tech giant also unveiled a redesigned version of the Google Home app that it promises will work better, centralize device management, and bring its AI assistant Gemini AI into the experience. While AI may be the headline feature about what's new with the Google Home app, the app itself has had an overhaul, in design, performance, and reliability, Google claims. "I want to be very direct, the Google Home app has not been the experience that we've always wanted it to be," Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer at Google Home and Nest, told reporters in a briefing ahead of today's news. So before the company could work on adding new AI features, it had to solve the app's other problems, he said. "Number one was performance," he said. "Performance is definitely a journey. We are not at the destination...It's got to continue to evolve." Over the past several months, Google says it's made some major improvements, leading to 70% faster startup, 80% fewer crashes, and other battery and memory improvements. Over the past year, it's also shipped over 100 performance updates and app features to the app, which today works across over 800 million devices from more than 50,000-plus OEMs, meaning companies that make devices compatible with Google Home. (Google had announced support for 750 million devices at its developer conference back in May 2025). In addition, the company is working to make the Google Home app the only app Nest users need to manage their devices, more than a decade after the company's 2014 acquisition of the device maker. Over the years that followed, Google has slowly and iteratively been bringing Nest app features to Google Home, and now feels that journey is complete. (The Nest app isn't going away just yet, but Nest device owners should be ready for that eventual future.) In terms of devices, the app now supports Nest thermostats from 2015 onward, including their schedules, energy history, and hot water boost features. It also supports Nest cameras and doorbells (including migrating their history), Nest Protect's emergency notifications for smoke and CO alerts, and Nest's passcode management for the Nest x Yale Locks. With the focus on Nest, the Google Home app is improving camera features, including a better scrubbing experience for moving through video, a faster and smoother camera feed, and richer animated previews on iOS and Android notifications. Google says camera live views load 30% faster than before and it decreased playback failures by 40%. Camera tiles also load instantly, and scrolling through the camera's history is smoother with a more than 6x higher frame rate, Google claims. The updated Google Home app now has just three tabs for simplicity's sake: Home, Activity, and Automation. Plus, it added support for gestures, meaning you could swipe on the Home tab to move between all devices and favorite devices, or to move through various dashboards. You can also swipe to move around within the camera view, like swiping down to see the full camera view, up to exit, or left and right to toggle between the timeline view and the events view. On the video player, you can double-tap on the left or right to rewind or fast-forward, as you can on YouTube. Event notifications on iOS or Android now expand, showing rich, animated previews, making it easier to see what's happening at home from your smartphone's lock screen. AI can also summarize the activity directly in the alerts and in your camera history, so instead of seeing "motion detected," you'll see what activity actually took place. The Google Home app's Activity tab showcases the activity history for your entire home, including devices that are not made by Google or Nest. At the top of the tab is a new AI-powered "Home Brief" feature, which uses Gemini to summarize things that happened in the home that day, saving you from reading through hours of alerts and events. To find specific events, you can use the included filters or just "Ask Home" -- the latter being a new way to interact with Gemini through the app. This search and help feature is persistently accessible from the new header navigation in Google Home, and will suggest related devices and automations as you begin to type things in, like "lights" or "living room," for instance. You can use the Gemini AI to ask questions about your home using natural language, ask for a specific camera clip, control multiple devices at once, and create automations just by describing them, among other things. This lets Gemini answer questions like "when did the kids come home?" or "did I leave the car door open?", for example. When you're viewing camera events, the AI can also describe the activity the camera sees, explaining what caused motion in the home and where it was located. This AI description appears below the video clip. Some AI features -- like using Gemini to make home automations by describing them, the Home Brief, and Ask Home -- require a Google Home Premium subscription, however. This starts at $10 per month, but access is included with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscriptions at no extra charge. On the Google Home app's Automation tab, users won't only see their list of automations but also what's going to happen over the next couple of hours in the home via a new carousel at the top of the screen. The tab, previously an embedded web view, is also now natively built into iOS and Android, Google notes, for better performance. The Automations editor has been redesigned, too, allowing for new options for one-time and conditional automations. Gemini also allows users to gain insights about their home, like details about their energy use. You can ask about things like how long the AC ran for last week, or how long the TV was used over the weekend, among other things. The Google Home 4.0 app update will start rolling out to global users on October 1 and will continue over the coming days until it reaches all users. To get the update first, Google says to open the Google Home app, click your profile icon, then tap on "Home Settings." Scroll down and select "Early Access" to join the test.

Gemini for Home Arrives as Google Launches All-New Smart Home Devices Starting Today

Expertise Smart home | Smart security | Home tech | Energy savings | A/V Starting today, Google is rolling out massive changes to its smart home technology and all-new devices that are major upgrades compared to its several-years-old Nest gadgets. That means a lot of new AI smarts, courtesy of Gemini, as well as a new naming scheme to learn. Big changes like this mean getting used to a new tech ecosystem, especially for fans of Google Home and previous Nest devices. So I've rounded up all the major changes Google is making in October and what to watch for in the coming months, too. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. If you're a Nest fan, don't fear: Google Home and Nest devices aren't going anywhere -- the Nest name is just taking more of a backseat under the new "Google Home" unification. Your existing Nest devices will continue to receive full support for the foreseeable future -- and Google is even adding three new products: next-generation, AI-focused models of its home security cameras that CNET got an up-close look at. These three cameras are available for sale today. Two important points from my own experience: First, there's no sign of battery-powered models, which is a little disappointing given that the previous Nest line included wireless options. Second, I've always been a big fan of the free features Google includes with its home cameras. Many competitors lock similar features -- such as basic AI package/person detection and 3 hours of free video storage -- behind subscriptions. In this new generation, Google is doubling that free storage to 6 hours of 10-second video clips from the cams or doorbell, making it even more appealing to people who want to avoid subscriptions. We've known for several months that Google's Gemini AI is going to replace Google Assistant entirely in the smart home as the new voice assistant. That means Google Assistant doesn't really exist anymore, and considering complaints in recent years about erroneous responses, I don't think many people will miss it. While the "Hey Google" activation remains the same, you'll be waking a new assistant. It's called Gemini for Home and it offers many conversational benefits such as the ability to recognize casual language, respond in a more natural voice and offer answers with improved accuracy. It differs from other versions of Gemini by being more narrowly focused on smart home needs -- Google's team found that broader versions of the LLM-powered AI started to get a little too creative in its responses. That's no use to home users, who need more reliable answers. Gemini for Home brings a range of new features, some of which I've already seen and tested in recent months. These include captions for notifications that describe events in detail -- even naming people the cameras recognize if you enable voice detection. Gemini can also deliver daily briefs, summarizing everything the cameras capture, and you can customize those summaries to highlight the people or events you care about most. You can also ask it more free-form questions, like "Did something eat my plants last night?" to get specific answers from what Gemini can recognize on video footage. Inside the smart home, Gemini can handle complex automation requests. These include add-on commands ("Oh, and lock the front door, too"), exceptions ("Turn off all the lights except in the two bedrooms") and one-time routines ("This Tuesday evening, turn up the lights and unlock the door for the party"). But this is all a bit limited and depends on what settings Google has access to in third-party smart devices such as locks, speakers or lights. Nonetheless, there are still lots of possibilities there. Who gets this new housekeeping version of Gemini? Basically, everyone with a Google Home or Nest device who pays the subscription -- more on that below. Google is making Gemini for Home backwards compatible all the way to 2015, so if you have any Nest or Android device that can listen to you, it's going to get Gemini. But third-party smart speakers won't have it at this time. While we won't be using the Google Assistant phrasing much anymore at CNET, you'll probably still see it on the specs for home security systems and smart devices for a year or two. But if it says Google Assistant, it should still connect to Google Home and Gemini in most cases. Along with Gemini for Home, Google is revamping the Google Home app. The new version is more streamlined and swipeable. It also loads live views 30% faster than previous versions. Google Home will still have its broad search bar where you can talk to Gemini for Home if you have those capabilities, along with three simplified screens for control -- Home, Activity and Automation. Reviewing past camera footage has also become a more organic experience, shifting and speeding up video as you move through the clips. You can update the app to see the new version starting today, Oct. 1. Now for the pricing on these Gemini for Home power-ups. The old Nest Aware subscription for Google's home cameras is gone, along with the rest of the Nest branding. In its place is a whole-home Google Home Premium plan that covers all Google Home devices, including both new and older security cameras, Nest speakers and Nest smart displays. Google Home Premium will be offered in two tiers, with the base plan starting at $10 a month. Both tiers include access to Gemini for Home features. If you'd rather not pay, you'll still get the same free features available now, but with a much more limited voice assistant. But Google's not done with its smart home plans quite yet. Another device -- the $100 Google Home Speaker -- is slated to launch in spring 2026. Google describes it as being built for Gemini. It looks like a Nest Mini speaker on a bunch of steroids, and provides 360-degree sound and access to all these new home control options. No word on any new smart display like a Nest Hub yet, but it may be on its way, too.

Google hints at a new Nest Hub

Last week, Google announced a new smart speaker for its AI-infused Gemini smart home platform, but there was no sign of a new smart display. The good news for fans of Google's Nest Hubs is that Google Home's Anish Kattukaran tells The Verge the company is "definitely committed to smart displays," and that they'll "have news to share there soon." In an interview on The Vergecast this week, Kattukaran explained that smart displays are very much part of Google's plans. "[The smart display] does present itself as an incredible form factor to interact with something like Gemini for Home. If you think about the properties of a smart display -- a microphone, which means audio in, a speaker, so audio out. It's got a screen, which complements a voice modality, you can interact with it and visualize information." There are also cameras in smart displays, he continued, which adds the vision piece to the multi-modality of Gemini. "As I see where Gemini for Home is going and Gemini more broadly ... it feels like almost the ultimate form factor to be able to deliver a really great home experience. So, that's why we are going to continue to invest in that category, so I think it's going to be awesome." Amazon clearly agrees, having just launched two new Echo Show smart displays built for its new Alexa Plus AI assistant. These are more powerful than its previous smart displays, packing a new AZ3 Pro processor, new edge-based computing capabilities, and a new Omnisense fusion platform that can process data locally from smart home sensors. All of which is poised to feed Alexa Plus more context. A new Nest Hub smart display or, more likely, Google Home Hub (Google seems to be retiring the Nest name outside of cameras and thermostats) would need to be a significant step up from its existing smart displays. Last refreshed in 2021, the Nest Hub, with its Soli radar sensor, and its bigger sibling, the Nest Hub Max, which features a camera, are compatible with Google's new Gemini for Home platform. But running on older hardware, neither device feels like a flagship AI device for the home in 2025. The Pixel Tablet, which launched in 2023, felt like an early stab at something more powerful for running the smart home, but it was missing too many core features and has since been discontinued. As a concept, the smart display has struggled to find a compelling use case - beyond a digital photo frame. However, as a multi-modal input system for a smarter voice assistant in your home, they could finally come into their own.

Every Google Nest product that launched with Gemini today (and a new home speaker)

The company is also releasing multiple updates to its Google Home app. Google is introducing significant updates to its smart home lineup, including new hardware and major enhancements to its generative AI software for existing Nest devices. The new Nest smart home products include a Google Home Speaker, a Nest Cam, and a Nest Doorbell. The Google Home Speaker is planned to hit the market in Spring 2026 for $99. It'll be available in four colors: Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry. This is the same speaker that was leaked during the Made by Google event in August. Also: Google's new open protocol secures AI agent transactions - and 60 companies already support it This new Google Home Speaker will feature 360-degree audio and can double as the audio output for a Google TV Streamer with a cinematic surround sound-like experience. You can group this speaker with other existing Nest speakers to enable multi-room music streaming or pair it with another to create a stereo set. You'll be able to communicate with Gemini through this speaker, thanks to the Gemini for Home update that Google is now rolling out. This update will also be available to all Nest speakers from the past decade. Many of the new AI features will require a Google Home Premium subscription, which will replace the existing Nest Aware subscription. A new Nest Cam Indoor and an Outdoor model are being introduced to the market, both featuring a 152-degree diagonal field of view, 2K resolution, and improved low-light performance compared to previous models. Google also announced a new Nest Doorbell with a 1:1 aspect ratio, enabling it to capture more footage simultaneously. The device also supports zoomed-in previews in notifications. This device, and the other Nest Cams, feature the widest and tallest field of view of any Google cameras, offering a larger surveillance area. Also: Google releases AI-powered ransomware detection features for cloud files The Google Nest Cam Indoor is available starting today for $100, the Nest Cam Outdoor costs $150, and the Nest Doorbell is $180.

