Google Gemini for Home is Ready to Replace Google Assistant on Smart Home Devices

Google is launching today a redesigned Home app alongside its new Gemini for Home platform that’s set to replace Google Assistant on smart home devices. The new Google Home app integrates features from the standalone Nest app, and it also adds support for previous-generation Nest cams and doorbells.

The new Google Home app offers a unified experience for users of Nest devices and speakers and displays that integrate with Google Assistant. Google also said that the app should now load over 70% faster on some Android devices, with an up to 80% reduction of app crashes.

The redesigned app features a three-tab layout with Home, Activity, and Automations tabs. A “Ask Home” button remains accessible at the top of the app, and it allows users to manage their smart home devices and create automations using the new Gemini for Home experience.

“Inside the app, new gestures make viewing your history incredibly fluid—you can swipe between your timeline and event lists, or even double-tap to fast-forward or rewind, just like in YouTube. This new interface is the best way to experience the deeper understanding your camera now has thanks to Gemini,” Google explained today.

The Gemini for Home intelligence system can engage in back-and-forth conversations with users and answer more complex questions. It also supports hands-free conversations with Gemini Live, but only when using Gemini with the Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max, and 2nd-gen Nest Hub.

The camera experience in the new Google Home app has also been upgraded with Gemini for Home. The assistant can now interpret and understand what’s happening in real time, whether that’s a package delivery or something else that needs immediate attention. A new “Home Brief feature also provides a summary of the day’s important events, and users can also tap the app’s Ask Home button to search for a specific moment recorded by their home cameras.

While the new Google Home app is the foundation to Google’s new smart home ecosystem, the company will also bring Gemini for Home to every speaker, smart display, camera, and doorbell it released in the last decade. As I noted earlier, however, the Gemini Live experience will only be available on select Nest speakers and smart displays. The company is launching a new program to allow camera makers to create products that integrate with Gemini for Home, with Walmart being the first partner.

The redesigned Google Home app is available today in early access, and early enthusiasts can opt in to try it by going to the “Home Settings” section of the app. Google said today that some of the most advanced features, including Gemini Live, AI-powered notifications, Home Brief, and Ask Home will be available through new Google Home Premium subscription plans starting at $10/month. These advanced smart home features will also be available for free with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscriptions.