Google is replacing Google Assistant on home devices with Gemini.

For years, interacting with Google at home has sometimes felt like communicating with a robot lacking comprehension. However, this is set to improve, as Google is releasing "Gemini for Home," a significant AI enhancement replacing the Google Assistant. This upgrade will be available on every Google speaker, smart display, camera, and doorbell from the past ten years, as well as the updated Google Home application.

The objective is to shift from strict commands to more fluid dialogue. Instead of merely serving as a tool, Gemini is designed to be a helpful companion. The rollout starts this month through an early access program that is open to all users via the following steps:

* Launch the Google Home app (version 4.0 or later).

* Click your profile image, followed by "Home Settings."

* Choose "Early access" to join the waiting list.

All Google Home and smart speaker devices released over the last decade (listed below) are eligible for the upgrade, and users will receive a notification when the new features can be tested. Key improvements include more natural conversations, enhanced media searches, and user-friendly smart home controls, such as "turn off all the lights except the office."

* Natural Conversation: Engage in ongoing conversations without having to repeat "Hey Google" or the topic each time.

* Smarter Media & Chores: Make general requests such as "play that song from the summer camp movie" or "add Pad Thai ingredients to my shopping list."

* Intuitive Smart Home Control: Saying "turn off all the lights except the office" will be understood.

* Gemini Live: A hands-free chat function for brainstorming or planning events.

* AI Cameras: Cameras can now interpret visuals, providing alerts like "a delivery driver dropped off a package" instead of simple "motion detected" notifications.

* Home Brief & Ask Home: Obtain brief summaries of camera footage or search the footage by asking, "Did I leave the car door open?"

Why this is important for smart homes

The smart home market has been relatively stagnant, with both Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa often struggling with basic requests. With Gemini, Google aims to fulfill the promise of a genuinely useful home assistant. This is a direct challenge to Amazon, which offers a subscription-based, enhanced version of Alexa called Alexa+. This represents a move away from simply memorizing commands.

The most advanced features—Gemini Live, AI camera alerts, Home Brief summaries, and "Ask Home" search—will require a new "Google Home Premium" subscription for $10 per month. Current Google AI Pro or Ultra subscribers will have access to this new subscription at no extra cost.

Google has emphasized that the goal is not to paywall existing free features. The features within the paid tier are either those previously included with the old Nest Aware subscription (which this replaces) or entirely new advanced functionalities.

The author has a home equipped with Google speakers and displays and notes a mixed experience with Google Assistant. The possibility of Gemini resolving these issues is appealing. The AI camera features, specifically, seem to be a major improvement over the current Nest experience, transforming a basic security camera into a genuinely intelligent device.

However, there are reservations about the subscription fee. As a Google AI Pro subscriber, there will be no additional expense, but there is some concern regarding whether the subscription will be worthwhile for those who are not already subscribers. Of course, it depends on the implementation, and the subscription essentially replaces the existing Nest Aware plan. Signing up for the early access program is planned to determine if Google succeeds. If Gemini achieves even some of these promises, it could finally make the smart home truly intelligent.

Google is integrating Gemini into the smart home with new devices. The Google Home app is undergoing a Gemini-powered redesign.

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