Gemini Live Now Available on Older Google Home Devices with New Update

Google is expanding the reach of its artificial intelligence assistant, Gemini Live, to some of its earliest smart home devices. As of the July 23, 2026, update for Gemini for Home, users with the original Nest Hub and Home Mini can now interact with Gemini Live, provided they subscribe to Google Home Premium. Previously, Gemini Live was exclusive to newer Nest devices released after October 2025, leaving the first-generation hardware behind. Google stated that this expansion aims to enhance the user experience for a wider range of smart home owners.

To activate Gemini Live on these older devices, users simply need to say, "Hey Google, let's chat." The rollout also addresses a significant user complaint: the lack of conversational context in Gemini Live on smart home devices. Unlike its performance on PCs and phones, where Gemini retains information from prior interactions, smart device versions previously reset context after each query. This limitation is now resolved with the introduction of a 15-minute conversational window. This means Gemini will remember the context of your discussion for up to a quarter of an hour, allowing for natural follow-up questions and smoother interactions without requiring users to restart conversations.

Google Home App Enhancements Include Smarter Automations and Device Controls

Beyond the Gemini Live integration, the Google Home application itself is receiving several notable improvements. A key change for automation enthusiasts is an alert system that notifies users when they attempt to save an automation without defining any starting triggers, preventing accidental configuration errors. The app's interface for controlling smart blinds and other window coverings has also been refined, offering more intuitive ways to set precise positions for these devices.

For smart lock owners, the Google Home app now provides a crucial reminder. When a user removes a member from a shared home or leaves a home themselves, the app will prompt them to manually change or remove existing passcodes. This measure is designed to bolster security by ensuring that access is properly revoked. The update also encompasses various under-the-hood enhancements focused on reliability and performance across the Google Home ecosystem.

These improvements include a more robust video experience for iOS users, with reduced playback errors and more real-time stream availability. The app has also fixed an issue that prevented video feeds from resuming correctly after a phone was unlocked. Navigation through app links has been enhanced, ensuring that links for device setup or settings now direct users to the exact screen intended. Furthermore, a bug that incorrectly reported full camera batteries as empty has been resolved, along with improvements to connection reliability, setup processes, and activity zone accuracy for Nest Cameras.

In a move to broaden compatibility, Walmart's onn-branded Outdoor Camera and Floodlight Camera Hardwired have been integrated into the Gemini built-in program. This inclusion signifies Google's effort to support a wider array of third-party smart home devices within its AI-powered ecosystem, making Gemini Live accessible to more users regardless of their hardware brand.