Google Rolls Out Gemini for Home: A New Era of Smart Home AI

Confused about the latest Google Home changes? Google just answered your top questions

To clear up the confusion, Google has shared a detailed community post titled "Top Questions & Answers about Gemini for Home, Google Home Premium, and more." If you're a Google Home user wondering what's changing and what's coming next, here's a breakdown of everything Google just clarified. To join the early access program, users can open the Google Home app (version 4.0 and above), go to Settings > Early Access, and sign up. Google says early access gives users a chance to test new features and provide feedback before wider release. It's important to note that the Early Access program for Gemini for Home is different from the Google Home Public Preview program, which gives you early access to new Google Home app features. Sign-ups are live in six countries now, and more, including Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Mexico, will gain access next week. Gemini for Home will work on all Nest cameras and doorbells since 2015, as well as the new Walmart Onn models. Older devices will need to be migrated from the Nest app to the Google Home app. It will also be available on all existing Google and Nest speakers and displays made since 2016, including Nest Audio, Nest Hub, Google Home, and Home Mini. Google confirmed it plans to bring Gemini for Home to third-party speakers in the future. If you already have a Google AI Pro or AI Ultra plan, you'll automatically get Google Home Premium at no extra cost. AI Pro includes the Standard plan, and AI Ultra includes the Advanced plan. You can also upgrade from Standard to Advanced for $10 per month. ADT customers will continue using the Nest Aware features tied to their ADT plans for now.

5 Gemini for Google Home features I can't wait to try (and you shouldn't either)

After bringing Gemini to Gmail, Drive, Workspace, and even Google Keep, Google is now turning its attention to Google Home with full-fledged Gemini integration. Last week, Google announced a lineup of new smart home devices, including a refreshed Nest Doorbell, upgraded cameras, and an all-new Google Home Speaker. However, the most exciting part of the announcement was Gemini's arrival in Google Home, which has already begun rolling out to some users. AI in the smart home ecosystem has been a long time coming, and this time, it feels like Google has finally nailed it. Based on what Google has showcased so far, here are some new features and promises that have made me genuinely excited about Google Home again. Complex commands finally come to Google Home You can now ask Gemini to handle multistep actions with ease One of the reasons I have always chosen to open the Home app and control my smart devices myself is that Google Home has never been able to accept more than one command at once. You always have to say each command one by one, making it feel like a long and tiring process, and in the end, I just do things manually. With Gemini, Google Home can take complex commands and perform multistep actions at once. You can now say things like, "turn off all the lights, except for the bedroom lights," and the AI will understand exactly which ones to leave on or off. For the first time, it's going to feel like you're talking to a smart assistant rather than a robot that only understands rigid, one-line commands. That's not all. Gemini can handle other complex commands in natural language. You can say, "Start a timer for an egg," and even if you don't know how long it should be, Gemini will figure it out. It can also hold a back-and-forth conversation, keeping context in mind, so you can ask, "Hey Google, I'm fixing my bike, what should I check first?" and then follow up with, "I've checked for visible damage, what should I do next?" and it'll respond with exactly what you need. Just ask Home for what you need Natural, conversational requests actually work like you expect Alongside adding a smarter backend to Google Home, Google has revamped the Home app for Android and iOS (more on that below). One of the new features I'm genuinely excited about within the new Home app is the new Ask Home feature. Now, just like how you'd talk to AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini, you can ask the Home app for help with your smart home devices. From viewing your connected devices to controlling specific ones, the new Ask Home bar (which is persistent across all tabs in the app) lets you type or say complex commands. You can even use it to create automations directly within Ask Home. Think of it as a single place where you can "Google" everything about your smart home setup. Whether you need to locate a device, tweak a setting, or automate a routine, you can just ask, and Gemini will handle it for you. It may not be a game-changer for me, since I usually know where everything is, but it's an incredibly useful feature for older users or anyone who isn't particularly tech-savvy. Creating automations is now as easy as asking Gemini Anyone can build smart routines just by asking now Until now, smart home automations have mostly been reserved for people who are technically inclined and understand how things like conditions and triggers work. Setting up automations often required knowledge of how devices interact, which meant it was rarely something most of us would bother setting up. With Gemini, Google is making automations accessible to everyone. Thanks to the new revamp, you can ask Gemini to create an automation for you, and it will take care of the rest. For example, you can say, "Create an automation to turn on the porch lights and lock the front door every day at sunset," and Gemini will handle everything behind the scenes. You can even create more complex automations, and the Home app will start recommending routines based on how you use your devices. AI-powered summaries are smarter than you think Gemini gives you meaningful insights, not just basic status updates In addition to understanding complex commands, Google is now smartly using Gemini in Google Home to provide AI-generated summaries of your smart devices. So, when someone is at your front door or porch, instead of sending a standard "person detected" alert, the Home app now uses Gemini to identify who it is and what they're doing. You'll get more contextual notifications like "Michael is ringing the doorbell" or "Daisy is watering the plants." Similarly, when you are away, Google Home will provide a summary of what happened, so you don't need to review an entire day's footage to catch up. Google has even built in a paid feature, called Home Brief, that highlights the most important events of the day and presents them in a concise summary. You can also ask Gemini to search your video history directly. For instance, you can say, "What time did the kids get home?" and Gemini will find that information for you. Or you could ask whether someone picked up a package left at your door, or even whether your car door is open if it's visible on camera. It's impressive how the addition of Gemini could turn Google Home from a basic smart home controller into a truly capable (at least on paper) smart home solution. A redesigned Google Home app that finally feels modern The refresh brings order, speed, and clarity Finally, the feature I'm most excited about is the new Home app. Google has given it a major overhaul. There are fewer tabs now, and Google claims the app's performance has improved significantly, with the company claiming up to 70% better performance on some older Android devices. The company also says it has fixed loads of bugs and long-standing issues like playback errors that have plagued the Home app for years. But, beyond the performance upgrades, the app in general feels less cluttered. Plus, the addition of the new Ask Home bar, which stays visible across all tabs so you can quickly ask about your smart devices, makes the redesign feel like a refresh that was long overdue. Looks like Google has finally cracked it with Gemini and Google Home It has taken time -- a lot of time -- but with all the new features and meaningful integrations, Gemini's arrival in Google Home finally feels worth the wait. For a while, I honestly thought people would start giving up on Google Home because of the mess it had become, but the Gemini integration feels right at home. That said, it is worth noting that, for now, Gemini in Google Home is currently limited to the US region only, and some features, such as Home Brief and AI summaries, require a Google AI Plan subscription to work. Hopefully, Google will expand the availability to more markets soon.

