Smart Home 2.0: Google launches Gemini for Home
Google is making a major shift in its smart-home ecosystem with the launch of Gemini for Home, a voice assistant built on the same advanced large-language models (LLMs) that power its mobile and web AI offerings. According to Google’s blog post, Gemini for Home is designed to “understand context, reason, infer and get things done” rather than relying on rigid, simple commands.
In practical terms, it means your smart speaker or display could handle a more natural conversation like: "Hey Google, close the blinds, set the lights to 30%, and play that relaxing playlist we used last week", rather than three separate commands.
The rollout begins in early access in the U.S. in October, and Google says it will eventually replace the existing Google Assistant on compatible devices.
What’s new (and better) with Gemini for Home
Here are the headline features and improvements that Google is promoting:
• More natural, flexible conversation
Gemini for Home isn’t bound by the short, command-style interactions of many assistants. It can handle complex instructions, layered requests, and dialogue. For example: “Turn off all lights except the kitchen, lock the doors, and then play the ambient jazz playlist”.
It’s also built on the same family of Gemini models used for mobile and web, meaning Google is putting its most advanced AI into the home.
• Smarter home automation and camera intelligence
With Gemini for Home, smart home routines get easier and more powerful. You can ask things like "What happened with the front-door camera while I was out?" and it can show summaries or search history.
The Google Home app is also updated/re-designed for the Gemini era: easier automations, better controls, and deeper integration with Nest devices.
• Free and paid tiers
Although the baseline Gemini for Home features will be free, Google indicates there will be paid tiers (e.g., a “Google Home Premium” plan) that unlock advanced features like full video-history search, “Gemini Live” conversational mode, and other capabilities.
• Transition from Google Assistant
Google has made it clear that Gemini for Home will eventually replace Google Assistant on compatible devices. The announcement blog explains that for many users, the next major voice assistant experience at home will be Gemini.
Why this matters: The significance of the upgrade
This is more than a minor update — it signals a shift in how Google sees the smart home and voice assistants.
-
Upgrading the brain of the home: While smart speakers and displays have been around for years, many users have felt the voice-assistant experience is stuck in “simple command” mode. By bringing large-language-model tech, Google aims to elevate those devices into more genuinely conversational, helpful helpers.
-
Competitive positioning: Voice assistants and smart home ecosystems are fiercely competitive (think Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Samsung SmartThings). Google’s move aims to strengthen its place by offering a more advanced AI offering.
-
Smart home as central hub: With Gemini for Home, the smart home becomes more than just voice-controlled lights and music. It becomes a hub for reasoning about the home: what’s happening, making suggestions, summarizing events. For example, “How many people came to the front door while I was gone?”.
-
Subscription business model for home devices: The introduction of tiers (free vs paid) shows Google sees home AI as a recurring service business, not just hardware. That has implications for privacy, data usage, and cost.
-
Long-term transition away from Google Assistant: Google has already told users that Google Assistant will be phased out in many roles. The home rollout of Gemini is a big part of that shift, making this one of the major milestones for Google’s AI strategy.
How to get early access in the U.S.
If you’re in the United States and have compatible devices, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to try Gemini for Home early:
-
Check compatibility & prerequisites
-
You’ll need a home setup with Google Home / Nest smart-speakers/displays that currently run Google Assistant.
-
You’ll need the latest version of the Google Home app.
-
According to Google, early access began in October for U.S. users.
-
Make sure your Google account settings allow you to be invited to groups (see next step).
-
-
Enable Google Groups invitation setting
-