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The transformation is finally underway: Google Assistant in the home is receiving its Gemini enhancement. “Gemini for Home” is a brand-new voice assistant for Google Home, due to launch later this year, as announced by the company today.
This revamped voice assistant, driven by Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence, will eventually succeed Google Assistant on the Nest smart speakers and displays, facilitating hands-free management of smart lighting, music, setting timers, and responding to inquiries. The rollout begins in October through an early access program, with both complimentary and premium tiers available. Google assures users that the familiar “Hey Google” command will still activate the assistant, functioning across all home devices and accommodating every household member and visitors alike.
Google’s timing is notable. While the company has excelled in AI advancements for mobile, introducing a more intelligent, LLM-powered assistant to smartphones, it has lagged in the home segment. Amazon’s Alexa Plus, enhanced with generative AI, is already present in millions of homes.
In comparison, Google’s recent Gemini enhancements for the home seemed incremental—introducing new voices, more conversational responses, AI features for Nest cameras and automations, and a Gemini option for select speakers. These updates hinted at forthcoming developments but fell short of introducing a completely new assistant.
Gemini for Home is that comprehensive new voice assistant, and it could represent one of the most transformative updates for Google Home since the debut of its first smart display over six years ago.

In a blog post by Anish Kattukaran, chief product officer of Google Home and Nest, it is stated that utilizing Gemini for Home will “feel fundamentally new.” He explains that the new voice assistant harnesses the “advanced reasoning, inference and search capabilities” of Google’s AI models, complemented by home-oriented adaptations that enable more natural interactions for carrying out complex tasks. In essence, it promises to be an assistant that more adeptly comprehends context, subtlety, and intention, marking a complete departure from its predecessor.
With the launch of Gemini for Home, the race is now on for the most reliable and capable smart home assistant
For example, Kattukaran says Gemini for Home can accurately respond to requests like “turn off the lights everywhere except my bedroom,” “play that song from this year’s summer blockbuster about race cars,” or “set a timer for perfectly blanched broccoli.” It will also create lists, calendar entries, and reminders more easily than before, he says.
Another big upgrade is that Gemini Live will be part of Gemini for Home, bringing more conversational back-and-forth voice interactions to Google Home without needing to repeatedly say “Hey Google.” Kattukaran says this will allow for more detailed and personalized help — from cooking (“I have spinach, eggs, cream cheese, and smoked salmon in the fridge. Help me make a delicious meal”) to brainstorming how to buy a new car or figuring out how to fix your dishwasher, as well as more creative tasks like generating bedtime stories.
If this sounds familiar, it should. These are features Alexa Plus offers, including better smart home control, more help in the kitchen, and fixing household issues. Alexa Plus also has some agentic capabilities — it can use services like Thumbtack and OpenTable for you. With the launch of Gemini for Home, the race is now on for the most reliable and capable smart home voice assistant — and we’re still waiting for the third competitor, Apple, to get on the track.
Google hasn’t announced pricing for the paid tier of Gemini for Home, but Gemini Live, with its more advanced capabilities, is a likely candidate for a premium plan. Amazon has gone the subscription route with Alexa Plus, bundling it into its Prime subscription. Google may follow suit and bundle it into its Nest Aware or Google One plans. It recently increased the price of Nest Aware to $10 a month with no major feature upgrades.
It’s likely we’ll see new Google Nest hardware this fall
Although Google says Gemini for Home is coming in October, don’t expect it to land everywhere all at once. Google uses its Google Home Public Preview program to test its new features, and has gated access for some Gemini features in the past, only making them available to select users. A cautious rollout is likely, mirroring Amazon’s approach with Alexa Plus. Bringing generative AI into the smart home requires extra caution, especially considering there’s the potential to control critical devices like locks, appliances, and HVAC systems.
All of this, of course, raises an ongoing question for Google Home: Where is the hardware? Aside from the Pixel Tablet, Google hasn’t refreshed its smart speakers or displays since 2021. With Gemini for Home being a major upgrade for Google Home, it’s likely that new hardware designed to showcase its capabilities will launch alongside it this fall.