What you need to know
- Google detailed what Home app users can expect from an early March update that adds new automation starters and conditions for security and more.
- The Nest, Yale Smart Lock partnership expands this month, as Google gives users the ability to view lock history, receive notifications, and check battery status.
- Google also has a lengthy set of additions/fixes for its Gemini for Home voice assistance early access test, such as one that improves its “targeting” of smart home devices.
Google Home is off to a busy start in March, as reports are coming in about a massive update that’s building on several key areas.
This week, Anish Kattukaran, chief product officer for Google Home, was on X to discuss some updates for the platform (via 9to5Google). A short thread on social media highlighted an improvement to how Gemini “targets” a user’s smart home devices, beginning with room-level commands. Kattukaran says, “If you say ‘turn off the kitchen,’ Gemini now intelligently targets just the lights, rather than every smart plug in the room.” They add that unassigned items will no longer be looped into general requests.
These changes regard Gemini for Home’s early access test for voice assistance.
Automations in Google Home are another hot topic, and for that, Kattukaran directs us to this month’s patch notes. Google states it’s adding more starters and conditions for users looking to create useful automations. A few of those include “Security system is armed,” “Device is plugged in,” and “Device docked.”
Google’s Nest x Yale Smart Lock support is expanding this week, too. The patch notes state users will be able to view their lock’s history, receive notifications, check battery status, and more from the Google Home app. These features are finally exiting the testing stage (Preview) and are headed to users’ devices in a “gradual rollout.”
Better voice with Gemini for Home
Gemini for Home is Google’s largest smart home update in some time, but it requires a bit of testing. The patch notes detail more updates for its voice assistant (in early access). The AI will now “explicitly” use your home address in the app when called for assistance to deliver more “relevant responses.” Google says this applies to weather and local news questions. The company’s also rolling out updates to Gemini’s accuracy and reliability for commands related to notes/lists, reminders, calendars, alarms, and more.
The remainder of the patch notes are as follows:
- Upgraded answers to use more recent Gemini Models, resulting in improved quality of responses for informational queries.
- Reduced instances where users are cut off prematurely while speaking. This ensures Gemini correctly understands the user, enabling smoother and more fluid turn-taking during live conversations.
- Improved reliability of triggering user-created automations by voice. “Ok Google, Party time” will more reliably trigger a user-created ‘party time’ automation.
- Improved reliability of correctly playing newly-released songs.
- For users subscribed to the advanced plan of Google Home Premium, you can now “Live Search” your camera streams to understand the current state of your home. Previously, searching cameras was limited to past events
- (Nest Wifi Pro March 2026 software patch) This software update improves Nest Wifi Pro security, stability, and mesh performance
Gemini for Home was revealed late last year, and its early access period began in October. Users on Reddit started noticing the early access emails going out, and the first few to get in reported on “Ask Home” and enhanced camera features. Ask Home was part of a major Google Home update a couple of weeks after Gemini for Home’s test got underway. Ask Home’s main functions involve daily summaries and conversational requests.
Android Central’s Take
Outside of phones, earbuds, and the like, Google’s smart home ecosystem (like its app) has always been on my radar. The improvements over the past few months—the app redesign, Ask Home, and more—have put it in a better place. Now, that’s not to say there aren’t issues—there are. People have grappled with camera feature issues during testing, but there’s at least some progress. There’s at least some foundation that Google can (hopefully) build up properly. The automation updates here are good, as it comes a little after its earlier one this year that I enjoyed.
