Google is refreshing its Google Home app. The most significant change is the transition from Google Assistant to Gemini AI, the company’s newer AI-powered assistant, for tasks related to Google smart devices and smart home management. Parenthetically, the goal is to foster a more conversational, practical, and natural experience in interacting with connected devices, creating an AI-powered smart home experience.
The redesign puts Gemini AI front and center in the Google Home app. A new feature called “Ask Home,” located at the top of the screen, allows users to type or speak everyday phrases to control the devices. Through this bar, users can request automations, manage Google smart devices, or ask about the history of their home actions. This shift highlights how Gemini improves Google Home by simplifying controls and making commands feel more natural.
Interface and Layout Tweaks
The revisions to the Google Home app design are understated but thoughtfully executed. The “Favorites” tab has been renamed “Home,” which better reflects its purpose as the main control center for smart home management and automations.
Several additional changes simplify the layout. The Devices and Settings tabs have been eliminated, and as in the case of the “Favorites” menu, devices and scenes will now be accessed directly from within the grid icon in the new Home menu. Icons and space have been manipulated to tighten up the header for more organized spacing. Notifications and experimental feature toggles have been removed from the primary top bar, and relocated to the account switcher menu for a cleaner, less cluttered top layout.
An additional change introduced allows end-users to “pin” contextual information, such as outdoor air quality or outdoor temperature, to their home landing page. These modifications are localized according to the app-designated location, which will allow for a decreased time-cost associated with contextualized information in the Google Home app with Gemini.
Gemini’s Role and Early Features
Gemini AI in smart home settings is going to be more than a replacement for Google Assistant. It is designed to better understand complex requests and produce better answers. For instance, instead of asking for something exact, like “I want to turn off all lights in the living room,” a user could simply say “turn off every light except the one by the bed,” and it would get it right. This is a clear example of how Gemini improves Google Home.
Early capabilities include daily summaries, notifications for upcoming events, and expanded feedback options. Users will even be able to thumbs-up or thumbs-down Gemini AI responses, which should help the AI-powered assistant improve over time. A refresh button would regenerate a response or start a new AI conversation with Ask Home, adding to the AI-powered smart home experience.
Some of these features may eventually come with a premium subscription. Apart from software updates, new hardware products are also expected to launch. These include updated Nest Cams, a potential new Nest Doorbell, and a new Google Home app with Gemini-integrated speaker with 360-degree audio, enhancing Google smart devices further.
Timeline and Availability
On October 1, 2025, the redesigned Google Home app with Gemini AI integration is scheduled to begin rolling out. Initially, it may only be available in some regions or to early users who opt-in. Many tech rollouts will evolve from preview to full rollout phase.
Once rolled out, it will have clear implications for regular users. For instance, it will drastically reduce the amount of required phrasing for commands, relying heavily on natural conversation. Manual navigation of menu settings will be less likely. The app will check for needs and respond much more quickly, delivering a smoother AI-powered smart home experience.
The change does come with some hurdles, however. Those who prefer manual navigation may find an adjustment period while using the new Google Home app with Gemini. If features are split between tiers (free versus premium), that could also create frustration for users. Accessibility based on existing hardware can also present dividing experiences within user circles of Google smart devices.
A Smarter Future for Homes
In sum, Google is positioning for a more reactive, intuitive smart home management system that is also leveraging more intelligent AI capabilities. Gemini AI in smart home setups reflects a strong investment in advancing the Google Home app. Existing and future expectations of smart homes will shift towards homes being more connected, natural, and intelligent. Ultimately, how Gemini improves Google Home is through providing an AI-powered assistant that delivers an adaptive, personalized, and conversational control over daily living.
By embedding Gemini AI directly into the Google Home app with Gemini, Google is pushing the boundaries of smart home management while ensuring an elevated AI-powered smart home experience that sets a new standard for Google smart devices.
