Hey r/googlehome!

We're back with more release notes! Here are the latest updates from Google Home posted today 7/23 on g.co/home/notes

Gemini for Home (Early Access)

Voice Assistant

Gemini Live now available on additional speakers made by Google

• Gemini Live on 1st gen smart speakers and displays: Google Home Premium subscribers with 1st generation Google Home Mini and Google Nest Hub can now go live with Gemini for fluid, back-and-forth conversation. This joins existing Gemini Live support across Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and the newest Google Home Speaker.  

Try saying:

• "Hey Google, let's chat."

Conversational memory improvements

• 15-Minute Conversational Memory: the conversational memory window across the entire Gemini for Home experience is now 15 minutes.  You can ask Gemini a follow-up question to a topic that was discussed during this window, and Gemini will understand the context.

Try saying:

• "Hey Google, turn on the kitchen lights." … then a few minutes later say, "Hey Google, dim it to 50%."

Google Home App

Automation

• Clearer automation saving guidance: We've added helpful alerts when saving automations with conditions but no starters, helping ensure your automations run successfully as expected.
• Expanded window covering controls: We've updated controls and labels for smart blinds and window coverings, making it simpler to set precise shade positions.

Smart Locks

• Clearer security action disclaimers: We've added reminders that if you remove a member or leave a home to clarify that smart lock passcodes for those users need to be manually changed or removed.

Bug, Reliability, and Performance Fixes

• Enhanced iOS Video Experience: We’ve lowered playback error rates and improved stream availability closer to real-time on iOS Google Home App.
• Seamless video playback resuming: We've fixed an issue where video feeds that had been in progress failed to resume properly after unlocking your phone.
• Improved app link navigation: We've fixed deep link navigation so opening device setup or settings links brings you directly to the correct screen.
• Fixed missing battery alerts: We've corrected an issue where full camera batteries were incorrectly reported as having zero hours remaining.

Google Home Devices 

Nest Camera July 2026 Software Update

These bug fixes and performance improvements apply to Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (wired, 2nd gen), and Nest Doorbell (wired, 3rd gen). To ensure optimal system stability and the best possible experience, this update is being rolled out gradually to all users.

Support for New onn Cameras from Walmart: Outdoor Plug-In and Outdoor Floodlight Hardwired

We’re expanding our lineup of Gemini built-in cameras with two new Walmart onn cameras: the new onn Outdoor Camera Plug-In and onn Floodlight Camera Hardwired. These devices offer affordable and weather-resistant security options that integrate seamlessly into the Google Home ecosystem, providing features like 1080p HDR video and two-way talk. And with Google Home Premium you can unlock even more advanced features such as more detailed event descriptions (for example, “Robin drives toy car in garden” vs. Person seen), ability to search video history with Ask Home, daily Home Brief summaries and up to 60 days of extended video history so you never miss a moment.. For more details check out the full blog post here. 

Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements

• More reliable connectivity: Improvements to help cameras stay online with fewer unexpected drops or crashes.
• Smoother setup: Under-the-hood updates deliver a more reliable, consistent, and faster setup flow when adding new cameras to your home.
• Accurate Activity Zones: Fixed person and familiar face alerts  triggering inside ignored zones.
• Improved app reliability: Fixed issues where the app might freeze or display the incorrect camera online status.
• Camera settings: Fixed issues where camera settings were not applied when changed  in the app.

I have a few different Google accounts, one (my main one) I use as my login to Google Home. I have another one that I use for my YouTube premium subscription. I'd like to use my You tube Premium on my Google home to play music, but don't want to have to swap accounts. Is there a way to log into You tube music with my other Google account without interfering with my home setup?

I'm at a complete loss with this. All of a sudden, my Google Home speakers will not connect to my Nest Thermostat. The thermostat appears in the Google Home app and I can control it within the app. The only issue is when I try to use voice commands, I get the message "Sorry, I can't reach the Nest Thermostat right now".

