Gemini is finally making its way to Google’s smart home devices

What is Gemini for Home?

We’ll start with a brief refresher of Gemini, Google’s AI powered, mobile voice assistant that’s found across the Pixel series and some of the best Android phones. Gemini runs on advanced AI models to understand on-screen context, answer user prompts and more. 

Gemini for Home is built on the same powerful AI models but with capabilities designed to understand home-specific tasks. Google explains Gemini for Home “offers reliable, hands-free help” and can deal with complex tasks across your Google Home devices. 

Google Assistant will be replaced by Gemini for Home, which should allow you to use more conversational, nuanced and even complex requests. 

What can Gemini for Home do?

As mentioned, Gemini for Home will replace Google Assistant across your Google smart home devices but this doesn’t mean you’ll have to change how you use your devices. In fact, Google says you’ll still say “Hey Google” to get its attention. It’s just that Gemini boasts better natural language support than its Assistant predecessor.

As its name suggests, Gemini for Home promises “more powerful” smart home controls. In fact, not only will users be able to issue multiple commands at once, with Google giving the example of “dim the lights and set the temp to 72 degrees” but it can also understand more complex questions such as “turn off the lights everywhere except my bedroom”. 

Gemini for Home also searches the web for specific questions based across a number of topics, from advice on holiday destinations to tips on how to keep your home free from pests. 

Finally, similar to Google Assistant, Gemini for Home can play media, set timers, add events to your calendar and more. However, Gemini for Home’s better natural language comprehension means you no longer need to rely on rigid commands. Instead, you can speak to Gemini for Home in a more casual manner, for more vague questions like “play the song of the year winner from 1990” to “set a timer for perfectly blanched broccoli”. 

What is Gemini Live for Home?

Gemini Live will also find its way into your smart home and, like its mobile experience, offers users the ability to have a more natural, back-and-forth conversation. You can also interrupt Gemini to refine or redirect the conversation, to ensure you get the specific information that you’re looking for.

Not only that, but Gemini Live for Home can also offer cooking tips and recipe ideas, based on your ingredients. For example, Google states you can say “I have spinach, eggs, cream cheese and smoked salmon in the fridge. Help me make a meal” and Gemini Live will offer recipes and step-by-step instructions.

Plus, naturally as a product of Google, Gemini Live can tap into Google Search for in-the-moment help. Household issues such as a dishwasher that doesn’t drain and help on to safely check whether your cooking pan is hot enough can be advised.

When will Gemini for Home launch?

Google hasn’t explicitly stated when Gemini for Home will launch, other than beginning early access in October across existing speakers and displays. Google has also teased there will be both free and paid versions of the assistant, with more details promised “soon”.