Google unveils AI-powered Nest indoor and outdoor cameras, and a new doorbell | TechCrunch

As part of its Google Home event on Wednesday, the company unveiled a revamped lineup of Nest devices -- Google's brand of smart home security cameras and doorbells -- including a new $149.99 Nest Cam Outdoor, $99.99 Nest Cam Indoor, and $179.99 Nest Doorbell. All devices are designed to showcase Google's AI assistant Gemini AI in the smart home, and all three come with 2K HDR video, a high-definition format that delivers sharper images than previous models and the highest resolution Google has shipped yet, it says The company notes it chose this sensor because it would offer the level of fidelity that its Gemini models could use both now and going forward as the technology evolves. Plus, it wanted to ensure that users would be able to zoom and see a certain degree of detail -- like a license plate on an unknown vehicle outside their home, perhaps -- and balance that with a desire not to consume too much data. In addition to the 2K HDR, the cameras offer a wider and taller field of view compared with prior devices. The new 152-degree diagonal view allows users to see more of what's happening. On the doorbell, meanwhile, Google increased both the field of view, now 166 degrees, and the aspect ratio to 1:1, offering a more square image. This should allow the device to see a more detailed view, including the head and feet of somebody standing at the door, and to the left and right of them, including packages on the ground. A new sensor and the wider aperture give the cameras better low-light performance, too. Google says the devices allow for 120% more light sensitivity than older models and can stay in full-color mode longer at dawn and dusk. And they'll still offer infrared vision, which uses heat signatures to see in complete darkness, for nighttime viewing. Plus, when users are alerted to an event at the door, the preview images will now be zoomed in to show whatever triggered the alert, making it easier to see. Or, if a user wants to have their doorbell's view permanently zoomed into a particular area, they can now zoom and crop it so it stays fixed. However, where Google hopes to compete against rivals is with its Gemini capabilities and improved baseline features. For starters, it's doubling its event history from three to six hours on the free tier. And, for every event that has happened in those six hours, users will get a 10-second video attached. If users want more history, they can choose to upgrade to 10 days, 60 days, or other plans. Gemini comes into play by making notifications smarter. Today, people receive dozens of notifications when there are camera events, like people detected, motion, packages delivered, and more. But the burden is currently on the user to figure out what matters and what doesn't. Gemini, instead, will add more context to these notifications. For instance, instead of just getting a motion alert, you might receive something that says, "dog jumps out of playpen," which you can then watch in a zoomed-in video preview. "That's what Gemini is going to transform. This experience is all underpinned by what we call 'semantic scene understanding,'" said Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer at Google Home and Nest, in a press briefing ahead of Wednesday's announcement. "Because Gemini is multi-modal -- and this is a hard problem, by the way...it's not just simple object detection -- but because Gemini is multi-modal, what it can do is it can actually parse through and interpret what is happening in the video," he continued. "So now we go from 'person detected' or 'package delivered' to Gemini interpreting that a FedEx delivery driver is placing a package on the porch and walking away," Kattukaran explained. In addition, a Google Home app feature called the "Home Brief" will summarize the past 24 hours' worth of activity you missed while away. That means you could see which packages were delivered, whether it was the dog that knocked over the coffee table, which people stopped by, or anything else that may have occurred. You can also tell Gemini to make the brief longer or shorter, or to focus only on the kids or the pets, or anything else of interest. You could ask Gemini what time the kids got home from school, if the landscaper showed up, or if UPS came, for instance. Gemini will also help more people take advantage of more complex features, like home automations -- preset routines that control multiple devices automatically -- or better understand their energy use. Instead of configuring automations manually, you could tell Gemini (even fairly vaguely), that you'd like to feel safer in your home, and the AI could advise you how to set up a routine involving closing blinds and locking doors or creating a simulated presence by automatically turning on and off lights while you're away. The cameras come in plastic-free packaging and are available in new colors. The Nest Cam Indoor (Wired, 3rd gen. $99.99) is offered in Snow, Hazel and Berry, while the Outdoor Cam (Wired, 2nd gen., $149.99) is available in Snow and Hazel and is IP56 rated, meaning it's weatherproof and can withstand dust and heavy rain. The reformulated resin on the outside of the latter is also designed to offer long-term UV protection and better sustainability, Google notes. For security, a green light will still display when the camera is processing or streaming video, as before. Google additionally offers encrypted video, two-step verification, and commits that your video footage is never used for other purposes, like ad targeting or personalization. The Nest Doorbell (Wired, 2nd gen, $179.99) comes in Snow, Hazel, and Linen. Devices are sold at major retailers and on the Google Store. The Nest cameras are available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The new Nest Doorbell will be available in the U.S. and Canada. To attract a wider consumer base, Google also partnered with Walmart to launch a more affordable doorbell and camera, branded as the onn Indoor Camera Wired ($22.96) and onn Video Doorbell Wired ($49.86). These offer 1080p live view resolution. A paid subscription unlocks additional intelligent features from Gemini. Alongside this release, the existing Nest Aware subscription is being rebranded as Google Home Premium, but the tiers and pricing will stay the same. (Home Premium Standard is $10/mo, and Home Premium Advanced is $20/mo.) Google Home Premium will also be added to Google One subscriptions at no extra cost. That means if you have the Google AI Pro tier ($20/mo.), Google Home Premium Standard will be included for free, while Google AI Ultra users ($250/mo.) will have access to Google Home Premium Advanced. Finally, users will no longer have to switch between the Nest mobile app and the Google Home app, as all the functionality has been integrated into the Home app. The Nest app won't immediately go away, though. Google says it will first work to make sure Nest users can seamlessly transition over. (Read more about the new Home app here.)

Google Hints at a Future Nest Hub Smart Display With Gemini

With over a decade of experience reporting on consumer technology, James covers mobile phones, apps, operating systems, wearables, AI, and more. Don't miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google. Google introduced a new Nest smart speaker last week to go alongside its Gemini smart home upgrades and new security cameras. Now, the company has teased the possibility of a future smart display to bring it all together, but it's unlikely to launch in the immediate future. Google Home's chief product officer, Anish Kattukaran, appeared on this week's episode of The Vergecast saying "we're definitely committed to smart displays." He said the brand isn't announcing anything at this time, but to expect the brand to have "news to share there soon." We haven't seen a new Nest Hub product since 2021, which was Google's 2nd Gen smart display. The brand also introduced the Pixel Tablet in 2023, which acted like a smart display when docked, but this news is the first update about the possibility of a static device in over four years. Kattukaran said he believes the combination of smart displays and LLM tech "presents itself as an incredible form factor to interact with something like Gemini for home." Kattukaran said, "You think about the properties of a smart display: Microphone, which means audio in, and a speaker for audio out. It's got a screen, which complements voice modality so you can interact with it. You can visualize information. We've got cameras in them, so you get a vision piece to it as well." "So I think as I see where Gemini for home is going, and Gemini more broadly is going with all the things that Google is investing in, it feels like almost an ultimate form factor to be able to deliver a really great home experience. So that's why we are going to continue to invest in that category. I think it's going to be awesome." Everything we've seen this month from Google has shown a more positive outlook for the future of its Home ecosystem. The platform has been heavily criticized over the last year by users who've said their smart home gadgets have been left to wither as Google moves away from Assistant and focuses on Gemini. In July, Kattukaran made a public apology for the issues, saying Google was committed to "making sure we have a long term solution that provides better reliability and capability." That appears to be the introduction of Gemini to Google's Home products. The software is still in early testing, but it will offer 10 different voices, more detailed responses for complex queries, and the ability to handle multiple smart home requests in a sequence without pauses. There's also Gemini Live functionality ready for the smart speaker series, allowing you to talk to the assistant in a more natural conversation. However, that feature is locked behind a paywall on smart speakers at $10 a month, or it comes as part of the company's AI Pro or Ultra plans.

Google Brings Gemini AI to the Home With New Cameras, Doorbell and Speaker

Alphabet Inc.'s Google introduced a range of new Nest-branded hardware on Wednesday, just a day after Amazon.com Inc. held its own product showcase, as both companies vie to more deeply integrate artificial intelligence throughout the smart home. The latest Google devices include a pair of video cameras, a new doorbell and a compact speaker that plays sound in every direction. The three camera-based products -- the third-generation Nest Cam Indoor ($100), second-gen Nest Cam Outdoor ($150) and third-gen Nest Doorbell ($180) -- are available now, while the $99 Google Home Speaker won't ship until spring 2026.

Google is upgrading almost every Nest security device - and there's a new Home speaker, too

The company is also releasing multiple updates to its Google Home app, and Gemini will officially replace Google Assistant in smart homes. Google is introducing significant updates to its smart home lineup, including new hardware and major enhancements to its generative AI software for existing Nest devices. The new Nest smart home products include a Google Home Speaker, a Nest Cam, and a Nest Doorbell. The Google Home Speaker is planned to hit the market in Spring 2026 for $99. It'll be available in four colors: Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry. This is the same speaker that was leaked during the Made by Google event in August. Also: Google's new open protocol secures AI agent transactions - and 60 companies already support it This new Google Home Speaker will feature 360-degree audio and can double as the audio output for a Google TV Streamer with a cinematic surround sound-like experience. You can group this speaker with other existing Nest speakers to enable multi-room music streaming or pair it with another to create a stereo set. You'll be able to communicate with Gemini through this speaker, thanks to the Gemini for Home update that Google is now rolling out. This update will also be available to all Nest speakers from the past decade. Many of the new AI features will require a Google Home Premium subscription, which will replace the existing Nest Aware subscription. A new Nest Cam Indoor and an Outdoor model are being introduced to the market, both featuring a 152-degree diagonal field of view, 2K resolution, and improved low-light performance compared to previous models. Google also announced a new Nest Doorbell with a 1:1 aspect ratio, enabling it to capture more footage simultaneously. The device also supports zoomed-in previews in notifications. This device, and the other Nest Cams, feature the widest and tallest field of view of any Google cameras, offering a larger surveillance area. Also: Google releases AI-powered ransomware detection features for cloud files The Google Nest Cam Indoor is available starting today for $100, the Nest Cam Outdoor costs $150, and the Nest Doorbell is $180.

