Smart Homes are about to get a whole lot smarter thanks to a modern LLM upgrade thanks to Google Gemini, as Google lifts the lid on the next evolution of their voice assistant. For those of us with Google Home devices (like Nest Hubs), you’ll be familiar with interactions with the last generation of voice assistants.
These were amazing at the time, but while they allowed you to yell at it from across the room, they required you to craft your inputs in very specific strings. That all goes away with the new intelligence offered by modern Generative AI and Large Languge Models.
This move is in stark contrast to Apple’s Siri which feels very dated in comparison to modern LLMs. Despite Apple’s HomePod featuring premium prices, there appears to be no movement from one of the largest tech companies that is watching the AI boom pass them by.
Google have announced an update that’s anything by simple, it’s an overhaul that promises to transform your Nest speakers and displays into truly conversational partners.
Starting in the US, Google Gemini will replace the legacy Google Assistant and make your devices far more capable. The update has started rolling out in the U.S. for early access users, which means us Aussies may be in for a little wait before we get our turn, but being a software update to existing devices, we can avoid having to buy new devices to get the functionality which is definitely appreciated.
Those with compatible speakers and displays will benefit from richer answers and more natural interaction just by getting the software update. However, if you want the truly advanced, cutting-edge features, Google has introduced a new tier of functionality that requires the Google Home Premium subscription.
The experience is fundamentally split into two distinct modes of interaction, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. Understanding these two prompts is the key to unlocking the full potential of Gemini’s power in your house.
Hey Google: The Familiar Prompt, Reimagined
This is the standard, everyday activation that we’ve all been using for years, but now it’s powered by Gemini’s massive capabilities. It’s designed to tackle seamless, specific requests and actions around the house. Think of it as the expert mode for controlling your smart devices and getting quick, nuanced information.
This mode allows for complex, natural language controls that simply weren’t possible before. You can move beyond saying “turn off the living room light” and instead craft instructions that demonstrate true contextual understanding. The new ability to set and edit reminders and stream media is also vastly improved in terms of conversational flow and flexibility.
Advanced Home Control
You can now give intricate commands to your lights, thermostats, and other devices without needing to fumble with the Google Home app. Instead of a series of discrete commands, you can bundle them into a single, comprehensive instruction. For example, telling Gemini, “turn off all the lights except for the living room” or “dim the lights, set the temp to 72° and turn on the TV” all at once is a genuine game-changer for daily convenience.
Troubleshooting And DIY Help
Gemini is now your resident expert for all things mechanical and digital around the house. If you’ve got a tricky home repair or a gadget playing up, you can talk through the problem without lifting a finger. Whether you’re asking, “how come my laptop won’t turn on?” or “how can I get better water pressure in my shower?”, Gemini offers quick, context-aware advice.
Richer Knowledge And Facts
The quality of general knowledge questions and facts has seen a major leap thanks to the underlying large language model. You can now ask for complex explanations on topics like, “help me explain to my 7-year-old how electricity works.” It can handle advanced calculations, follow up on current events, and generally deepen your understanding of the world without you having to repeatedly call out “Hey Google” for every follow-up question.
Hey Google, Let’s Chat: Unleashing Gemini Live
This secondary, yet incredibly powerful, prompt is your gateway to what Google calls Gemini Live. This feature is about having an open-ended, continuous, and highly conversational dialogue, just like you would with a friend. Critically, you can interrupt the assistant and ask follow-up questions without having to repeat the “Hey Google” activation phrase every single time.
This is the feature that really highlights the conversational genius of the AI, allowing it to act as a brainstorming partner or an expert tutor. It’s perfect for complex planning, deep learning, or just bouncing ideas off an infinitely patient source of knowledge. This is also where you’ll find some of the Premium subscription features live, specifically those requiring the deep, continuous context.
Family Planning And Brainstorming
Planning a holiday or a weekend activity can be overwhelming, but Gemini Live simplifies the process dramatically. You can ask for ideas for a vacation with “great food and outdoor activities,” and then follow up with specific questions about accommodation near diving spots in Thailand. It can also help you design the perfect party spread or even create a family packing list for a hike.
Creative Recipe And Meal Management
Imagine you’re staring into the fridge trying to figure out dinner. With Gemini Live, you can list a few random ingredients—say, “spinach, eggs and feta”—and it will suggest creative recipes. You can then refine this suggestion by asking for a keto-friendly version or ensuring it’s something your kids will actually eat. It acts as an interactive sous chef, helping you improvise mid-cook by suggesting substitutes if you’re out of an ingredient like vanilla.
Complex Camera History Search (Premium Feature)
This is perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to consider the Google Home Premium subscription once it hits Australian shores. If you have a compatible camera, Gemini can now search your camera history using natural language, helping you solve those little mysteries around the house. You can ask, “did something eat my plants in the backyard?” or “what time did Olivia come home?” and Gemini will summarise the events, saving you hours of scrolling through footage.
Practice And Role Play
A truly unique capability of Gemini Live is its ability to help you practice difficult conversations. If you’re struggling to find the right words to approach a tricky situation, Gemini can role-play with you. You could say, “let’s chat about my neighbor who practices drums in the evening. How can I talk to them about the noise?” and it will help you craft a diplomatic approach.
The Price of Genius: Availability and Subscription
As mentioned, the core conversational upgrade is free on compatible devices. This means that better smart home control, improved general knowledge, and conversational fluidity are coming to everyone.
The ‘Premium’ features—which include the advanced camera history search, creating automations via voice, and the true continuous, non-stop conversation of Gemini Live—will be tucked behind a Google Home Premium subscription. At this time, Australian pricing for the Premium tier hasn’t been officially announced alongside the 2026 rollout plan, but we can expect it to align with other regional subscription costs. Based on global pricing structures, we anticipate an announcement with Australian dollar (A$) figures closer to the local launch date next year.
This staggered approach to the rollout is common for Google, allowing them to gather crucial user feedback from the U.S. before a massive global launch. We can be confident that by the time it reaches Australia in 2026, the experience will be polished and localised for our unique accent and needs. Until then, we’ll be watching closely to see what additional features Google throws into the mix.
The impact of this shift is profound; it moves the smart home assistant from a useful tool to an indispensable member of the household, ready to jump into any task, from homework help to complex home security review. It’s a truly defining moment for the connected home.
“Gemini for Home is like having thousands of experts sitting in your living room or on your kitchen counter, ready to help.”
Mark Alexander, Group Product Manager, Google Home & Nest.
This is more than just AI; it’s utility. It’s the moment the smart home finally starts living up to the promise we’ve been hearing about for the last decade. It’s a bloody fantastic step forward.
For more information, and more than 100 ideas of things to try, head to blog.google/products/google-nest/gemini-for-home-things-to-try/
If you are in America and have the update, let us know what you think in the comments.
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