When is Gemini for Home rolling out: Schedule, countries, & early access [U]

Gemini for Home is the umbrella term for Google's renewed smart home effort with several distinct aspects: app, camera, and voice assistant. From what the company has shared so far, here's when Gemini for Home is rolling out. Updated 10/6 Rolling out now (October 1+) The redesigned Google Home app with three tabs in the bottom bar is rolling out globally right now. Make sure you're on version 4.0 (which brings a new homescreen icon) on Android and iOS. This is a server-side update. The Ask Home search/chat experience in the Google Home app is currently available in the following countries: * United States (English) * Canada (English and French) * United Kingdom (English) * Ireland (English) * Australia (English) * New Zealand (English) These features are available to all (free) users: * Quick search: You can now quickly search for devices and automations right from the search bar. As you type, results and relevant suggestions will appear instantly. * Simple device queries: You can now ask questions about your devices. Simply say, "Which lights are on?" or "Is the front door locked?" * Real-time device control: You can now give simple commands like, "Close all blinds," and it will instantly follow through. Functionality that requires Google Home Premium Standard: * Automation creation: You can now create automations using natural language in Ask Home. You can also access Help me create in the Automations tab of the Google Home app to create automations. * Saved information: You can have Ask Home remember things about you or your household, such as your favorite color, to personalize your experience. Requires Google Home Premium Advanced: * AI descriptions and AI notifications: Your camera events will now have detailed captions. Instead of just "person" or "package," the captions will tell you more about what's happening in the clip. You'll also get these detailed descriptions in your camera notifications. * Search video history: Find specific events recorded by your cameras by asking questions like "Did the dog go outside today?" * Home Brief: Receive a daily summary each evening of the most important events captured by your cameras. These features will not be available to ADT+ subscribers for the time being. AI camera features are actively rolling out for Google Home Premium Advanced subscribers with the new Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen), Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen) in the following countries/languages: * United States (English) * Canada (English and French) * United Kingdom (English) * Ireland (English) * Australia (English) * New Zealand (English) This is rolling out as a software update that "could take several days to reach all eligible subscribers." Gemini for Home camera features include: * AI descriptions, which process recorded camera events to provide more detailed short and long descriptions of what happened. * AI notifications, which provide short versions of AI descriptions within camera event notifications, making it easier to see what happened at a glance. * Home Brief, which provides an overview of what happened at home each day. * Ask Home video history search, which allows you to use natural language to search for a specific camera event. Beginning October 28, 2025 The Gemini for Home voice assistant, or the Google Assistant replacement, will begin rolling out for users in the US that join the "Early access" program starting October 28. Note: Early access just applies to Gemini for Home (AI) features. The existing Public Preview program remains available to test the "latest Google Home app features ." The instructions Google provided are below, but users with the redesigned app are just seeing "Public Preview," with the switch immediately toggling off after enabling. It's presumably still rolling out. The following devices will receive Gemini, but only the last four devices on this list will receive Gemini Live (which requires Google Home Premium Standard): * Google Home * Google Home Mini (1st gen) * Google Home Max * Google Nest Hub (1st gen) * Google Nest Wifi point * Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) * Google Nest Hub Max * Google Nest Audio * Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) Early 2026 The Gemini for Home camera features for the new New Cams and Doorbell mentioned above are rolling out to "other supported regions in early 2026." From where the cameras are sold, that should be: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Similarly, the plan is to expand the Gemini for Home voice assistant "to more countries in early 2026." Spring/March 2026 In most countries, the company says the Google Home Speaker is coming in "Spring 2026." The Australian Google Store mentions March 2026.