RIP Google Assistant: Gemini Gives the Smart Home an Extreme AI Makeover

Notice the new Google Home speaker on the middle shelf and the new Nest Cam on top (Credit: Google) Google is bringing AI-powered assistance to its entire lineup of smart home devices, including smart speakers and security cameras that debuted roughly a decade ago and a handful of new devices that the company will roll out over the coming months. With early access already underway, Google's conversational AI, Gemini, will replace the Google Assistant in the company's smart speakers and smart displays. Indoor cameras, outdoor cameras, and video doorbells will utilize AI for semantic scene understanding, enabling more descriptive and specific notifications and making recordings easier to locate. The Google Home app is also getting a redesign to incorporate these changes, with the overall goal of making your smart home more proactive and intuitive to use. Google announced the changes at a smart home-focused event in New York, and we got a chance to see some of these new features in action during a controlled demo beforehand. Here are the details of Google's Gemini-powered smart home. Gemini In; Google Assistant Out The biggest change to Google's smart home comes in the form of a new voice assistant. The conversational and generative AI assistant Gemini will replace the company's long-standing digital helper, called Google Assistant, in Google's smart speakers and smart displays. Like the rest of these changes, Google is making this update available to even its oldest devices, including the original Google Home smart speaker from 2016 and its first Nest Hub smart display from 2018. However, it's also introducing four new Google Home devices: three Nest cameras and a Google Home smart speaker. You'll have 10 voices to choose from for Gemini, and Google's goal is that Gemini will allow natural, intuitive voice controls and conversational responses with more relevant details. During the demo in New York, I saw Gemini respond to a series of questions about fixing a dishwasher. Anish Kattukaran, Google's Chief Product Officer for Home and Nest, asked Gemini about drainage issues, and Gemini offered a few common ways to fix the problem. When those ideas didn't work, Gemini responded to follow-up questions with additional ideas, without needing the context again, and built upon the earlier responses. Gemini also responded to complex queries like "which day is better for a barbecue this weekend?" and "add the ingredients for vegetarian pad thai to my shopping list," with the latter prompting follow-up questions about preferences and other dietary restrictions. When controlling the smart home, Gemini will be able to respond to multiple requests given in sequence, without needing to pause between them. You can tell it to "turn off the lights, start the vacuum, and lock the doors," and it should comply. Before, you either needed to give those commands one at a time or group them in pairs and pause between each. It should also recognize and respond to a wider variety of commands, so you won't need to memorize an exact phrase to control a specific device, and it'll add contextual awareness. If you tell it to "turn on the lights," it should know that you're talking to the smart speaker in the living room and respond accordingly by turning on just those lights. Gemini will also recognize exceptions, so you can tell it to turn off all lights except for the living room lamp, and it'll comply. Google has long aimed to make its smart speakers and smart displays conversational and intuitive to control. Replacing Google Assistant with Gemini feels like an important step in that direction. I'm sure it will respond well during most occasions, as Google Assistant was already capable of that. I'll most want to test it when I'm tired and rambling before bed to see if it can make sense of my mumblings. Gemini Live: Premium Storytime To aid in bedtime, particularly with a younger audience, Google's smart speakers and smart displays will also have access to a new feature called Gemini Live. This will allow you to start conversing with the AI without needing to repeat the wake word or stick to a specific cadence. You can just say "Hey Google, let's chat," and the assistant will continue listening and responding to your commands and questions, building off of what was already said, until you end the chat by saying "stop." During the demo, I saw Gemini keep up as Kattukaran interrupted it, changed the subject, and consistently reframed the question. With this mode, Gemini can participate in "storytime." You can ask it for ideas or give it some of your own, and it can craft a story appropriate for a given age, either on its own or going back and forth with user-given ideas and prompts. You can use the same feature to search for and get info on the music you want to play, without knowing much in the way of specifics beforehand. Gemini Live can help come up with projects or provide detailed info on a topic, while responding to follow-up questions and even reframing its answers based on who is listening. I saw it change its tune after it was told to explain something such that "my 4-year-old could understand." While the Gemini controls and conversational responses to smart home queries will remain free, Gemini Live will be part of a new premium tier of services for Google's smart home. Gemini Live will cost $10 a month and is included as part of the Google AI Pro plan. This $10 standard tier includes important upgrades for the company's security cameras, which are also getting an AI upgrade. AI in Cameras: Adding Situational Awareness In addition to Gemini Live, the $10 standard tier of Google's premium smart home service includes 30 days of event video history and intelligent alerts based on recognized faces and objects. You'll need to upgrade to the $20 tier to take advantage of most of the new AI capabilities coming to Google's security cameras. That tier includes 60 days of history, as well as AI-generated notifications, AI descriptions of video clips, and an AI-generated recap of your day. As with the Gemini upgrade, these changes will apply to current devices, new devices, and Google's older cams, dating back to the indoor Nest Cam from 2015 and the first Nest Video Doorbell from 2018. With AI, the cams will help you filter through your notifications, and will have semantic scene understanding, so you can make specific searches and find specific clips. For example, you'll be able to search through the camera feed for clips of your gardener, or simply ask the app if the gardener came today, and it will understand, respond, and show the relevant clip. You can be more specific and ask if something ate the plants, or search for evidence that the kids left their toys on the driveway. AI will be interpreting what's happening in each clip to allow these searches, and can also populate generative descriptions of each clip for the sake of clarity as you scroll through them. You can form these clips into a custom daily briefing focused on your pets or kids. This Home Brief is customizable as far as time period as well, so you can ask to recap just the night while you slept or a morning where you were preoccupied with meetings so you can catch up on what happened while you were distracted. Unlike Google's smart speakers and smart displays, you won't see much benefit from the AI in the cams in the free tier, but Google is expanding the free clip history from three to six hours. Google Home App: Streamlined Design The Google Home app will feature a new look, complete with three tabs designed for simple and easy navigation. Google is also bringing all older Nest devices, including the oldest thermostats and doorbells, into the Google Home app at last. The main Home tab provides a customizable overview of your devices, allowing you to swipe between groups, including favorites and dedicated dashboards for other sets. The Activity tab displays all events that have occurred in your home, which you can streamline with the premium Home Brief feature, detailed above. The Automations tab displays your established routines and provides an easy way to create new ones, allowing you to set up tasks like having your lights turn on when you unlock the door, for example. Above all of these tabs, you'll see a search bar that allows for text and voice input. You can use this bar to take advantage of the Ask Home feature. Ask Home will respond to the same queries as Gemini in smart speakers, allowing you to build automations with your voice or simply find the controls for that one smart plug you forgot the name of. The Google Home app will also track usage, so you can ask it how long the lights were on and the door was left unlocked. Most of the features of the app will be free, and you'll even see animated previews of camera events in the activity tab for free. Creating automations with the Ask Home search bar will require a subscription to the $10-per-month standard tier. How to Get Started I'm looking forward to testing out these new features in my own home to see if Gemini makes a tangible difference over Google Assistant. You can try it yourself if you're curious, as the early access period is now open. To do so, make sure your Google Home app is updated, then click the profile icon in the upper-right corner, and then Home Settings. Scroll down in this menu and look for Early Access and select the option to join. It might take a few minutes to process the request, but Google will send you a notification once the upgrade is ready to try. We'll also be testing all of Google's new cameras for full reviews in the near term, as well as the new smart speaker when it launches this spring. Google's new smart home seems promising, and with Amazon refining its own Alexa+ AI, the competition to make a more intelligent smart home is heating up. Stay tuned as we test these updates, and check out all of our current smart home favorites in the meantime.

The Google Home Speaker is getting a Gemini-driven refresh

Google announced a wave of hardware updates today, including giving some love to the Google Home Speaker. We saw a for the revamped smart speaker last month, so the announcement isn't a surprise, but it does provide some specifics about what's coming to the company's smart home efforts. This new Google Home Speaker puts the Gemini AI assistant front and center, as is the case with so much Google hardware these days. The light ring will also flash different colors to show when the AI model is listening, processing or responding. If you have a Google Home Premium subscription, you'll also be able to use the Home to access . The blog post promises "more natural conversations" with this model, which it says has custom processing to support the demands of running an AI assistant. Google is also bringing 360-degree audio to the Home Speaker. The upcoming iteration will be able to connect a pair of Home Speakers to the Google TV Streamer, allowing for a surround-sound home theater setup. The Home will still be able to connect to other Google Nest speakers as well. And for the privacy-minded, there's a physical button to toggle the microphone off. The new speaker won't be available until spring 2026 and will retail for $99. It has four color options: porcelain, hazel, jade and berry. The Google Home Speaker will be available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The announcement follows hot on the heels of , which also had some big updates for smart speakers centered on its own Alexa+ AI assistant, including a brand new form factor called the .

Google reveals its Gemini-powered smart home lineup and AI strategy | TechCrunch

Just a day after Amazon introduced its new AI-powered Echo devices, Google debuted its refreshed lineup of Google Home and Nest devices, designed to showcase its AI assistant Gemini AI. The company also took the wraps off its revamped Google Home software platform and its new business strategy for the AI era. While the company still plans to compete on hardware, it also wants to make Gemini accessible to other manufacturers and businesses. It's similar to how Google offers its own flagship Android devices with its Pixel line but allows other companies that make products compatible with Google's platform to build their own Android smartphones with different form factors and price points. "We're going to build flagship hardware in certain categories where we think there's a lot of room to showcase innovation and push the boundaries of what's possible with Gemini," said Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer at Google Home and Nest, in a press briefing ahead of Wednesday's announcement. "And then we're going to complement that with the second part, which is, we don't think that Gemini should be constrained to one set of devices from one OEM, at one set of price points that may make it accessible or inaccessible to a certain group of people," he said. To demonstrate what that means, Google unveiled an overhauled lineup of Nest devices, including the Nest Cam Outdoor, the Nest Cam Indoor, and the Nest Doorbell, which take advantage of Gemini. It also teased an upgraded version of its Google Home speaker, due out in spring 2026, and a low-cost camera and doorbell sold in partnership with Walmart. However, the company decided to first bring Gemini to its existing device owners, provided they have certain hardware capabilities like sufficient processing power. (See list below). This approach is intentional. Google doesn't want to require people to buy new devices to access the power of its AI, when it already has over 800 million devices in its ecosystem -- both its own and those from third parties. Those devices are connected through the company's Google Home Cloud-to-Cloud APIs and the smart home standard Matter, an industry protocol that allows devices from different manufacturers to work together. Plus, the company needs time to test the Gemini features and performance with existing customers before launching them on new flagship devices, like the upgraded Google Home smart speaker due out next year. Meanwhile, Google is offering its "Works with Google Home" partners a toolkit for building AI cameras, a new reference hardware design, recommendations about System on Chips (SoCs, the main processors that power smart devices), a new Google Camera embedded SDK, and more. Walmart is Google's first partner and is launching an affordable indoor camera and doorbell under the retailer's onn brand. With Gemini, the idea is to offer AI-powered devices that you can converse with in more natural ways, whether that's interrupting or adding details after an initial inquiry, or asking more complex questions. For instance, if you said, "Play that song from that movie with Ben Affleck where he's on a rocket and going off to like an asteroid or something," the device could play an Aerosmith song from the movie "Armageddon." As it streams the music, you could ask what the lyrics mean, and when it finishes, you could ask for other songs with a similar theme. You could also ask for a podcast featuring a specific person without having to remember the name of the show or the episode. Or you could ask Gemini to make up an interactive bedtime story for the kids where they help create the characters. In terms of household coordination, Gemini will be able to handle things like calendars, lists, timers, reminders, and other things that make your life easier at home. For instance, instead of telling the smart speaker to add individual recipe ingredients to a shopping list, you could just tell it you want to make "vegetarian pad thai," and Gemini may respond with something like, "For how many people?" If you don't have a shopping list started, it will then make one for you with the right amount of ingredients. Another example is that instead of asking the smart device to set a timer for a particular period of time, you could tell it, "I'm boiling eggs, can you set a timer?" Gemini might then ask if you want a hard boil or soft boil, then set the timer based on your response. Plus, users won't have to remember the names of their various smart home devices anymore. That means you could sit in your bedroom and tell Gemini you're "about to cook" and to "turn on the lights," and the AI understands you mean to turn on the lights in the kitchen. You can also chain commands like asking the device to turn off the lights, adjust the thermostat, and start the Roomba, all at once. Or you can ask for exceptions like, "turn off all the lights but leave my office lights on." For cameras and doorbells, Gemini can make better sense of what it's seeing, so that instead of a stream of dozens of notifications, you can get a summary of events or highlights of the events that actually matter. Gemini will also help more people take advantage of more complex features, like preset routines that control multiple devices automatically, or better understand their energy use by asking questions. And instead of configuring automations manually, you could ask Gemini through a new "Ask Home" feature about what you want to do and get helpful suggestions and assistance. For instance, you could ask how you could feel safer in the home, and it might suggest a home automation setup for when you're home alone or one that simulates your presence when you're out of town. If they're what you wanted, Gemini can set it up. All this is controlled via a redesigned version of the Google Home app, which is now faster, more stable, and powered by Gemini AI. In the app, Gemini will offer descriptions of the events and activities spotted by your cameras, summarize the day's activities, direct you to a clip when you ask, and more. (Some features require a Google Home Premium subscription. More on that here; see chart below). In addition to AI-powered features, you can also chat in a free-flowing conversation with Gemini Live by saying to your smart device, "Hey Google, let's chat." This will start a back-and-forth conversation where you don't have to preface your requests by saying "Hey Google" again and again. This allows you to have a more natural chat, where you can ask complex questions, brainstorm with an AI partner, have the AI come up with creative ideas, and more. For now, Gemini Live is a mode offered by the devices, but Kattukaran believes that, in the future, this conversational approach will be "all of the experience." "I'm so bullish on this experience becoming the de facto thing," he says. "Between having a more conversational assistant, Gemini Live, the access to endless information and creativity, 'Ask Home' -- all of these converging together -- is really this foundation that we're setting in place," says Kattukaran. "We're starting to deliver on this promise of a home that can actually see, hear, understand, and ultimately act on your behalf to make your life a little bit easier in smaller ways, so you can go and spend time on the things that you actually care about." The Google Home app update is rolling out in early access today. The Nest and Walmart devices are now becoming available, but Google's new Home speaker launches in spring 2026. Specs for manufacturers are available through the Google Home developers site.

