When I launched the redesigned Google Home app earlier this week, I was braced for disappointment.
My use of smart home devices rapidly decreased over the past year, thanks to Google’s sabotage of Assistant, so I was reluctant to give this new era of Google Home any praise for merely integrating Gemini into the Home experience.
While I still haven’t received early access to Gemini (US users should keep an eye on their emails for an invite), I’ve tried to rekindle my love for Google Home devices through the redesigned app.
It’s an excellent redesign that makes the app faster and more useful, and puts relevant features front and center.
However, below the polished surface, I’m not convinced much has changed for the better.
Google broke precedent by breathing life into old devices
No need to throw away your old smart speakers yet
One of the biggest concerns I had when Google announced it was replacing Google Assistant with Gemini on all smart home devices was the fate of older speakers.
Thankfully, Google made the fate of our speakers, cameras, smart displays, and doorbells crystal clear.
Google is updating every smart home device it’s released since 2015 with Gemini support.
Yes, even your first-generation Google Home speaker can give you incorrect answers with confidence.
The catch is that only three older smart speakers (Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Hub (2nd gen)) will have access to Gemini Live, but this is a reasonable compromise.
To be clear, I’m not excited about Gemini on legacy home devices. What I am pleased about is that Google isn’t pulling all support. You can continue to use your first-generation Google Home speaker for the foreseeable future.
The one murky area is Google TV devices. Google announced that Gemini is coming to the Google TV Streamer.
But while the company stated that your device must be running Android 14 to receive the update, it hasn’t confirmed whether every Android 14 device will receive the update.
I use Assistant frequently to control my Chromecast, and if Google kills off Assistant without introducing Gemini, I’ll replace it.
This fate seems unlikely when we consider Google’s commitment to bringing Gemini to older smart home devices, but there’s room for doubt.
The Google Home app is impressive on the surface
Material 3 Expressive breathes its magic into the Google Home app
I’ve seen the Google Home app go through a lot of redesigns over the years, but this Material 3 Expressive-inspired update is the first that makes using the app not feel like a chore.
According to Google, it’s 70% faster, with 80% fewer app crashes, 30% faster live views, and a 40% decrease in playback failures.
If you use a variety of smart home devices, you’ll find that it’s quicker and easier to manage them; the app doesn’t feel cluttered or overwhelming.
The Google Home app update reduced the number of tabs at the bottom of your screen from five to three:
- Home: Where you can see all your devices
- Activity: Where recorded events from your cameras are saved
- Automations: Where Routines live
Small touches like a button to switch between your favorite and all devices are clever improvements, and automations are simpler than ever.
It’s quicker and easier than ever to manage your smart home, but I don’t really care, as it still doesn’t work properly.
I set up two Google Nest speakers in my office and my living room. As I walked between rooms, I tried to switch my music between speakers four times.
The first two times, the music stopped and started playing on my phone. The third time, the app crashed. The fourth time, I was told that the app couldn’t connect to my downstairs speaker.
I encountered the same problems with Tidal, Spotify, and YouTube Music.
In a bizarre twist, these attempts created four speaker groups called “Living Room speaker + 1,” which disappeared after a few minutes.
I spent an hour troubleshooting, then gave up out of pure frustration.
There are always exceptions, but I’m still impressed by how badly something as simple as media playback was broken.
Ironically, asking Google Assistant to change where the music was playing worked perfectly.
If Gemini doesn’t perform as advertised, the new Google Home experience will be a massive flop
The new Google Home app has a lot of potential. Integrating all Nest devices is something we’ve wanted for years, and I can’t deny that the app is faster and more responsive.
Perhaps my broken media playback will resolve itself after I’ve factory reset my devices. Perhaps Gemini will improve upon Assistant in every way.
But for now, I’ll refrain from buying new smart home devices until I’m confident in the app.
