Gemini for Home does more than replace Google Assistant on smart speakers and displays. With a rebuilt Home architecture, it adds intelligence to cameras and enables a redesigned Home app for Android and iOS.
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Compared to the phone experience, Gemini for Home is optimized for shared environments and is spatially aware. On the voice front, there are 10 new options that are more natural with realistic rhythm and intonation.
These new voices complement the kind of responses made possible by Gemini and the big language models. The improvements start with how commands no longer need to follow a specific structure to work, which is especially beneficial for smart home applications. You don't have to remember device names, as Gemini now understands your context.
You can connect multiple instructions, and Gemini will process them all. The big language models also unlock complex requests with exceptions: “Turn on all lights except the kitchen lights and lock the front door.” If you have cameras, you can ask what’s going on in your home with the “Ask Home” feature.
Google says you can talk to Gemini like you would a human, with context preserved for exchanges where you don't have to repeat the subject. You can change what you want in the middle of a sentence, and Gemini won't get confused.
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Gemini for Home improves everyday actions like playing audio. You can request a song in a variety of ways, such as reciting the lyrics you remember or describing a scene.
There are also improvements to calendars, reminders, lists, and timers that unlock commands. Like Gemini you use on mobile and desktop, you can have deeper conversations about any topic. Prompts and responses won’t appear in your Gemini app history. Gemini will be available on every Google smart speaker and display released since 2016.
You can pause at any time, interrupt Gemini, and ask follow-up questions. Ideal questions include “let’s chat about what to make for dinner” and determine what ingredients you have. Gemini Live requires newer content and a subscription.
To achieve this, Google has rebuilt its entire smart home architecture. The team specifically focused on how large language models, while excelling at creative responses, struggle to provide definitive answers where you want consistent actions, like turning a light on/off.
See also: Older Google Home devices are having issues
There's also a new Home Brief that understands which events are important and can summarize hours of video into easy-to-use recaps.