Google Wants You to Talk to Your Nest Cameras and Doorbell to Find Out What They Recorded

Hot on the heels of Amazon's own Ring and Blink security camera blitz, Google is announcing new Nest cameras with its Gemini AI chatbot as the main selling point in addition to improved image quality. Thankfully, there are only three new Nest products, and they're relatively easy to understand, unlike Amazon's entire lineup, which may require a PhD to figure out the differences between each model. The three new Nest cameras are the $150 Nest Outdoor Camera (wired, 2nd-gen), $100 Nest Indoor Camera (wired, 3rd-gen), and $180 Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd-gen). You have some neutral colors like Snow (white) and Hazel, but the most striking color is the "berry" red model for the Indoor Camera. I prefer my security cameras to blend into the walls and ceilings, but if you've ever wanted a bright, berry-colored camera watching you from above, now you can live out your wildest dreams. On the hardware front, all three Nest cameras boast 2K-resolution image sensors with HDR. Google says the sensors greatly improve recorded video footage quality, especially for low-light and night video. Equally important is the new wider and taller field of view (152 degrees on the Indoor Camera and Outdoor Camera and 166 degrees on the Nest Doorbell)â€"essential for capturing more in video so that Gemini can have more information to process and understand. With older Nest cameras and the doorbell, they could only send notifications alerting you to motion or sound, but with Gemini, Google says users will be able to get more specific notifications that describe what's happening. For example, if a delivery person comes by your door to drop off a package, Gemini should send a notification describing their clothing and might even get as specific as telling you which delivery service they may be from if it can see a uniform logo or truck in the background. At home, with the Nest Indoor Camera and Outdoor Camera, Gemini could send a notification telling you that your cat knocked over a glass vase or perhaps your child named John (you need to allow face recognition) was playing in the backyard at 4 p.m. instead of doing his homework like you asked him to. Gemini also has a feature called "Ask Home," which combines computer vision from the cameras and natural language processing to find specific clips instead of you having to scrub frame by frame, through hours of footage. Google says you'll be able to simply ask Gemini to find something from footage. "What happened to the vase in the living room?" is one example, the company shared. There are some additional quality-of-life improvements for springing for the new cameras, including "Home Brief" (summary of hours of footage), the ability to zoom in a crop the field of view to focus on only one area for monitoring, and six hours of free event video history (up from three hours). All of these features are accessible in the redesigned Google Home app that's simpler, faster, and more stable. You can still use the Nest app, but Google tells Gizmodo that the Home app will be the primary smart home app for Nest devices moving forward. It's only a matter of time before the Nest app is phased out sometime in the future, so don't get too attached. The good news is, the new Google Home app has reached feature parity and stability with the Nest app. So, if the smart home app has left a bad taste in your mouth, like it has with me, I think we should give it another shot and then judge it. I've not seen any of the new Nest Cameras in action, so I can't say with what degree of accuracy Gemini is able to recognize people, vehicles, animals, packages, and other objects within footage in and around the home. But I'm hella interested in seeing how well the Ask Home feature works. I'd love to know which one of my two cats knocked over certain things in my apartment while I was at the office. The new Nest smart home products are feature-packed, but if you have a tighter budgetâ€"like a lot tighterâ€"you may want to consider some of Walmart's new Onn-branded devices like the $23 Indoor Camera Wired and the $50 Video Doorbell Wired. These aren't comparable to the Nest Indoor Camera and Nest Doorbellâ€"they only record 1080p, and the field of view isn't as wideâ€"but it does provide a more basic security camera system that integrates nicely with the new Google Home app. If you want the Gemini features like intelligent alerts and event history, you'll need to pony up for a Google Home Premium subscription, which is split into Standard ($10) and Advanced ($20) plans.

Gemini for Home is here to transform how you use Google Home

Today, Google is introducing Gemini for Home, which will upgrade your smart speakers, displays, doorbells, and cameras with AI. This will eliminate Assistant's rigid functionality and replace it with Gemini's more flexible capabilities. Additionally, Google says you'll be able to choose from 10 natural-sounding voices to converse with. Just like with Gemini Live on your phone, Gemini for Home will maintain conversational context. This means you won't have to repeat requests over and over. Instead, the AI is able to understand when you're still talking about the same topic. For example, you could ask why your dishwasher isn't draining. Then you could follow up that question with "Hey Google, the filter looks good, what should I check next?" Gemini will know that you're still talking about your dishwasher.

Google Home chief teases next-gen smart display powered by Gemini

If you thought Google had abandoned smart displays, think again. After a few quiet years, the company's Google Home chief has finally confirmed that it's still "committed to smart displays," and the next Nest Hub or possibly a rebranded Google Home Hub is shaping up to be a major AI-powered refresh. The reveal came straight from Anish Kattukaran, head of Google Home, who teased that the company has "news to share soon" on the smart display front. That's the clearest hint yet that Google is gearing up for a comeback in the smart display segment. In an interview on The Vergecast, Kattukaran suggested that this next-generation display will be designed with Gemini AI in mind, bringing multimodal capabilities that make use of both voice and visuals. He pointed out that a screen-based smart home device is the perfect match for Gemini's strengths -- it's built to see, hear, and respond naturally. That means future interactions could feel less like issuing voice commands. It's a big shift from the current Nest Hub lineup, which hasn't seen a real update since 2021 and is showing its age both in design and performance. Interestingly, this upcoming device could also mark a turning point for Google's branding. The Verge noted that Google may start phasing out the "Nest" name for its smart displays, keeping it only for thermostats and cameras. The new generation might instead adopt the "Google Home Hub" label, tying it more closely to the broader Google Home ecosystem. While Kattukaran didn't confirm a release date, his wording left little doubt that new hardware is coming in the foreseeable future. He called smart displays an "incredible form factor," especially in the context of Gemini for Home, suggesting that Google sees these devices as the centerpiece for its expanding AI-powered home experience. Rivalry heats up as Amazon's Echo Show raises the bar Google's timing here is no coincidence. Amazon has already announced new Echo Show models loaded with AI enhancements, including the AZ3 Pro chip and a new edge processing platform called Omnisense, which fuses data from local sensors to make Alexa smarter and more responsive. If Google wants to stay in the game, its next Hub will need to deliver a similar leap forward, ideally combining Gemini's AI smarts with faster, more context-aware performance. With Gemini's multimodal AI at the center, users could expect a device that not only answers questions and controls lights but also understands context, recognizes gestures, and engages in more natural back-and-forth interactions.

Gemini is Replacing Google Assistant on Smart Displays and Speakers

Gemini is officially replacing the Google Assistant on all your smart displays and speakers, starting with an early access program this month. This will adjust your smart speaker from taking rigid, transactional commands to conversational AI. For years, we've had to talk to our smart devices using super-specific, almost robotic commands, but Gemini will (hopefully) change all that. Now, you can have a natural back-and-forth conversation without having to constantly repeat the subject. For example, you can ask, "Hey Google, my dishwasher isn't draining, what should I check first?" and follow up with just, "Hey Google, the filter looks good, what should I check next?" Gemini understands you're still talking about the dishwasher, and you won't have to start over. The best part is that Gemini for Home is coming to every speaker, smart display, camera, and doorbell Google has made in the last decade, including the original Google Home speaker. This means you don't need to buy any new hardware to get these new capabilities. The voice assistant update itself, which makes your standard "Hey Google" more conversational, is included with your existing device. While some of the new features are free, the more advanced features need a subscription. The Standard Plan for $10 a month or $100 a year. With the Standard Plan, you get great features like Gemini Live for those awesome hotword-free conversations, Ask Home to help you create complex automations, 30 days of video history, and those new, intelligent camera alerts. If you're really serious about your smart home security and AI camera features, you'll want the Advanced Plan. This tier costs $20 a month or $200 annually and includes everything in the Standard Plan plus the most powerful Gemini camera features. This means you get the AI event descriptions, those helpful Home Brief summaries of your day, and the ability to search your video history using natural language through Ask Home. The good news is that if you're already a subscriber to Google AI Pro or Ultra, you're already covered. AI Pro members get the Standard Plan included, but you can pay $10 a month to upgrade to Advanced. Those on the AI Ultra members get the top-tier Advanced Plan automatically at no extra cost. Smart home control is getting much faster overall, too. Gemini understands context, so if you're upstairs, and you say, "Hey Google, I'm about to cook, can you turn on the lights by the stove?" it will know to turn on the kitchen lights downstairs, even if you have complex requests with exceptions. If you're looking for an even more in-depth, free-flowing conversation, you can use Gemini Live by saying, "Hey Google, let's chat". From there, you can talk, pause, interrupt, and pivot naturally, just like with a person. Another significant upgrade is how Gemini handles your security cameras. It's turning your normal cameras into true AI cameras by moving from simply alerting and recording to actually interpreting and understanding what's happening. Instead of a useless "motion detected" alert, Gemini provides AI descriptions directly in your alerts and video history, giving you a full narrative, like "a USPS delivery driver is placing a package on the porch and walking away". If you want to take advantage of this deal right away, you can sign up for the early access program. To do that, just open your Google Home app (version 4.0 or higher), tap your profile icon, go to Home settings, and then select Early access to enroll. You'll get a notification in the app when it's ready for you to try. Otherwise, the rollout begins this month, with speakers and smart displays starting to get the update towards the end of October.

Google has overhauled its smart home app to feature Gemini

As part of Google's smart home announcements today, the company has unveiled a new look for its Google Home app that will begin rolling out globally today. The heart of the redesign is about Gemini for Home, which will replace the Google Assistant role in smart devices and promises a more conversational way to interact with and direct the company's AI. The Google Home app is also now where customers will control their Nest devices. There's now a Home tab with a consolidated view of the system, an Activity tab that collects the notifications from all connected devices and an Automations tab for managing the hands-off side of the smart home hardware. The app also now has a persistent AI-powered "Ask Home" option in the header that Google describes as a "natural language command center for your entire home." The company promises that it will be able to execute naturally written commands, such as searching for specific moments in a camera clip or creating more open-ended automations. However, some of those features will require a Google Home Premium subscription to access. In addition to the new Gemini features, the Google Home app has been rebuilt for increased reliability and performance. The software loads "significantly faster," reportedly more than 70 percent faster on some Android devices. Camera views in the app should load 30 percent faster and playback failures should be down 40 percent in the new version. Google is also boasting a reduction of almost 80 percent in app crashes and said it is additionally working to improve battery draw.

Google Finally Refreshes Its Home Speakers, Nest Cams With Gemini Inside

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Google's biggest smart home announcement today might be all about Gemini coming to virtually every device the company has put out in the last decade, but that doesn't mean there isn't new hardware coming, too. Google just revealed four new Google Home devices: three Nest cameras and a smart speaker. Nest Goes 2K The third-gen wired Nest Cam Indoor, second-gen wired Nest Cam Outdoor, and third-gen Nest Doorbell are exactly what they sound like: Updated versions of the last wired Nest Cam Indoor, wired Nest Cam Outdoor, and Nest Doorbell. The two security cameras boast 2K (2,560 by 1,440) resolution, a significant upgrade over the 1080p video (1,920 by 1,080) of the Nest Cams they replace. The new Nest Doorbell also features what Google calls 2K resolution, but in a square 2,048-by-2,048 orientation, which is a significant leap over the previous Nest Doorbell's 960-by-1,280 resolution. They also feature wider fields of view: The Nest Cams' lenses cover 152 degrees, up from 135 degrees on the second-generation Nest Cam Indoor and 130 degrees on the first-generation Nest Cam Outdoor, and the new Nest Doorbell's lens can see 166 degrees, up from its predecessor's 145 degrees. According to Google, all three devices have better night vision than the previous models, with 120% more sensitivity to light. That should mean they can provide color views for longer before having to switch to monochrome, infrared-illuminated night vision due to low light. The three new Nest devices start shipping today. The Nest Cam Indoor will retail for $99.99, the Nest Cam Outdoor for $149.99, and the Nest Doorbell for $179.99. A New Smart Speaker for Next Year Google also announced a new smart speaker, the obviously named Google Home Speaker. The $99.99 device replaces the Nest Audio and boasts a vertically firing driver that sounds consistent no matter where you're standing. You can also pair two Google Home Speakers with a Google TV Streamer to enjoy stereo sound on your TV, a feature similar to but much simpler than the Alexa Home Theater configurations Amazon announced yesterday for its Fire TV sticks and Echo speakers. We won't hear anything from the Google Home Speaker for a while; it doesn't come out until spring 2026. Google didn't announce any other smart speakers or new smart displays. This makes some measure of sense, since the announcement of Gemini AI emphasizes that it will work on virtually every Nest and Google device made since the 2015 Nest Cam. The big news is the AI platform, and the new hardware is almost an afterthought. Want Cheaper Cameras With Gemini? Try Onn. Outside of Google-made products, though, the company announced two other third-party devices. Walmart's onn brand is also launching its own budget-priced onn Indoor Cam Wired ($22.96) and onn Video Doorbell Wired ($48.96). They're lower-end home security products with 1080p resolutions, but they have access to the same Gemini for Home features the Nest cameras and doorbell have, with a Google Home Premium subscription. They come out today, along with the Nest devices. This isn't the first time Walmart has made a budget-priced, Google-powered smart home device. The Onn 4K Pro media streamer utilizes Google TV and features a hands-free Google Assistant, filling the $50 Google TV streamer-shaped hole left by the Chromecast and previously left empty by the twice-as-expensive Google TV Streamer. That's why it earned our Editors' Choice for media streamers. The hands-free Google Assistant will become hands-free Gemini in the future with an update planned later this year or early next year.