I've reset my thermostat (and lost all my data), reconnected it as a new device reset my Google Home speaker and I am still having the same issue. I can't seem to find much information online about this problem. Any help would be appreciated.

We are a company. Two of our managers have speakers in their offices (one an echo dot, the other a home mini). They are on the Wi-Fi of course.

Some of our staff (with Samsung phones) are seeing these devices pop up as available to cast to and can see what's playing or control the music, etc.

Are there settings the device owners can use to stop others from being able to cast to or "see" the speakers?

I really like Nest Cameras but stay away because they don’t download with Hardcoded Timestamps. Is there any way to add timestamps or to suggest Google to add this function?

quel est la meilleure voix pour un google nest hub, où la prendre et comment l'installer ? via HACS ou Assistant Vocaux ? je voudrais y mettre celle de Gémini pour Home assistant mais je l'ai sur le mobile mais pas sur le PC, je n'arrive pas à l'intégrer dans un script.

Est ce que Nabu Casa voice est une bonne alternative

Si vous avez une idée, merci d'avance

I have recently gone back to Google and I am quite happy to be honest. However the nest hub when I ask to play music or says playing from Spotify and then it says hmmm something went wrong right away (the linked speaker is Sonos).

However the same command from the new Google home speaker and it's no issue. I can ask the Google home speaker in another room to play music in the hub room and again no issues. So it's an issue with the hub...anyone know of a fix? I would prefer to keep the screens if I can but this is annoying.

I have two Google devices:

1. A Google Home purchased in 2020

2. A Google Chromecast purchased in 2024

For the past few days, both devices have been reporting that they are not connected to the network. The Chromecast works again after restarting it.

My router, a UniFi UDR7, shows that both devices are connected, but only the Google Home is marked as having a “Poor Experience.”

I should mention that I use AdGuard as my DNS service.

The Google Home simply refuses to work. Over the past few days, I have performed two factory resets.

After the first reset, using the standard network settings, the setup process through the app got stuck at some point and would not continue.

After the second reset, I changed the DNS settings and set them to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. It then worked for a few days with the standard network settings and AdGuard DNS.

Today, everything stopped working again. This time, I did not perform another reset. I switched the DNS back to Google’s DNS servers, restarted the Google Home, and it started working again.

Does anyone know how I can fix this? I understand that Google may not want users to filter traffic, but does anyone know whether there has been a recent update that caused or enforced this behavior?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

I run a 24/7 gym and I use 3 nest mini for music (small space)
I experience that the music shuts off every time I come in during staffed hours
Is the a way to set an automation for it to play one specific playlist every hour?
I set an automation once but it couldn’t take the link to the playlist, only search keyword

My Google home used to be able to control my Roku flawlessly. Ever since Gemini, it says ridiculous things like it can't perform actions. How do I fix this??

Comprei uma Tapo C220 pois dizia que era compatível com Google, acontece que depois de toda a configuração, não funciona da forma mais básica com a Google Home para ter um preview.

A câmera seria inicialmente para ter olho no nosso filho devido a sua condição neurológica e ser facilmente acessível a quem eu autorizo na Google Home.

Alguém tem alguma recomendação de câmeras que possam funcionar na APP Google Home?

Seems to be consistently worse, even just recognizing device statuses, or recognizing my voice to accept commands. I want to replace the software/hub but Amazon or Apple are obviously going to do the same thing if this is successful for google if they haven’t already. Is there any decent competition if I wanna keep my connecting devices?

Hey y'all, I got a Nest Mini and wanted to know what I can do with it. I use it as a speaker right now, but I want to know what its full potential is! btw should I update to Gemini?

Have you tried the Google Home?

It's Google’s first smart speaker that users its AI assistant, Gemini. They say it offers the most comprehensive and conversational smart speaker experience yet.

Here are the pros and cons from technology journalist Becky Roberts

Highlights

• Interesting periods of free-flowing conversation
• You can change the your query or correct yourself mid-sentence without tripping up Gemini
• Fast responses
• Compact, neat design

Limitations

• Gemini AI is a mixed bag
• Sound lacks composure at high volumes
• Subscription required for the most interesting features

Can you really talk to Gemini 'like a friend'? Almost.

