What you need to know
- Google Home is starting to roll out a major update to its app and early access to Gemini for Home this week.
- All users get an updated media control experience across multiple smart devices, while Advanced Premium users get a new “AI imaging” for their smart cameras.
- Google says Gemini has updated its understanding of context, which plays a role in its recent Continuous Conversations update.
Google’s smart home environment is taking a visual step forward later this week with an update that focuses on your cameras.
Google shared the details on the heels of the recent Home app update, which delivers an updated camera experience for smart home owners. The patch that started rolling out “modernized the camera user experience with dynamic theming.” The main feature that Google Home Premium (Advanced plan) subscribers can look forward to is “AI images”. What users should now expect from AI is a clearer, more accurate representation of what your cameras are experiencing.
Google says this will help make viewing your camera history easier. Event search history results are now “faster” in the Ask Home section. Google has also improved the camera settings to make them easier to find. Plus, familiar face detection and Activity Zones updates should also be faster. The Home app now displays “seen and heard” events on one page for convenience in this update.
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Reconnecting an offline device is made easy. The change note states that users will now be prompted for an “instant account reconnection that allows you to pair your devices with one click.” This week’s media control updates apply to all Google Home users. All users can enjoy a new, improved media control experience for music and videos on “smart speakers, smart displays, Google TV streamers, and other Streaming devices.”
For the house, Gemini becomes refined
Early access Twins The home experience also gets two major upgrades this week. Google is leading the way, saying it’s taking another look at how AI interprets the context of your commands. As a result, Gemini’s contextual logic update should “reduce errors and interruptions.” Additionally, Gemini’s response times for device commands have been improved for English, French, and Spanish-speaking users in “supported countries.”
Google says users may notice faster response times when giving Gemini commands for lights and traffic.
The company’s update to Gemini’s contextual logic plays right into it latest Continuous Conversations update. The purpose of this was two-fold: not only did it keep the AI’s metaphorical ears open longer, but it also gave the user time to fully finish their thoughts or deal with follow-up questions/commands. Google reports that this feature was highly requested during its initial launch. Gemini will now “remember” the conversation as it remains active for a few seconds longer.
Android Central’s Take
I’ve been impressed with what Google has been doing with the smart home environment lately. It’s really rolling out updates, especially some that follow user feedback (which is always important). Makes me wonder what he has in store for I/O. We’ve been on this Gemini House train for a few months now, but I can’t help but wonder what else is in the pipeline.