The Google Home Speaker is real, but we'll have to wait for it

Teased during a Pixel demonstration back in August, Google's latest smart speaker is finally official, but it's not coming out right away. Weeks after sneaking it into a product demo and teasing it on social media, Google has finally taken the wraps off its first new smart speaker in five years, but we'll have to wait a little longer before we can get our hands on one. The $99 Google Home Speaker -- yes, Google dropped the "Nest" branding for the new device -- has been built for Gemini, Google says, and it boasts features like 360-degree audio and the ability to pair with the Google TV Streamer. But unlike Google's new Nest security cameras (Google is sticking with the "Nest" moniker for its smart cams, at least for now), which are available for purchase now, the Google Home Speaker won't go on sale until spring 2026. That delay is a "very deliberate and intentional choice" that will give Google time to roll out and "perfect" Gemini for Home on its existing smart speakers and displays, said Anish Kattukaran, director of product management for Google Home and Nest. Wrapped in "eco-friendly" 3D-knit yarn and available in four colors (hazel, porcelain, berry, and jade), the Google Home Speaker arrives with an Alexa-style light right encircling its base, good for offering "expressive visual feedback of what Gemini is doing at any given moment," including whether it's listening, processing a voice command, or entering into the conversational Gemini Live mode. Inside, the speaker packs a custom processor that will "handle a lot of Gemini's advanced AI," including Gemini Live, Kattukaran said, while audio processing will help Gemini hear better by cutting down on background noise, reverb, and echos. Speaking of audio, the Google Home Speaker will support 360-degree audio, good for spreading sound around the room, and you'll also be able to pair two of the speakers together for stereo sound, similar to what's possible with Google's older Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers. Besides creating stereo pairs, you'll also be able to connect one or more Google Home Speakers with the Google TV Streamer. That means you could use two of the speakers for outputting the left and right audio channels from Google's streaming video player, just as you can use Apple's HomePod speakers to output sound from an Apple TV 4K. One detail left unsaid about the Google Home Speaker during the company's pre-brief session was its home hub capabilities, including whether the speaker will act as a Thread border router for Matter devices. We've reached out to Google for more information. Asked when Google might finally reveal a new smart display -- the last one was 2022's second-generation Google Nest Hub -- Kattukaran declined to offer a timeline, but said the company remains "deeply committed to that category and we will have more to share next year."

The Google Home Speaker is coming in 2026

Gemini is first coming to every smart device that Google launched in the past decade. Next year, the Google Home Speaker is launching for $99.99. The Google Home Speaker has been "engineered and designed for Gemini." It features custom processing "to handle Gemini's advanced AI for faster, more fluid interactions," while Gemini Live has a lot of requirements. Google first's speaker since 2020 will offer balanced 360-degree audio with yarn covering everything but the base, which houses a light ring that indicates when Gemini is listening, thinking, reasoning, responding, or in Gemini Live mode. As always, there is a physical mute switch for the microphone. With a domed top and curved sides, Google is using a "3D knitting process that significantly reduces fabric waste." You will be able to pair two Speakers with the Google TV Streamer for an immersive home theater system. There's also stereo pairing and grouping with existing Nest speakers for multi-room audio. The Google Home Speaker is available in Berry (pink/red), Hazel (black/gray), Jade (light green), and Porcelain (beige/white) It will launch Spring 2026 in 19 countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Google Announces $100 Home Speaker With HomePod Mini-Like Design and Gemini AI

The speaker's design is reminiscent of the HomePod mini, but it isn't quite as round. Google is targeting the same price point, as Apple sells the HomePod mini for $99. It's been some time since Apple upgraded the HomePod mini, but we could get a refresh as soon as this year. The new Google Home Speaker integrates with Gemini for Home and a new Google Home Premium service that's powered by Google's Gemini AI. Natural voice chat is supported for AI conversations, and all the AI features you might expect are available like conversational context. You can ask questions about cooking, trips, planning, explore ideas, study, manage calendars, learn languages, get advice, learn skills, play music, and more. Google added a physical toggle to turn off the microphone for a privacy mode that ensures the speaker isn't listening to conversations. The Google Home Premium service is a key part of the updated Google Home Speaker, and it is meant to integrate with speakers, cameras, displays, and more, providing AI oversight and simple, conversation-based automation. If you have connected cameras, Google Home Premium can analyze footage and let you know what happens when you're away, plus it powers smart alerts for detecting packages, people, doors left open, and smoke alarms. Google's Gemini AI integration gives its speaker capabilities that the HomePod and the HomePod mini currently lack. Google's new speaker is set to come out in spring 2026, and it will be priced at $100. Google Home Premium Standard is priced at $10 per month or $100 per year for Gemini Live and home automation features, while Google Home Premium Advanced is priced at $20 per month or $200 per year for daily summaries and video history search options. Access is also included in Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra. Google Home Premium replaces Nest Aware. Google Home Speaker owners can ask Gemini questions at no cost because Gemini for Home is included, but Gemini Live (the voice-based chat feature), AI automations, sound detection, AI-powered notifications, Home Brief, video history search, and daily briefings require Google Home Premium. Google also debuted new Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor, and Nest Doorbell cameras with 2K HDR video, improved low-light performance, and Google Home Premium integration.

Google's New Smart Speaker Promises to Power a Voice Assistant That Doesn't Suck

It's been five long years since Google last released the Nest Audio smart speaker, but here we are. Today, Google unveiled the Google Home Speaker, which comes with upgraded hardware designed specifically to power a new generation of Gemini-run AI in your home. According to Google, the Home Speaker comes with "custom processing to handle Gemini’s advanced AI for faster, more fluid interactions," which basically just means it's designed to run Gemini for Home, its new (hopefully more intelligent) generation of voice assistant. What kinds of new-fangled things will you be doing with Gemini for Home, you ask? Well, in addition to your run-of-the-mill voice commands, you'll also be able to use Gemini Live, which is a conversational Gemini feature that allows a quicker back-and-forth without having to use a wake word. Unlike the Google Assistant of yore, Google envisions its Gemini Live experience as helping you in real-time with tasks like buying a new car, cooking an impromptu recipe, or fixing your dishwasher (these are all real examples from Google). Whether you'll use the smart speaker for those things is another question entirely, but Google certainly hopes you'll try. Google also says its new home assistant will be able to understand more nuanced everyday commands like "turn all of the lights off except one," or things that are more conditional and specific. I'll believe this one when I see it! For context, older Google speakers will still be able to use Gemini for Home, but Google is saying that this is the speaker that's actually optimized for it. Hardware-wise, there are some upgrades here that may appeal to you, including 360-degree audio, which, according to Google, "plays sound in every direction, so you can enjoy uniform audio no matter where it’s placed in the room." I haven't had a chance to really test that out for myself, but it makes sense for Google to focus on that particular capability since smart speakers don't always have the optimal placement for both audio playback and running your smart home. Speaking of audio playback, Google is also introducing a feature that (like Amazon Echos and Apple's HomePods) allows you to pair two of Home Speakers together for use as a home theater setup for stereo sound. The feature doesn't sound anywhere near as robust as Amazon's Alexa Home Theater that lets you group up to five Echos for one home theater, but let's be honest, you're not buying that many Google/Amazon speakers anyway. On top of 360-degree sound and a new theater setup, there are also minor updates to the look, including a new indicator ring light at the bottom that lets you know when the Home Speaker is listening. Having something obvious to notify you when your Google Home Speaker is on is critical in this generation if Google intends to make Gemini Live a thingâ€"you're going to have to know when it's your turn to speak and also when the speaker is "thinking" about something. The look is also slightly different this generation. There are four new colors: Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry, and Google says the Home Speaker is made with recycled materials and the mesh is made via a "unique 3D knitting process that significantly reduces fabric waste." This still looks like a Google smart speaker at the end of the day, but I definitely prefer it over Amazon's Death Star look for its new Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio. Whether the Google Home Speaker feels next-gen will depend (like previous generations) almost entirely on whether Gemini can make it smarter. As I've covered previously, Google Home has been in shambles as of late, and while the company has pushed out a lot of updates to get things back on track, I'm not sure they've made a material difference with the people who have built their smart homes around Google's ecosystem. I'm one of those people who poured everything into Google smart speakers and its Google Home app, so I'm right here with you, hoping that this new hardware and new voice assistant finally give us the smart home we were promised. So when can you buy the new Google Home Speaker? Well... we know it'll cost $100, but Google's only announcing today that availability will be "spring 2026." If you were hoping to ask Santa for a new smart speaker (or two for stereo pairing), you may wanna ask for something else, cause it won't be out this year.

Gemini is coming to every Google smart home device from the last decade - here's how to get early access

It replaces Google Assistant and will be available on most current devices Google Home tech is finally getting a long-awaited Gemini makeover with new AI-powered, conversational talents - and the good news is that you might not need to buy any new gadgets to get it. Google says Gemini for Home is coming to "every speaker, smart display, camera and doorbell we've made in the last decade" (scroll down for the full list). Not all of those products will get the exact same experience - for example, some won't get the full Gemini Live experience - but that's still an impressive amount of historical support, in theory. So what's new? Google promises that Gemini for Home will offer a more natural, conversational experience. In fact, it poured cold water on the old Google Assistant experience in the process, stating that "the interaction was functional, not intuitive or natural". Google added that "it was a transactional tool, not a collaborative partner". Don't wipe your feet on the way out, Google Assistant. This means we'll get the choice of 10 new voices with improved pacing and intonation, all of which will have access to real-time info. The main benefit will be an understanding of context, which should mean an end to today's more staccato exchanges. Asking Gemini to do tasks like adding things to your shopping list should also be less onerous. For example, Google says you could ask "Hey Google, add ingredients for Pad Thai to my shopping" instead of breaking it down, or "Hey Google, I'm about to cook, can you turn on the lights," and it'll know only to turn on the kitchen lights. There will also be an option to chat with no hotword needed. Gemini Live is a more ChatGPT-like experience with an open conversation. To start that, you'll simply say, "Hey Google, let's chat." Google says it's starting an "early access rollout" for current Google Home devices from this month. It'll start with cameras and doorbells, with speakers and smart displays expected to begin rolling out towards the end of October. Clearly, we should expect some bugs and bumps in the road during this early phase. Google says it wants to use the period to get feedback from early adopters "as we work to perfect the experience". Still, if you fancy being among those early testers, it's possible to express your interest today. Google says you simply need to: With Google also launching the new Google Home app to help take advantage of these new features, there are plenty of new toys for smart home fans to look forward to. Naturally, you'll have to pay for some of the best ones, with two new tiers of Google Home Premium also arriving today (to replace Nest Aware). But the long-awaited AI upgrade that our smart homes have been crying out for is finally on the horizon.

Google's new Home Speaker is 'Engineered for Gemini' but what about older devices?

Google has finally announced a new smart speaker. The Google Home Speaker is shorter, wider, offers better audio quality, comes with a new light ring, and most importantly, will be "engineered for Gemini." This means that it will be better equipped to handle the demanding AI tasks that will come with Google Assistant being phased out for the newer AI model. But does it also mean that existing smart devices from Google will be less equipped for accessing Gemini for Home, which becomes available this month for those with early access? Existing smart tech: Not made for Gemini Will older Google smart home devices be left behind? The Gemini-ification of the Google ecosystem has been nothing if not swift. AI Overviews are becoming more and more common across its search engine, and platforms like Gmail and Docs are filled to the rafters with new AI features. Google smart home technology is clearly next up for the update, with the company rolling out a refreshed Google Home interface and early access to Gemini for Home this month. On top of that, the new Google Home Speaker was just announced, with plans to release it to the public for $99 in Spring 2026. The Google Home Speaker -- which is the first new smart speaker launched by Google since the Nest Audio in 2020 -- offers some fairly standard upgrades, like 360° audio and a new light ring, but it's also "Engineered for Gemini." What exactly does that mean? Well, according to the Google announcement, the device is "built for more natural conversations, with custom processing to handle Gemini's advanced AI for faster, more fluid interactions." If the Google Home Speaker is "engineered for Gemini," though, what about the other smart speakers and smart displays in the Google ecosystem? Devices like the Nest Hub Max and the Nest Audio are promised some kind of Gemini update obviously, given the fact the early access to Gemini for Home is live this month, but is it going to be as good as the on-device AI of the new Google Home Speaker? Given the fact that this announcement is as fresh as they get, and the device isn't going to be available until next year, it's hard to say how the Gemini functionality will differ between the old guard and the new smart speaker on campus. But at this point in the conversation, it's just nice to know that Google plans to keep the smart speakers coming for a while.