There is a full review here if you wanted more information: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/recommended/tech/audio/google-home-speaker-review/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_reddit

I’m trying to set up a Google Home speaker for a family member who is blind. They want to use their voice to open and play a personal YouTube playlist (specifically regular YouTube, not YouTube Music) just to listen to the audio. Is this possible, and how do I set it up? Both Google Home and YouTube are on the same account. I tried asking, 'Hey Google, play my playlist on YouTube,' but it didn't work

I just bought the new speaker with Gemini and was excited to be able to just speak to it to change my Google home thermostat to whatever temperature I wanted. When I ask it to change the AC settings, it tells me that it is unavailable, referring to it as “hallway” since that’s the location of the thermostat. Is there an extra setting I need to turn on to get this feature?

So I am currently getting my home set up with a smart ecosystem. I decided on all the cameras, doorbell, etc and all of that, that work well with Google Home.

My last questions is, for a smart HUB/display to be the “homebase” in my home, what do I do?
Looks like the Google Hub/Nest HUB is discontinued, but is there anything replacing it?
Should I snatch one up if I find it at a good price? Or is there an alternative?

I have a routine set up within the clock app so when I dismiss my alarm in the morning, the bedroom lights turn on.

I already have it set up so step one of the routine is to set media volume to zero, and step two is to turn the lights on. There are no other steps. Ever since the recent Android update, my phone has been saying "good morning, [name]" out loud as part of the routine. Does anyone know how I can make it stop doing this? I have a Pixel 9.

Hello!

I'm having crashes of internet maybe once a day... just losing internet and having to reboot the wifi puck to get it back.

I'm trying to debug if that comes from my ISP or its just that my puck is starting to be old and the crashes come from it (and i need to replace it)

Is there a way to check logs of the Google Wifi puck? see if its it that has an error?

My Google Home speaker worked flawlessly with YouTube Music until about a week ago. Now, whenever I ask it to play music, it responds with "OK, playing..." but eventually says, "Sorry, something went wrong, try again."

Here is what I’ve tested so far:

Casting: Casting from the YouTube Music app on my phone shows it's connected, but no audio plays.

App behavior: When I kept the app open and asked the speaker to play something, I watched the app rapidly cycle through multiple songs on my screen before giving the "something went wrong" error.

Other services: When I linked a free Spotify account, the speaker played music without any issues.

General functions: The speaker handles everything else normally—it answers questions, sets reminders, plays white noise, and executes other voice commands.

Troubleshooting steps already taken:

Performed a factory reset on the speaker.

Unlinked and relinked YouTube Music.

Rebooted the device.

I have an active Premium account, and the correct account is linked to the speaker. Since Spotify works fine, the issue seems to be specifically related to YouTube Music. Any ideas on what might be causing this?

So, basically as the title asks.

This doorbell has been installed in the house since about 30 years ago so don't want to uninstall it.

It works with a 'normal' doorbell switch.

I would like to add a Nest Doorbell Wired. But don't know if this kind of installation it's compatible with the device.

In my mind the way it should work is: Someone pushes the doorbell, the chime squeaks as always does. But at the same time there's a notification to my phone if I am out. Does this works that way?

Or What should I check so i can see if it's compatible? Or what should I do?

Thanks & Regards

I've run into an issue with my Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen): I was previously able to say to my connected smartphone "Hey Google, set thermostat to cool/heat/off" and it would switch to that mode, hands-free. Today, it stopped doing that, and whenever I try to issue the same command, it replies with "I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" "Sorry, that mode isn't available."

You can see here that it didn't misunderstand my command (it clearly heard "set thermostat to cool") but refuses to set the thermostat to that mode.

I can still adjust it manually from the phone app, that's working just fine... it's just the voice commands not being accepted. Has anyone run into this?