Google Unveils Major Overhaul of Home App with Gemini AI Integration

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.