Google's Latest Nest Cameras Are Finally Here

* New Nest Cam lineup: 2K HDR, wider 152-166° views, improved low-light sensor and wider aperture. * Gemini for Home adds detailed alerts, zoomed previews, 'Ask Home' natural‑language search and 'Home Brief'. * Nest prices: Indoor $99.99, Outdoor $149.99, Doorbell $179.99. 6h free history; onn cams need Home Premium. A lot of people like Google's smart home ecosystem, but especially the company's Nest range of cameras. Now, the latest cameras not only leverage AI stuff, but also a lot of improved hardware to take advantage of it. Google has just announced its latest Nest cameras. As part of this range, we have the Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen), and the Nest Doorbell (3rd gen). All three devices have moved to 2K HDR video, providing higher resolution footage that Google states is essential for the advanced semantic scene understanding required by its Gemini models. It's not quite the 4K resolution Amazon's own cameras (announced yesterday, by the way) have, but it's still pretty good. The devices also feature expanded fields of view -- the new Nest Cams capture a 152-degree diagonal view, while the Nest Doorbell offers a 166-degree view with a 1:1 aspect ratio, designed to see visitors from head-to-toe as well as packages left on the ground. Low-light performance has also been improved with a new sensor and wider aperture, allowing the cameras to stay in full-color mode longer at dawn and dusk. These hardware improvements enable a suite of new AI-powered software features. Gemini for Home will deliver more detailed notifications of the stuff it sees, such as "dog jumps out of playpen," joined by a zoomed-in video preview. There's a new "Ask Home" function that allows you to search your video history with natural language queries like, "What happened to the vase in the living room?" and receive relevant video clips. Additionally, a "Home Brief" feature will provide a quick, digestible video summary of events recorded over several hours. Google confirmed that standard features like intelligent alerts for people, vehicles, and animals remain built-in without a subscription. The company is also increasing the included free event video history from three to six hours for these new models. If you can't afford the Nest cameras, Google has also partnered with Walmart to launch a couple of more affordable options, the onn Indoor Camera Wired and onn Video Doorbell Wired. These lower-cost alternatives, offering 1080p resolution, will be managed through the Google Home app and can access the same Gemini for Home features as the Nest devices, though a Google Home Premium subscription is required to unlock these advanced capabilities for the onn products. The new Nest Cam Indoor is priced at $99.99, the Nest Cam Outdoor at $149.99 (or $249 for a two-pack), and the new Nest Doorbell at $179.99, with all three available starting today. Check out Google's website to know more.

Google just teased the Nest Hub's comeback, with Gemini set to be at the heart

After years of silence, the smart display is framed as the ultimate way to use Google's home AI. What's happened? Turns out the Nest Hub isn't dead. On a recent episode of The Vergecast, Google Home chief Anish Kattukaran hinted that a new smart display is likely in the works. There's no official launch just yet, but his comments were anything but vague, confirming Google is "definitely committed to smart displays" and the firm will "have news to share there soon." Kattukaran also called the combo of mic, speaker, and screen an "incredible form factor" for Gemini for Home. Earlier this month, Google rolled out Gemini features to existing devices and unveiled a speaker and new cameras. This is important because: A smart display that pairs voice with visuals is suddenly looking like a perfect fit for what Gemini for Home wants to be. Gemini can talk, listen, and show, so a display unlocks richer interactions than a speaker ever could. It's been over four years since a new Nest Hub and the silence has people wondering if the category is done for. Even current Nest Hub owners have something to look forward to, though newer hardware could handle Gemini's full potential more smoothly. Recommended Videos Why should I care? If your kitchen counter's already hosting a Nest Hub (or if you're shopping for a smart display) a Gemini-ready model could be a game-changer. Imagine a screen that helps you cook, controls your home, and answers back with AI smarts. An AI-first device could mean faster responses, smarter visuals, and a display that adapts to your habits. Google might soon show how it reimagines smart home hardware optimized for AI. Okay, so what's next? There's no date, no render, no spec sheet. But the writing's on the wall: Google's building a new Nest Hub, and it's going to lean hard into Gemini. Until then, current devices are getting a taste of the future. Gemini for Home is already rolling out for older Nest Hubs and smart speakers. If you've been eyeing a smart display upgrade, maybe wait a bit to see what's waiting just around the corner. Google has already launched new Nest cameras and a video doorbell, plus there's a new Google Home smart speaker arriving early next year.

Gemini for Home is the official replacement for Google Assistant on smart devices

Google is finally ready to explain how Gemini will replace Google Assistant in your smart home. The company's original voice assistant will be replaced with the aptly named Gemini for Home starting this month, ushering in what might be an easier-to-use and more conversational smart home era in the process. Like Google teased at CES 2025, the biggest change Gemini for Home will introduce for Google Assistant devotees is an end to rigid commands. While you'll still need to use a "Hey Google" wake word, the days of having to be precise are over. Google claims Gemini grasps context enough to not only remember what your last request was, but also understand that if you're saying "Hey Google, I'm about to watch a movie, turn off the lights," you specifically mean the lights in your living room. You'll also be able to string multiple requests together into the same sentence, and create automations without having to whip out the Google Home app, just by describing them. And when you want to ditch wake words entirely, you can start a Gemini Live chat and have a smooth back and forth with Gemini about whatever you choose. AI-based improvements will also extend to any cameras you have in your smart home. Google says Gemini can create more useful notifications if a camera detects motion or films a notable event from around your home, thanks to its semantic understanding of visuals. You can also pull a specific piece of footage with natural language requests and even receive answers based on things your smart home recorded via a new feature called "Ask Home." Like Ask Photos in Google Photos, Ask Home understands the context and meaning of footage you've captured to provide answers to questions like "Did I leave the car door open." And for a larger overview of what's going on at home, the "Home Brief" can identify important events you've filmed and "summarizes hours of footage into a quick, digestible summary you can read to catch up on what happened while you were away," Google says. Google says Gemini for Home will be available on all of its smart home devices released in the last decade, including new Gemini for Home-compatible doorbells and cameras created by Walmart. Unfortunately, if you're interested in features like Gemini Live, AI-powered notifications, Ask Home and Home Brief, you'll have to pay for a $10-per-month Google Home Premium subscription to use it. The subscription also unlocks an additional 30 days of cloud storage for any videos your smart home captures and comes included with Google's AI Pro and Ultra subscriptions at no additional cost. To try out Gemini for Home as soon as possible, you can sign up for early access in the Google Home app. Google says the update will roll out throughout the month of October, and come to smart speakers and smart displays "toward the end of the month."

Google's Gemini lets you chat with your smart home

With help from the revamped Google Home app, Gemini for Home promises to be the eyes and ears of your household. "Hey Google, set bedroom lamp to 50 percent." Such stilted voice commands have been the stuff of smart home for years, but with Gemini for Home, Google is promising a smart home you can have an actual conversation with. That idea -- of a smart home that understands the big picture and can act with context in mind -- underpins Google's ambitious Gemini for Home plans, which it's rolling out today following months of slow buildup. The Gemini voice assistant is just one part of Google's Gemini for Home pitch. There's also new hardware, including a refreshed lineup of security cameras and an all-new smart speaker, along with a faster, streamlined Google Home app (more on the app in a moment) and a rebranded subscription plan (say goodbye to Nest Aware). During a briefing prior to its big Gemini for Home reveal, Anish Kattukaran, director of product management for Google Home and Nest, painted the picture of a Gemini-powered smart home that can truly see and hear what's going on in your household, as well as understand your intentions when you give it commands. Of course, the proof's in the pudding, and as Kattukaran himself emphasized, Gemini's performance needs to be as reliable as that of its predecessor, Google Assistant (which has had its own reliability hiccups over the past several months). As anyone who's ever fallen victim to a ChatGPT hallucination knows, asking an LLM to perform a task repeatedly and in a predictable manner is no small feat. That's why Google is plotting a slow phase-in for Gemini at Home, with an early access period beginning this month. Most existing Google smart speakers, displays, and security cameras will work with Gemini for Home, with the freewheeling Google Live chat mode (which lets you have lengthy back-and-forths with Gemini without the need for the "Hey Google" wake word) restricted to the Google Nest Hub, the Nest Hub Max, and the new Google Home Speaker. Of course, Google isn't alone in its AI ambitions for the smart home. Amazon just revealed its own line of revamped Echo smart speakers and smart displays powered by Alexa+ (which has been in an early access mode for the past several months), while Apple is expected to eventually roll out new HomePod smart speakers powered by a AI-enhanced Siri (which has been delayed to next year, at the earliest). We've already seen some of Gemini's abilities in the smart home, including its ability to describe the action in video clips captured by Nest security cameras. But with help from the new Google Home app, Gemini will gain new abilities, such as delivering a "home brief" that summarizes the past 24 hours of your Nest video history. You'll also be able to ask Gemini questions about your home (such as "Is the front door locked?" or "What time did the kids come home") or ask it to draft smart automations on the fly, using natural language ("At night, if the house is empty, make it look like someone's home"), Kattukaran said. Underpinning Gemini for Home is the new Google Home app, which -- among other features -- will boast 70-percent faster startup times, as well as 80-percent fewer crashes and better memory and battery optimization, according to Kattukaran. A streamlined three-tabbed interface (Home, Activity, and Automations) lets you jump from device controls, activity feeds, and smart routines, along with one-handed gestures that let you swipe between broad device categories. The new app promises faster scrubbing of camera videos, as well as the YouTube-style ability to double-tap one side of a video thumbnail or the other to jump forward or backward in the clip. In another change, the Google Home activity feed will include entries from connected third-party smart devices, not just Google's own first-party cameras and gadgets. "This [Activity] tab will now become the canonical history of your entire home," Kattukaran said. "Anything that happens in your home that's connected into your [Google Home] ecosystem, you see the whole history right here now." Sitting at the top of the new Google Home app is a Gemini-powered "Ask Home" chat box that lets you ask questions about or issue commands to your smart home, anything from "What happened today" or "Who ate the plants" to "Create an automation" or "Turn on the living room TV." Naturally, Gemini's best smart home features, such as the home brief and AI notifications, will be locked behind a paywall, with Google Home Premium replacing the former Nest Aware subscription plans. Gemini will still perform basic smart home duties (such as those once handled by Google Assistant, which is being phased out in favor of Gemini) for free.

Google Nest Doorbell, Indoor, and Outdoor Cams get 2K video starting at $99

Google is delivering its first big Nest hardware refresh in over four years, with new 2K video upgrades for the Nest Doorbell and Nest Cam Indoor, as well as a new wired Outdoor Cam. The major Nest overhaul of 2021 delivered a battery-powered Nest Doorbell, a battery (or wired) Nest Cam that works indoors and out, as well as a wired Nest Cam Indoor sequel. There was also a Nest Cam with Floodlight combo. In the time since, Google has added a wired Nest Doorbell, but the lineup has been pretty quiet over the past few years. That ends today. Three new Nest cameras are available today, and that starts with a new Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen, wired). The latest indoor Nest Cam carries over the design of the prior generation, but improves video quality with 2560×1440 recordings and a wider 152-degree field-of-view. Aside from that, everything is mostly the same. There are two new colors, though, with a dark green "Hazel" and a vibrant red "Berry" being US exclusives alongside the white "Snow." Next up is the Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen, wired). The hardware here is relatively similar to the existing battery-powered outdoor camera, but it connects to constant power and is wired to its magnetic base. Available in "Snow" and "Hazel," it supports the same 2K video recording and 152-degree field-of-view, but also has IP65 dust/water resistance for outdoor use - improved over the battery model's IP54 - and is rated for use between -4°F to 104°F (-20°C to 40°C). Interestingly, it's a bit bigger than the battery model physically. Finally, the Nest Doorbell (3rd gen, wired) is getting a refresh, this time with new colors and that improved 2K resolution. "Snow" remains alongside updated tan "Linen" and gray/green "Hazel" colors. Google says it has also expanded the field-of-view horizontally, so you can not only see up and down but also further to the left and right compared to existing Nest Doorbell models. There's a 166-degree field-of-view recording at a 1:1 aspect ratio - so a perfect square - at 2048×2048. The upgraded resolution is the biggest improvement, not only to the recordings themselves and the legibility of text/license plates in the footage, but also for the sake of things like Familiar Faces and Gemini, which Google says are improved by the added resolution. The new sensors also feature better low-light. Google says: All three new cameras feature 2K HDR video, our highest resolution yet, so you can see every detail with incredible clarity. This provides the critical leap in detail our AI needs for advanced scene understanding... The new cameras feature our widest and tallest field of view ever, letting you keep an eye on wide yards or driveways. The new Nest Cams capture a sweeping 152-degree diagonal view, while the Nest Doorbell offers a 1:1 aspect ratio and a 166-degree diagonal view so you can see packages on the ground, wide entryways and visitors from head to toe. We've greatly improved low-light performance so you see rich color and detail, thanks to a new sensor and a wider aperture that allows for 120% more light sensitivity than our previous cameras. This means the cameras can now stay in full-color mode much longer at dawn and dusk than before. Google also explains that it picked 2K intentionally, specifically with bandwidth in mind. Constantly uploading 4K footage could clog up the connection for someone with limited upload bandwidth, or quickly run through an internet provider's usage cap. 2K, while not as high resolution, provides a meaningful bump in quality without overwhelming a network. Google will also now let you set a constant zoom level for your camera thanks to this added resolution, and notifications will now show animated previews that zoom in on the subject instead of showing the whole frame. Along with the resolution bump, Google is also doubling free video storage with this launch, with Nest Cams now able to store 10-second clips of events for up to 6 hours without a paid subscription, up from just 3 hours on existing models. It's unclear if that policy will be ported back to existing Nest Cam devices. These new cameras are the showcase for new Gemini features in Google Home, such as being able to find clips using natural language search, improved notifications, and more. Nest Aware is also going away and being replaced by Google Home Premium, with the new subscription costing the same or being included with Google One AI Pro. All three of these new cameras are available today at the following price points: The Indoor and Outdoor cameras are launching in the the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, while the Doorbell will only be available in the United States and Canada.

