Google has released a series of updates for its Gemini voice assistant on Google Home devices, introducing improvements to speed, language support, smart home controls, automation, and parental controls. The updates are being distributed through the Google Home app (version 4.17 or later) and are rolling out to users across multiple regions.
Voice Assistant Performance
Speed and Latency
The Gemini for Home voice assistant has received performance enhancements. According to Google, everyday smart home commands, such as turning on lights, now have a 40% reduction in latency. Timers and alarms have also been reported to be "noticeably quicker." Backend processing for device commands has been optimized.
Reduced Verbosity
Responses for alarms, timers, notes, lists, and calendar events have been shortened. For example, an alarm confirmation now states "Alarm set for 9 AM" instead of "Alright, I've created an alarm for 9 AM."
User Intent Detection
Gemini's ability to detect when a user has finished speaking has been refined by analyzing speech cadence. Contextual understanding has been improved to better interpret user intent for commands involving device control, media playback, or alarm setting. Response times for straightforward date and time queries have been optimized.
Language and Regional Expansion
Spanish Language Support
Gemini for Home now supports the Spanish language, with early access available in Mexico and a broader rollout planned for the US and Canada. This feature requires Google Home version 4.12.
Canadian Expansion
Early Access to the voice assistant is now available across Canada, including support for Canadian French.
Additional Countries
Access to Gemini for Home features, including Ask Home, Home Brief, and camera functionalities, has been extended to 14 new countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. These features were previously limited to Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Gemini Live Translation
Gemini Live's Translation mode has been made "significantly quicker" and now supports 30 languages, including Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
Smart Home Control Enhancements
Expressive Lighting
Users can now request lighting colors using natural language phrases, such as "the color of the ocean" or "glow of the moon," without requiring exact color names.
Precision Appliance Controls
Enhanced control allows for specific commands, such as setting precise humidity levels or preheating smart ovens.
Advanced Climate Management
Support has been added for holding temperature presets and clearing active modes without cycling through all options.
Improved Device Recognition
Gemini's ability to identify smart home devices has been refined, leading to faster and more accurate responses, particularly in distinguishing between similar devices like a "lamp" and a "light."
Relaxed Guardrails
Adults will now receive answers to queries including recipes for age-gated beverages.
Ask Home Voice Commands
Users can now ask questions like "where is my wife's car" or "when did the nanny come home" using voice commands, leveraging information saved in the Home app.
Media and Playback Improvements
Playlist Recognition
Gemini's ability to recognize personal playlists has been improved, even when names are not stated precisely or in noisy environments. The system has been adjusted to reduce errors involving incorrect artist identification.
Media Controls
Media control responsiveness has been enhanced, particularly for commands like "pause".
Apple Music
Playback for Apple Music has been restored.
Notes and Lists
Natural Language Commands
Users can now manage existing lists with more natural language commands. The system has improved accuracy in identifying which list to display or update, and changes are applied to existing notes.
Advanced Tasks
Users can perform more complex tasks in single commands, such as converting a note to a list, clearing specific categories of items, or moving items between lists.
Bug Fixes
Issues have been addressed where Gemini might have incorrectly stated that lists or notes did not exist, or failed to synchronize voice updates with on-screen displays.
Alarms and Timers
- Alarms and timers can now be set based on real-world events (e.g., "Set an alarm for the start of the FIFA world cup").
- Users can inquire about the initial timer set time alongside the remaining time.
- Multiple alarm and timer commands can be executed within a single interaction (e.g., "Cancel my timer then set a new one").
- Recurring alarms and timers are now supported (e.g., "Wake me up on weekdays at 7 AM").
- Alarms can be snoozed until a specific time (e.g., "Snooze until 10 AM").
- Optimization of stop/snooze commands and better tracking during conversations.
Calendar Events
It is now possible to create multiple calendar events with identical details.
Parental Controls
Digital wellbeing features in the Google Home app now allow for content filtering, screen time limits, device access pauses, and scheduled quiet periods. These controls can be applied to supervised accounts, guests, or all home members. Gemini for Home can now be used with supervised Google Accounts.