Gemini for Home is rolling out to lucky early access users - and it's already snitching on misbehaving pets

Gemini for Home is official, and rolling out now to those who've opted into the early access program and who live in the right countries. The first users are already experimenting with the features available in the upgraded smart home AI, including some ruthless pet monitoring. This is the long-promised upgrade from Google Assistant to Google Gemini for smart home gadgets, which means your requests and queries can be more complex, and in language that's more conversational. In return, you get smarter replies, digging into details about what's happening with your Google Home devices. Although Gemini will eventually make it to a host of different Google gadgets - going back an entire decade - right now you need to sign up through the Google Home app for early access. As spotted by Android Authority, those early adopters are now seeing the enhanced features show up on their phones. Right now, early access is limited to doorbells and cameras in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, and some features are paywalled. The details of the Gemini rollout can be somewhat confusing, and Google has now published a long list of answers to commonly asked user questions. Google home gemini pretty cool from r/googlehome One of the upgrades that Gemini brings with it (for free) is a new Ask Home feature: you can use natural language queries to check what your devices are reporting, and get summaries of captured video events with details added by AI analysis. Over on Reddit, one user asked "was my dog doing anything bad?" and was told that yes, a black dog jumped up on the counter at precisely 7.36pm. It's an example of the sort of detail Gemini can go into, and another Reddit example shows Gemini identifying the colors and types of vehicles passing by. This extends to the new Home Briefing feature as well, as you can see in this Reddit thread. Gemini recognizes school buses passing by, and concludes it must be school pick-up time. Bicycles, people, squirrels, and FedEx trucks are also recognized - handy if you want to know whether or not a delivery driver has visited. It all sounds pretty promising, though plenty of bugs are being reported too. That's to be expected from an early access program like this, and hopefully the issues all get fixed speedily, so everyone can get the Gemini for Home upgrade - perhaps in time for the launch of the new Google Home Speaker early next year.