Welcome to the next era of Google Home

The idea of a helpful home is one that truly takes care of the people inside it. While the smart home has shown flashes of that promise over the last decade, the underlying AI wasn't anywhere as capable as it is today, so the experience felt transactional, not conversational. You could issue simple commands, but the home was never truly conversational and seldom understood your context. Today, we're taking a massive step toward making the helpful home a reality with a fundamentally new foundation for Google Home, powered by our most capable AI yet, Gemini. This new era is built on four pillars: a new AI for your home, a redesigned app, new hardware engineered for this moment and a new service to bring it all together. Gemini for Home: A new intelligence for your home At the heart of this transformation is Gemini for Home. The best of Gemini has been optimized for the unique context of your home -- a place that's action-oriented, where you're moving around, getting things done and where multiple people will use it. It moves the smart home from simple commands to natural collaboration. Gemini not only replaces the Google Assistant on your smart displays and speakers but also upgrades smart devices like your cameras and doorbells, as well as the Google Home app. We're beginning to roll out this month in early access because this is just the beginning, and we want to build it with you. Please share your feedback as we make regular improvements to help us create a truly helpful home. The Google Home app: Your home, completely redesigned An AI this powerful needs an equally powerful app as its command center. We've completely redesigned the Google Home app to be the single, unified place to manage your home. It's faster and more reliable, and you'll find full controls for previous generations of Nest cameras, doorbells, thermostats and locks in the app. With a simplified new design and built with Gemini, it's never been easier to control, automate and understand what's happening at home. New Nest and Google Home devices, engineered for Gemini This new generation of AI comes with a new portfolio of devices engineered for Gemini. Our new Nest Cams and Doorbell take full advantage of Gemini for Home, with our best image quality ever enabling a new level of AI-powered understanding. We're also introducing the Google Home Speaker, the first audio device built specifically for Gemini to give you more natural, fluid conversations with Gemini. Alongside our flagship hardware, we're also working with partners to offer you more choice of form factors, price points and designs to access the best of Gemini throughout your home. Google Home Premium and new benefits for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers To power our most advanced new features, we're also introducing Google Home Premium, a whole-home subscription that unlocks Gemini for Home capabilities for all your compatible devices. It's also now included with both Google AI Pro and Ultra. Learn more about all of our latest Gemini for Home, Google Home and Nest announcements and sign up for product updates on the Google Store.

Here Are All the New AI-Powered Smart Home Features Google Just Announced

Google is finally bringing Gemini to its smart home ecosystem, and claims the AI can improve your smart home experience in a number of ways. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. On Wednesday, Google officially announced a number of smart home initiatives. Alongside new devices -- including Nest cameras, doorbells, and a new Google Home Speaker -- the company rolled out a redesigned Google Home app. As you might expect in 2025, Google's new smart home strategy is powered by the company's AI, Gemini, with a new branding to boot: Gemini for Home. The company is making a lot of claims for how its next-generation tech will improve your smart home. We'll need to wait for the reviewers to put Gemini and the new Google Home app through their paces, not to mention all of Google's new devices, but until then, we can take a peek at the future Google is selling us on: Google Assistant is nothing new, but even Google seems to think there's been room for improvement. The company says the experience was "functional, not intuitive or natural," which seems to be informing Google's newest smart home assistant: Gemini for Home. As you might expect, Gemini is replacing Google Assistant across all Google smart home products. The company's argument here is that the new experience is much more natural than before: Previously, you might have needed to ensure your commands were succinct and to the point for the assistant to understand them. Going forward, Google says you can take advantage of the AI's contextual awareness for more casual requests. If you're asking for help fixing your dishwasher, for example, you don't need to preface each request with the problem at hand. You can begin with a question like "Hey Google, my dishwasher is having trouble draining. Where should I start?" If it suggests you check the filter, you don't need to say "Hey Google, I'm trying to get my dishwasher to drain, but the filter seems fine. What's the next step?" Instead, you can simply follow up with "Hey Google, the filter seems fine. What's next?" Google says Gemini will understand the context, and continue to help. If you want to bypass the the constant "Hey Googles," you can say "Hey Google, let's chat." This kicks on Gemini Live, the AI's voice mode, which let's you have a back and forth with Gemini. The company says you can do the same when asking questions about things like songs and movies. If you want to look up a song from a movie, but you don't remember the name of either, you can share vague details about the movie and Gemini supposedly can put the pieces together. Perhaps most importantly for the smart home itself, Google says Gemini can handle more complex requests. For example, you can ask it to turn off all lights except for a specific room, or trust that the AI will understand the context of the room you're asking about, e.g., "Can you turn on the lights by the oven" will mean turning on the lights in the kitchen. My favorite of Google's promised features, however, is that you can ask Gemini to add items to your grocery lists from recipes, rather than individual items. You can simply request a shopping list for Pad Thai, and, according to Google, Gemini will add all the ingredients necessary to your shopping list. Google says Gemini for Home can also upgrade smart cameras connected to Google Home. The company argues that most smart camera alerts are "low context," pinging you with things like "motion detected" or "person detected," but leaving the rest on you to figure out what's really going on. With Gemini for Home, Google says it is using AI to make your smart camera experience more contextual. Alerts will offer a "full narrative of what's happening," so you can learn from the notification itself whether you have a USPS delivery, or simply a shadow moving in front of the camera. Gemini will also organize and summarize all of the day's video clips -- you can choose whether to review all the videos taken, or simply scan the summary for any updates the AI thought important. Google says you can ask Gemini questions about your clips, as well. Speaking of which, you can ask Gemini to find specific video clips using natural language. Google says you can ask questions like "When did the kids get home," or "Did I leave the car door open today?" Tying all these updates together is the overhauled Google Home app, which reportedly has over 100 new features and performance improvements. Google says there were three goals in mind with this particular update: "Make it faster, more reliable, and complete." To that first point, the app should perform quite well, if the company is to be believed. Google claims its new Home app is over 70% faster on some Android devices than before, with crashes down by almost 80%, while smart camera live views supposedly load 30% faster with 40% fewer playback failures. The new design comes with three main tabs: There's the Home tab, which is where you see all of the controls for your smart home devices. Within this tab, there are swipeable menus for things like Favorites and devices. Next, there's the Activity tab, which contains your home's activity history. You can see when a routine was started, when motion was detected on a camera, and when a light was turned off. Finally, there's the Automations tab: You can see which automations are coming up, access your entire automations collection, and create new automations as well. Google has also integrated "the best" of the Nest app into the new Home app. While the dedicated Nest app is still available, Google clearly intends for Nest functionality to live here long-term. That includes support for Nest Thermostats from 2015 on, as well as Nest Protect smoke and CO emergency alerts and Nest x Yale Lock passcode management. Google says the experience of controlling previous Nest devices is also enhanced in the new app, with higher frame rates and faster loading times. Finally, there's "Ask Home," a new Gemini-powered feature that aims to make it easy to find any element of your smart home. For example, Google says you can type things like "lights" or "living room" to find deices and automations related to those queries. You can look up clips from your smart cameras, stack multiple smart home commands together, or create an automation with natural language. Google says all of these changes are rolling out today, Wednesday, Oct. 1 around the globe.

Google debuts Gemini for Home and new smart home devices - SiliconANGLE

Google LLC today refreshed its smart home portfolio with several new devices and an artificial intelligence assistant called Gemini for Home. Gemini for Home is set to replace Google Assistant in the company's smart home devices. It will be available in not only the new gadgets the Alphabet Inc. unit debuted today but also every smart speaker, display, camera and doorbell it shipped in the past decade. Gemini for Home requires less specific prompts than Google Assistant. For example, a user could ask it to turn on the porch lights without specifying each smart light bulb that should be activated. When it's used for content search, the software can find the title of a film based on a brief plot summary. "For media, Gemini transforms a rigid search into a fluid conversation because it understands vague, human context," Anish Kattukaran, the Chief Product Officer for Google Home and Nest, wrote in a blog post today. "Instead of remembering the exact song or artist, you can describe what you're thinking of, just like you would to a friend." Gemini for Home also introduces other improvements. Google has added 10 new voices and a feature called Gemini Live that removes the need to start every prompt with a wake word. According to the company, the latter capability facilitates free-flowing interactions spanning multiple prompts and follow-up requests. Gemini for Home is accessible via not only Google's smart home devices but also a newly redesigned companion app. It loads more than 70% faster on some devices, while crashes occur about 80% less frequently. Consumers can use the app to manage both existing devices in Google's smart home lineup and the new gadgets it debuted today. The first new device, the Google Home Speaker, is a spherical smart speaker priced at $99.99. It features 360-degree audio, which enables it to produce more realistic sounds than the company's earlier hardware. Customers can combine two Google Home Speakers with a Google TV Streamer streaming device to create a surround-sound home theater system. The speaker features a light ring not included in the company's earlier devices. The ring changes its color based on the prompt processing task that the device is performing. Google stated today that the Google Home Speaker's AI features are powered by "custom processing," which suggests it may include a custom chip. The speaker is rolling out alongside three Nest cameras that range from $99.99 to $179.99. One is designed for indoor use, another can be installed outdoors and the third functions as a doorbell. All three devices record 2K HDR footage, which corresponds to a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. They have a bigger field of view than Google's earlier cameras and perform better in low light conditions. The three devices support a set of new video processing features included in Gemini for Home. One capability, Home Brief, can automatically generate footage summaries. Another feature enables users to search videos for events such as the arrival of a package using natural language prompts. Home Brief, Gemini Live and several of the other AI features that debuted today are included in a subscription called Google Home Premium. It's available from $10 per month or $100 per year. The subscription is free for customers who use the Pro and Ultra tiers of Google AI, a service that provides access to the company's latest artificial intelligence models.

Google Home redesign promises faster loading and enhanced Gemini integration

Google has revealed its redesigned Home app with a boost to Gemini AI integration, greater Nest compatibility, and improvements in speed and reliability. The redesigned app launched globally on Oct. 1, according to an official blog post from Google. Here's what you can expect of the update when it reaches your phone. Faster loading, fewer crashes Promoting a better user experience Google claims that the new app loads "significantly faster," up to or above 70% faster on select Android devices. Live views, such as from a Nest Cam or Nest Doorbell, reportedly load 30% faster and tile previews now load instantly. Additionally, the app is less prone to disruptions with crashes down around 80% over the last few months and cameras boast a 40% decrease in playback failures. That's great news for those, who like me, rely on the Google Home app to access and control smart plugs, speakers, and other devices. Among my smart devices is a Nest Doorbell Gen 2, so I also appreciate the Home app's newly enhanced Nest integration. Greater Gemini, Nest integration A better hub for your home The redesigned Google Home app provides better support for Nest devices with "no more app switching required." That includes new and older model thermostats, fire and carbon dioxide detectors, cameras, and doorbells. Finally, and following suit with other recent Google app updates, the Google Home app redesign further incorporates Gemini, Google's AI assistant across three simplified tabs: Home, Activity, and Automations. Powered by Gemini, the Home app can now set scheduled, one-time, or conditional automations, send video previews to your lock screen, and provide more descriptive event notifications. Enjoy this update and stay tuned; given Google's recent changes to the Play Store and Home app, it's possible we'll see another app upgrade or two in the near future.