Camera and Automation Updates
Camera Scene Understanding
The update allows Google Nest cameras and select Gemini Built-in cameras to use Gemini's scene understanding in automations. Users can create automations triggered by visual events such as "Red BMW enters driveway" or "Raccoon near trash bin" using natural language prompts.
Home Brief
Support has been added for a recap of home activity on smart speakers and displays.
Nest Cam Improvements
The Nest Cam player includes a redesigned event history player with zoomed-in, animated previews. Timeline navigation has been improved with 10-second forward/backward shortcuts. New filtering options for event history (e.g., "Package seen") have been added. Familiar Faces feature has improved face library management by excluding blurry, small, or low-quality examples. Pre-2021 Nest cameras will receive Gemini event descriptions and zoomed-in previews. Many Nest Cam improvements require a Google Home Premium subscription.
Automation Editor
The automation editor has been updated with new starters, conditions, and actions:
New Starters/Conditions:
- "Oven is running, stopped, paused, or has an error" (e.g., "When the oven is running...")
- Security & Access Control: arm/disarm security systems; check if doors are locked, unlocked, jammed, forced open, or ajar; binary sensors for contact, leak, freeze detection.
- Appliance & Cleaning: start, stop, pause, resume appliances (washers, dryers, coffee machines); robot vacuum commands (dock, pause, resume).
- Lighting & Environment Control: adjust brightness, toggle on/off, manage light effects; change color or color temperature; open/close window coverings; monitor humidity.
- Media & Entertainment: monitor playback states (playing, paused, buffering); check and manage volume.
- Device Health & Inputs: monitor battery levels and charging status; utilize smart switch events (press, long press, release).
New Actions:
- "Voice assistant reports local weather" (e.g., "Announce tomorrow's weather").
- "Set smart bulb to wake" (e.g., "...start my wake light effects for my bedroom light at AM").
- "Set smart bulb to pulse" (e.g., "...pulse the living room light for one minute").
- "Set smart bulb to sleep" (e.g., "...start sleep light effect in kid's room for 10 minutes").
Combined Commands and Casual Language
Users can chain multiple actions in a single command, such as "Set a 20 minute timer for the chicken, start the vacuum cleaner, and play some relaxing music." The system provides consistent responses for casual phrases like "set brightness to 0" or "a little warmer."
Additional Features
- Bluetooth Pairing: Improved reliability; users can say "pair Bluetooth" to use the speaker as a Bluetooth speaker.
- Silence Response: Saying "stop" can silence Gemini without pausing music.
- Response Reliability: Reduced mistaken claims of inability to perform tasks.
- Location-Aware Features: Gemini is more accurate in detecting local weather units and provides more relevant local news responses.
- Interactive News Summaries: Gemini Live on smart speakers and displays now provides more detailed and interactive news summaries, allowing users to ask follow-up questions.
- Thermostat Controls: One-tap temperature override for Nest Thermostats; improved third-party thermostat control on iOS; thermostat settings have been adjusted to help professional installers save advanced configurations.
Early Access Expansion
Early Access for Gemini for Home has been expanded to all existing users in 19 supported countries, excluding Enterprise and Family Link child accounts. Google is clearing the queue for early access daily. Users in supported regions who opt-in through the Home app are moved to the top of the list.
Google Home App Updates
Android Widget
The Android widget has been made more responsive for instant control of plugs, lights, and switches.
Watch Favorites Management
An issue on Wear OS for editing favorites from the wrist has been fixed.
Familiar Faces Interface
The interface has been cleaned up with clearer name suggestions and aligned elements.
Feedback Improvements
Users can share video clip feedback with Google for product improvement and AI model training.
Android 16 Support
The Google Home app for Android has incorporated new Android 16 features, including edge-to-edge display support and the predictive back gesture.
iOS Improvements
Live streaming for Nest Cameras on the iOS Google Home app has been made faster. Image quality when scrolling through Nest Cam history on iOS has been improved.