Google Home app update brings faster, smarter camera streaming

Google has shared release notes for version 3.38 of the Google Home app. The update started rolling out earlier this month, and we now know that it focuses on smoother, more reliable camera performance as well as some important bug fixes.

Released on August 4, Google notes that the update delivers two under-the-hood improvements for Nest and compatible Google Home cameras. First, the app will now more accurately report whether a camera is online or offline, helping prevent frustrating phantom offline messages some users have noticed in the past. Second, Google Home users can expect reduced latency when starting a live view, thanks to better signalling that makes the first frame appear faster and streaming more dependable.

While version 3.38 of the Google Home app zones in on camera stability, the previous release, version 3.37, also brought some visible updates to the table. One new feature released with that update in July was camera tile previews. These previews let users quickly identify each camera from a recent snapshot without waiting for the live feed to load.

Version 3.37 also addressed several glitches, including issues accessing the top app bar and settings on certain Google Accounts on the iOS Google Home app, text overlapping on Nest Renew and Public Preview pages, also on iOS, and crashes while starting up the Google Home app. Alongside these fixes, Google fine-tuned overall load times and stability for a smoother user experience.

Have you noticed these new features and improvements in your Google Home app? Share your thoughts on the app’s performance, and tell us which features you’d like to see next or any bugs you think Google should fix.