Google takes the fight to Amazon with major smart home upgrade

Gemini turns every smart home interaction into a free-flowing conversation - for a price. Just a day after Amazon unleashed a barrage of smart home and consumer electronics devices powered by the Alexa+ assistant, Google has made its own chess move. The company has today revealed a fresh slate of devices in the Home and Nest family, tagging alongside a revamped companion app and a new subscription service that replaces Google Assistant with Gemini on these devices. The big reveal The fresh slate of smart home hardware from Google includes the Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen), and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen). Additionally, in partnership with Walmart, Google is also adding the onn Indoor Camera Wired and onn Video Doorbell Wired to its portfolio of smart home devices. The big highlight is support for 2K HDR video capture, and the "widest and tallest field of view" ever on a Google smart home camera, reaching up to 166 degrees. The new camera sensor also boosts low-light color visibility, while on the software side, you get new tricks such as digital zoom-in and intelligent alerts that can identify a variety of subjects, such as cars, pets, and people. Recommended Videos Then we have the new Google Home Speaker. Instead of dots, it now features a light ring (similar to the HomePod mini) and the ability to pair two units of the speaker for achieving a surround sound experience. It can also be connected with older Home and Nest speakers for stereo setups. The Nest series cameras start at $99.99, while the onn Indoor Camera Wired model will set you back $19.99 in the US. The Google Home speaker, priced at $99, will hit the shelves early next year in Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry colors. A whole new home assistant Aside from fresh hardware, the biggest change is the underlying software. The ecosystem is moving away from Google Assistant and shifting to Gemini, for everything from direct device interactions to the companion app. "We're beginning to roll out this month in early access," says Google, adding that the entire companion app will also be redesigned with new conversational capabilities to control smart home devices. Google is referring to this new avatar as Gemini for Home. Just in case you are wondering, the app is still compatible with older Nest cameras, doorbells, thermostats, and locks. The best part about the Gemini upgrade is that smart home controls go from clunky shortcuts and automations to natural language conversations, just the way you would engage with an AI chatbot. This not only applies to controlling devices in real-time, but also to creating multi-device automations by simply describing them. Gemini for Home will be available across speaker, smart display, camera, and doorbell hardware, with an early access program kicking off later this month. Google is also replacing the Nest Aware subscription with Gemini for Home, which includes Standard Plan ($10/month or $100/year) and an Advanced Plan ($20/month or $200/year). The Advanced tier brings benefits such as AI event descriptions, Home Brief summaries, and searchable video history with Ask Home. For existing Gemini subscribers, these plans will be available without any additional costs.

This is Gemini for Home and the redesigned Home app, rollout starts today

Gemini for Home does more than just replace Google Assistant on smart speakers and displays. Featuring a rebuilt Home architecture, it adds intelligence to cameras and makes possible a redesigned Home app for Android and iOS. Gemini for Home Voice assistant Compared to the phone experience, Gemini for Home has been optimized for communal environments and is spatially aware. On the voice front, there are 10 new options that are more natural with realistic pacing and intonation. These new voices complement the kind of responses made possible by Gemini and large language models. The improvements start with how commands no longer have to follow a specific structure to work, with smart home requests especially benefiting. You don't have to remember device names either, while Gemini now understands your context: For example, if you're upstairs and say, "Hey Google, I'm about to cook, can you turn on the lights," it will know to turn on the lights in the kitchen downstairs. You can string together multiple instructions and Gemini will process all of them. LLMs also unlock complex requests with exceptions: "Turn on all the lights except for the kitchen lights, and lock the front door. " If you have cameras, you can ask what's happening in your house with the "Ask Home" functionality. Google says you can talk to Gemini as you would a person, with context preserved for back-and-forth exchanges where you don't have to repeat the subject. Meanwhile, you can change what you want mid-sentence and Gemini will not trip up. Gemini for Home improves everyday actions like playing audio. You can ask for a song in any manner of speaking, like reciting the lyrics you remember or describing a scene: "Hey Google, play that song from the climatic scene where they are dancing at a summer camp." There are also improvements to calendars, reminders, lists, and timers that unlock commands like: * "Remind me to order costumes a month before Halloween" * "Add ingredients for Pad Thai to my shopping list": Gemini "will reason through the request" and ask clarifying questions like portion sizes or dietary restrictions * "Set a timer to cook a ribeye steak" will have Gemini research the right cooking time Like the Gemini you use on mobile and desktop, you can have deeper conversations about any topic. Prompts and responses will not appear in your Gemini app history. Gemini will be available on every Google smart speaker and display released since 2016. For a more immersive conversation, you say "Hey Google, let's chat" to enable Gemini Live. This starts a continuous conversation where the hotword no longer has to be uttered. That said, the "regular" mode will automatically re-open the microphone when it has clarifying questions for you. You can pause at any time, interrupt Gemini, and ask follow-ups. Ideal queries include "let's chat about what to make for dinner" and specifying what ingredients you have. Gemini Live requires newer hardware and a subscription. To get to this point, Google rebuilt its entire smart home architecture. The team specifically spent a lot of time addressing how large language models, while excelling at creative responses, struggle with delivering deterministic responses where you want consistent actions, like turning on/off a light. AI cameras You can read more about the new camera capabilities here, but in short Google envisions "AI cameras" that take advantage of Gemini's multimodality to understand what is happening in a scene. AI descriptions will appear directly in alerts and video history to give Gemini an idea of what's actually happening in your home. As such, "motion detected," "person detected," and "package detected" can become a "delivery driver is placing a package on the porch." In response to "Did something eat my plants," Gemini might tell you what day rabbits were seen in your garden. Google also touts how familiar faces is leveraging an improved ML model. Meanwhile, conversational search will look through your video history to directly answer "What time did the kids get home?" or "Did I leave the car door open?" Google Home Premium Advanced is required to access these capabilities. There's also a new Home Brief that understands what events are actually important and can summarize hours of footage into digestible recaps. You can customize this Brief to be shorter or focus on pets. Google Home app redesign Meanwhile, the redesigned Google Home app is how you access these new capabilities on mobile. Google rebuilt it to make things faster, more reliable, and complete. In 2025, Google shipped around 100 improvements to the Home app. Startup is 70% faster, while crashes are down 80%. Other structural upgrades include reduced battery consumption and memory improvements. This new foundation will allow Google to add a slew of new features over the next few years. At the center of this redesign is the conversational "Ask Home" text chat at the top of every screen. This is how you access the new Gemini for Home commands and capabilities from smart displays/speakers on your phone. (In the future, Google tells us the Home extension in the Gemini app will get the same Ask Home capabilities.) It also acts as device and automation search. Besides asking about what happened in your home, you can issue device commands, like turning things on/off and making adjustments. Even without cameras, you can soon ask about device stats and insights, like how long the AC or TV was on in the last week. You can also create automations from natural language requests, like "At night, if the house is empty, make it look like someone's home." Google will suggest using lights and your TV to simulate a presence. The app's bottom bar goes from five tabs -- Favorites, Devices, Automations, Activity, and Settings -- to just three. "Home" is where you'll find all your devices, with no change to the Tiles format. It's comprised of feeds for Favorites, Devices, Cameras, Lighting, Wifi, and Temperature that you can quickly swipe between. Meanwhile, the design of the Activity tab is mostly unchanged, though alerts from both first and third-party devices will now appear here. You'll get the Home Brief at the top. Automations has a new bottom bar icon, and adds an "Upcoming" carousel that previews what will soon activate. The "Your automations" list follows and is the same. The new Editor that launched earlier this month is the main development, with Google now offering a native experience on Android and iOS instead of just using a web-based view. Rollout The redesigned app, with a new gradient icon, is rolling out globally starting today on Android and iOS. From there, you can sign up for "Early access." Up first in the preview program is searching video history with Ask Home, and conversationally creating Automations. Towards the end of this month, Google will begin testing Gemini on speakers and smart displays. Every single speaker and display is supported, while a new Google Home Speaker is coming next year.

Google's new Nest Doorbell and Nest Cams have 2K video and new AI chops

A day after Amazon updated its security cameras, Google followed suit with its competing suite. A trio of new Nest security cams is available starting today. The latest Nest Doorbell and Nest Cams have higher-resolution (2K HDR) video and a wider field of view. That not only makes for better images, but it also opens the door to new (paid) AI features. Google's new additions include the Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen) and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen). The company says the devices were designed to "provide the rich, detailed data our multimodal AI uses to understand." The results, according to the company, are "better alerts" and the ability to "find important moments, faster." Google says DxOMARK rated all three as first in their class for image quality. The Nest Cams each have 2,560 x 1,400 resolution with a 152-degree diagonal field of view (FOV). The Nest Doorbell uses a 2,048 x 2,048 sensor with a 166-degree FOV. All three support up to 6x digital zoom. The company says the combination boosts the cameras' ability to capture video in low-light conditions. Specifically, Google claims they offer 120 percent more light sensitivity than their predecessors. "This means the cameras can now stay in full-color mode much longer at dawn and dusk than before," the company wrote. The sharp resolution also allows you to digitally zoom in on a specific area in the Home app, cropping out the rest. Google says the feature could be handy for hot spots like a garden bed or walkway. Similarly, your alerts will include animated previews that zoom in on the subject. This could make it easier to tell at a glance who or what triggered the notification. The upgraded Gemini AI chops include a new chatbot feature called Ask Home. It lets you do things like ask what ate your plants. (In Google's example, the chatbot explains that it was rabbits, producing photo evidence.) It also lets you perform smart home tasks or create automations using natural language. There's another new AI feature called Home Brief that gives you an AI-generated summary of the day's activities. Both of the new AI features require a Google Home Premium subscription. All three cameras are available beginning today at the Google Store and with retail partners. The Nest Cam Indoor costs $100. The Nest Cam Outdoor will set you back $150. And the Nest Doorbell costs $180.

Google Takes on Amazon's New IoT Products with its New Smart Home Hardware - Phandroid

Not too long after Amazon's massive smart home hardware reveal, it's Google who's now in the spotlight with its new Gemini-powered smart cameras and speakers, which also feature some pretty eye-catching colours in the mix. That being said, the new lineup includes updated Nest Cams and Doorbell, as well as a brand-new Google Home Speaker. READ: New Kindle, Fire TV, Echo Speakers and Displays: Everything you Need to Know from Amazon's Hardware Launch Event First up are Google's new Nest Cams -- the company says that new wired Nest Cam Indoor ($99.99), Nest Cam Outdoor ($149.99), and Nest Doorbell ($179.99) have been re-engineered to work better with Gemini's multimodal AI. They also come with support for 2K HDR video capture, wider and taller fields of view, a 1:1 aspect ratio on the Doorbell to spot packages on the ground, and improved low-light performance with a new sensor and wider aperture. As for the new Gemini features, the cameras will support AI Notifications for more specific alerts, like "dog jumps out of playpen," with a zoomed-in video preview of the moment, Ask Home which allows users to search their video history with simple questions, and Home Brief which summarizes hours of footage into a quick overview. The cameras also come with subscription-free features, including built-in intelligent alerts for people, vehicles, animals, and packages, as well as an increased six hours of event video history (up from three hours). For privacy, the new cameras come with encrypted video and a clear green LED indicator on the outside. Also announced was the new Google Home Speaker, which features a new light ring with a dynamic glow that shows when Gemini is listening and responding. The speaker comes with 360° audio and can also pair two speakers with a Google TV Streamer for more cinematic surround-sound audio. Priced at $99, the new Google Home Speaker will launch in Spring 2026. Google also revealed that it was teaming up with Walmart to introduce affordable Gemini-compatible devices, which include the onn Indoor Camera Wired ($22.96) and onn Video Doorbell Wired ($49.86). The new devices can be controlled via the Google Home app and will support Gemini for Home features, intelligent alerts, and event history with a Google Home Premium subscription. Meanwhile, Gemini for Home capabilities will begin rolling out to existing smart displays and speakers via an early access program by the end of October.

Finally, Google Home and Nest cameras get the Gemini upgrade I've been waiting for | Stuff

Google is rolling out a major refresh for its Home ecosystem, and it's finally the upgrade I've have been waiting for. The new Google Home app, rebuilt from the ground up for Gemini, promises to be faster, more reliable, and complete - delivering a smart home experience that feels modern and effortless. Performance was the first priority. The app now loads up to 70-percent faster on some smartphones, with crash rates cut by nearly 80-percent. Camera experiences have been supercharged too: live views load 30-percent faster, playback failures are down 40-percent, and scrolling through your camera history now runs at over six times the frame rate. All Nest devices and features now live seamlessly in Home, including every Nest Thermostat since 2015, Protect alerts, and Nest x Yale Lock passcodes. Older security cameras and doorbells will benefit from smoother, faster video playback, eliminating the need to switch between apps. The redesigned three-tab layout puts Gemini at your fingertips: the Home Tab for an overview of your devices, the Activity Tab for a complete event history with Home Brief summaries, and the Automations Tab with a fast, native editor and upcoming automation carousel. Cameras now provide rich, context-aware alerts, like "Abbie walking with flowers," and Ask Home lets you control devices, find clips, or create automations with natural language. On the hardware side, Google is launching a new generation of Gemini-optimised devices. The Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen), and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen) all deliver 2K HDR video, wider fields of view, improved low-light performance, and smarter AI alerts. Each comes with six hours of video history, digital zoom, and intelligent notifications - all without a subscription. Sustainability and privacy are baked in, from recycled materials to encrypted video and visible activity LEDs. Google also revealed the new Google Home Speaker, built for Gemini, offering natural conversation, 360° audio, and stereo pairing with Google TV. It's compact, elegant, sustainably made, and due to launch in Spring 2026 for $99. Finally, Google is opening the ecosystem to partners. Walmart's onn Indoor Camera Wired and onn Video Doorbell Wired bring Gemini-powered features to an affordable price point, fully integrated with the Home app. These updates roll out globally on October 1 - I'll be repeatedly checking the Play Store for updates.