Google begins inviting users to try Gemini for Home

Google announced Gemini for Home along with a revamped Google Home app earlier this month. Because it's such a major overhaul, the company said it would roll out Gemini integration through an early access program to users in select countries. Now, those who signed up might want to check their inbox, as Google has begun granting Gemini for Home access to select users. Gemini integration in Google Home promises a radically better smart home experience. Thanks to Gemini's superior voice and language understanding, it can process complex queries more accurately and take relevant actions. Plus, using AI, the voice assistant can provide a summary of your camera video history, create home automations, and more. If you signed up for Google Home's early access program through the redesigned Home app, you might have an email from Google waiting in your inbox about Gemini for Home integration. This is separate from Google Home's public preview program. So, if you have not already, sign up for the early access program from the Home app's Settings > Early Access. For now, access appears to be rolling out selectively, so not everyone will receive the invite right away. It's also important to note that access will only be provided to users in the US. Compatible devices that will work with Gemini for Home include Google Home, Home Mini (1st gen), Home Max, Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, Nest Audio, and Nest Wifi. Once rolled out, Gemini will replace Google Assistant on your smart home device. The AI-powered voice assistant will expand to more countries in early 2026. Advanced features will require a Home Premium or Advanced subscription Basic Gemini for Home features like quick search, on-device queries, Gemini Live, and real-time voice control are free to use. However, advanced features such as creating automation through a simple voice command and having Ask Home remember your personal preferences are tied to Google Home Premium Standard. Google is bundling this subscription with its AI Pro and Ultra plans. There's another, more advanced tier -- Google Home Premium Advanced, with perks such as AI descriptions and notifications, and Home Brief. This costs an extra $10 for AI Pro and Ultra users.

When is Gemini for Home rolling out: Schedule, countries, early access

Gemini for Home is the umbrella term for Google's renewed smart home effort with several distinct aspects: app, camera, and voice assistant. From what the company has shared so far, here's when Gemini for Home is rolling out. The redesigned Google Home app with three tabs in the bottom bar is rolling out globally right now. Make sure you're on version 4.0 (which brings a new homescreen icon) on Android and iOS. This is a server-side update. The Ask Home search/chat experience in the Google Home app is currently available in the following countries: These features are available to all (free) users: Functionality that requires Google Home Premium Standard: Requires Google Home Premium Advanced: AI camera features are actively rolling out for Google Home Premium Advanced subscribers with the new Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen), Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen) in the following countries/languages: This is rolling out as a software update that "could take several days to reach all eligible subscribers." Gemini for Home camera features include: The Gemini for Home voice assistant, or the Google Assistant replacement, will begin rolling out for users that join the "Early access" program "later in October." The instructions Google provided are below, but users with the redesigned app are just seeing the original "Public Preview," with the switch immediately toggling off after enabling. It's presumably still rolling out. The following devices will receive Gemini, but only the last four devices on this list will receive Gemini Live (which requires Google Home Premium Standard): The Gemini for Home camera features for the new New Cams and Doorbell mentioned above are rolling out to "other supported regions in early 2026." From where the cameras are sold, that should be: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Gemini for Home is confusing us all - but Google has answered some of the biggest questions from users

Google has revamped its smart home ecosystem with new devices, new subscriptions, and updated AI, and it's left many users confused about what's changing and why - and now Google is endeavoring to address some of the most common questions in a new Google Home forum post. First up is Gemini for Home, replacing Google Assistant on the new hardware and older devices too. At the basic level it's a free update with no ongoing subscription, and you'll be able to use Gemini to search for devices, ask quick queries (like "are the bedroom lights on?"), and issue basic voice commands (such as "switch off the bedroom lights"). There are also two paid subscription options, Google Home Premium Standard and Advanced, which replace Nest Aware, and which we've covered in depth. These give you access to the more conversational Gemini Live, the ability to create automations with AI, AI search for video clips, and up to 60 days of video history from your home security cameras. Paying extra also gets you an AI-powered Home Brief summarizing smart home events, and notifications that use AI to summarize motion detection events. If you already subscribe to Nest Aware you'll be carried over to the new plans, and they're also bundled into the Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscriptions. Google has only specified US pricing, but it looks like the Nest Aware prices will be carried over in all regions: $10 / £8 / AU$15 a month for the Standard plan and double that for the Advanced plan. If you have questions about switching over and other bundles, Google provides links to several relevant help articles. Google is playing it safe in terms of rolling all of this out. Gemini for Home is available now through an "early access program" in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, and only for cameras and doorbells - and you have to sign up through the Google Home app (pick Early Access from the Settings page). The Gemini voice assistant will be available - through early access - on smart speakers by the end of October, but only in the US. Apparently users in other countries are going to be able to sign up "in the near future" - Google lists Japan, Mexico, and several European countries as being next in line. Most Google smart speakers and smart displays made since 2015 are going to be eligible for these upgrades, though for the time being it seems as though support for third-party devices is limited. Google says it's "working with" other companies, and the new Walmart Onn devices are compatible (see here for more on compatibility). The help article also answers some questions about the redesigned Google Home app, which Google promises is going to be faster and more stable across the board. We've already seen several improvements roll out in recent weeks, and there are apparently plenty more on the way. It's a lot to take in - and while the new forum post does a good job of responding to the main queries, we suspect that plenty of users are still going to have questions about how all of this works. At least the Google Home ecosystem is moving away from the buggy mess it was earlier in the year.

