Google Home and Gemini for Home Get Big Updates and Improvements

Google is rolling out updates this week to the Google Home app that bring several changes, plus the Gemini for Home voice assistant service is getting even bigger upgrades.

To start, the Google Home app is seeing new automation starters and conditions through the automation editor. You can now setup actions for when your security system is armed, if a device is plugged in, and if a device (like a Pixel Tablet) is docked.

Google is also expanded Nest x Yale Lock support to a general availability through Google Home. You should be able to manage this lock “with ease” now, by viewing history, receiving notifications, checking battery status, managing passcodes, and a lot more. You’ll see the rest of the changes for it in the official changelog below.

Finally, the Gemini for Home voice assistant (which is still early access) is getting all sorts of changes. For one, there is improved targeting that should help control intended devices. This is for those with multiple homes or if you might have unassigned devices in rooms that you’d like not affected by commands. Categorization of devices is improved too, down to things like a table lamp being better identified from manufacturer metadata.

This update is also bringing improved reliability and accuracy of commands that relate to notes and lists, reminders, calendars, timers, and alarms. There are upgraded answers, thanks to the use of more recent Gemini models, reduced instances where you might be cut off prematurely while speaking, more reliability in triggering user-created automations by voice, and a “Live Search” that’ll tell you about the current state of your home (that’s a Premium feature).

There’s a lot more going on, so I suggest reading through the full changelog below.

Google Home app

New automation starters and conditions

We are constantly improving our automation editors and abilities. Today, we are adding support for more starters and conditions. These are only available in the Google Home app using the automation editor. They are not yet supported by Ask Home or Help me create.

Starters/Conditions:

• Security system is armed: e.g. “When the security system is armed…”
• Device is plugged in: e.g “If the device is plugged in…”
• Device docked: e.g. “Send me a notification if the Pixel Tablet is not docked by 9pm.”

Expanded Nest x Yale Lock Support (General availability, gradual rollout)

Manage your Nest x Yale Lock with ease. You can now view your lock’s history, receive notifications, check battery status, manage passcodes, schedule guest access, and change advanced settings directly from the Google Home app. Previously available in Public Preview, these features are now entering general availability and beginning a gradual rollout to all users.

Gemini for Home voice assistant (Early access)

• Improved targeting for smart home devices to correctly control the intended device. Changes include:
  • Better isolation for people with multiple homes. For example, “turn off all lights,” or “turn on all the lights” limits selection to the current home.
  • Better targeting for room and whole-home queries, including unassigned devices. For instance, “turn off the kitchen” now only affects lights, and unassigned devices are no longer incorrectly grouped with general room requests.
  • Better categorization for devices with unique names. For instance, a device named “Table Glow” is now correctly identified as a lamp based on manufacturer metadata, ensuring it is included in “turn on the lights” requests even if the word “light” isn’t in its name.
• Gemini for Home now explicitly uses your home address as defined in the Google Home app to help with relevant responses for things like weather (“what’s the weather”) or local news (“what’s the news”).
• Improved the reliability and accuracy of commands related to notes & lists, reminders, calendars, timers and alarms.
• Upgraded answers to use more recent Gemini Models, resulting in improved quality of responses for informational queries.
• Reduced instances where users are cut off prematurely while speaking. This ensures Gemini correctly understands the user, enabling smoother and more fluid turn-taking during live conversations.
• Improved reliability of triggering user-created automations by voice. “Ok Google, Party time” will more reliably trigger a user-created ‘party time’ automation.
• Improved reliability of correctly playing newly-released songs.
• For users subscribed to the advanced plan of Google Home Premium, you can now “Live Search” your camera streams to understand the current state of your home. Previously, searching cameras was limited to past events.

// Google Home