The Google Home app is getting a much-needed Gemini-powered redesign

We have to admit that for a while, the Home app has been a bit of a slow, buggy mess. However, Google clearly heard the complaints because they’ve just announced a complete overhaul, rebuilt from scratch with three main goals: make it faster, more reliable, and finally, bring everything under one roof.

Here’s a rundown of what’s new

Core Improvements & Design

Images credit — Google

• Complete Rebuild: The app is rebuilt from the ground up for significantly better performance, with up to 70% faster loading times and an 80% reduction in crashes.
• Unified Nest App: All features and devices from the old Nest app (thermostats, cameras, locks, etc.) are now fully integrated, eliminating the need to switch between apps.
• New Three-Tab Layout: A simplified interface with dedicated tabs for Home (your main dashboard), Activity (a unified event history), and Automations.

Gemini AI-Powered Features

Images credit — Google

• Ask Home: A new, persistent command bar that lets you use natural language to control devices, find specific camera clips, or create automations just by describing what you want.
• Smarter Camera Alerts: Instead of generic notifications, Gemini can provide specific, contextual alerts like “Robin walking with flowers.” (Requires a Google Home Premium subscription)
• Home Brief: An AI-generated summary of your day’s smart home events. (Requires a Google Home Premium subscription)

Enhanced Device Control

Images credit — Google

• Upgraded Camera Experience: Live views load faster, history scrolling is smoother, and notifications now show rich animated previews on your lock screen.
• Powerful Automation Editor: The automations section has been rebuilt to be faster and more capable, allowing for new triggers like conditional starters (e.g., only run if someone is home).

With this new foundation, the old Nest app is officially being retired. The entire experience is wrapped in that simplified three-tab design, which is built to put the new “Ask Home” assistant right at your fingertips. With the update scheduled to begin its global rollout today, October 1st, you should see it hitting your devices soon.

Why should you care about this revamp?

For anyone invested in Google’s smart home ecosystem, this is a huge deal. For years, the software experience has lagged behind the hardware, feeling less polished than Apple’s Home app or even Amazon’s Alexa setup. The split between the Nest and Home apps was a constant source of confusion and a major pain point. This update finally fixes that fundamental problem.

But this isn’t just about cleaning up a messy house. This redesign is all about laying the groundwork for a much smarter future with Gemini. We’re talking about genuinely useful AI features that go beyond simple voice commands. It is important to note, however, that some of the most advanced features will require a new Google Home Premium subscription.

Is this finally the smart home app we’ve been waiting for?

I am incredibly relieved and cautiously optimistic about this. It feels like Google has finally listened to years of user feedback and addressed the core issues that made using their smart home products a daily frustration. The performance boosts and the unification of the Nest app are, frankly, long overdue and a massive win for everyone.For me, the real excitement lies with the deep Gemini integration. The idea of a smart home that you can control with natural language—not just for simple commands, but for creating complex routines on the fly—is the promise we’ve been sold for years. This feels like the first real step in that direction.

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