Google Announces a New Gemini-focused Redesign for its Home App - Phandroid

Following the launch of several new smart home products, Google also announced that it's been working on a redesign of the Google Home app, which will now be able to better integrate with Gemini's AI software features. READ: Google Takes on Amazon's New IoT Products with its Latest Smart Home Hardware Google says that it made "speed and reliability" its top priority based on user feedback, and as a result the new app now loads over 70% faster depending on what kind of Android device you're using. Google claims that users will experience less bugginess, as well as improved battery and memory efficiency. Additionally, live camera views now load 30% faster with a 40% decrease in playback failures. The app redesign also allows for a unified experience with full support for core Nest devices and features, such as all Nest Thermostat models, smoke and CO emergency alerts for Nest Protect, and passcode management for the Nest x Yale Lock. As for Gemini, Google has designed a three-tab layout which includes a Home Tab for a consolidated overview and access point for the entire home, an Activity Tab which shows history for all events across connected first-party and third-party devices, and an Automations Tab which features a carousel showing upcoming automations and lets users create custom routines and automations. For cameras, event notifications on both Android and iOS now expand to show previews right on the lock screen, while will be able to send more specific alerts such as "Robin walking with flowers" instead of a generic "person detected." The app will also come with the Ask Home feature, which allows users to type queries to access related devices or automations, find a specific camera clip, control multiple devices with a single command, or even create complex automations just by describing them. The new Google Home app rolls out globally today.

Google overhauls Home app, Introduces 'Gemini for Home' AI

Google has announced a massive upgrade to its Google Home app and Gemini for Home, an AI upgrade that transforms how you interact with your smart home devices. The app's redesign, aligned with the Gemini for Home upgrade, now loads significantly faster, with a simplified layout that includes three tabs, and Nest devices and features are now integrated. With this latest redesign, Google promises a faster loading time. For users with cameras, live views now load 30% faster with a 40% decrease in playback failures. Further, the app now integrates core Nest devices and features -- including all Nest Thermostat models since 2015, smoke and CO emergency alerts for Nest Protect, and passcode management for the Nest x Yale Lock -- offering a unified experience. The Google Home app now gets a simplified three-tab layout that makes it easy to get to the key areas of your home. Gemini for Home is a new, foundational intelligence that transforms your relationship with your home, says Google. Gemini not only replaces the Google Assistant on your smart displays and speakers but also upgrades the smarts of devices in your home, like your cameras and doorbells, as well as in the Google Home app. Thanks to Gemini's conversational context and its ability to understand vague human context, it can better help you across the main ways you use your assistant today: media, household coordination, and smart home control. You can use commands to test Gemini's latest capabilities: To better assist you with smart home control through natural language conversation, Gemini now handles complex requests. You can say something like, "Hey Google, I'm about to cook, can you turn on the lights by the stove," and it will know to turn on the lights in the kitchen downstairs. Another significant upgrade that Google added is that Gemini turns your smart cameras into true "AI" cameras. Now, Gemini will have access to camera footage and will offer AI descriptions of scenarios, home briefs, and requests for video history. This elimates low-context alerts like "motion detected," "person detected," and "package detected" seen on current smart cameras and offers a better AI-assisted experience. The redesigned Google Home app started rolling out globally today. Users can update via the Play Store or App Store. The new Gemini for Home is coming to every speaker, smart display, camera, and doorbell of Google, along with the new Google Home app. It will be available via an early access program. The early access rollout for these devices will begin this month (with speakers and smart displays starting towards the end of the month). Gemini Live, AI-powered Notifications, Home Brief, searching your video history and creating automations with Ask Home will be available through our new Google Home Premium subscription. Plans start at $10 a month and are also included with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscriptions at no extra cost.