Gemini for Home: Release Date, Countries, and How to Get Early Access

Google’s comprehensive smart home initiative, known as Gemini for Home, is now launching globally, bringing a redesigned app, advanced camera capabilities, and a new voice assistant to users. The rollout is happening in stages, with different features becoming available based on your location and subscription level.

The updated Google Home app, featuring a fresh three-tab layout at the bottom, is currently being released worldwide. To access it, ensure your app is updated to version 4.0 on either Android or iOS. This is a server-side update, so availability may vary slightly.

The Ask Home search and chat function within the app is now accessible to users in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. This feature supports English in all listed regions, with French also available in Canada.

All users, including those on the free tier, can enjoy several new capabilities. Quick search allows you to find devices and automations instantly as you type in the search bar. You can also ask simple questions about your home, such as “Which lights are on?” or “Is the front door locked?” Furthermore, real-time device control lets you issue commands like “Close all blinds” for immediate action.

For subscribers to Google Home Premium Standard, more powerful features are unlocked. You can create automations using plain language through Ask Home or the “Help me create” tool in the Automations tab. This includes setting up recurring actions, like turning off all lights when you leave, or scheduling one-time events, such as warming the living room and playing music at a specific time. The system can also remember personal details, like your favorite color, to tailor your experience.

The Google Home Premium Advanced plan introduces sophisticated AI camera functionalities. Your camera events will now come with detailed AI descriptions, moving beyond simple labels like “person” to provide context such as “the dog is digging in the garden.” These detailed summaries also appear in your notifications. You can search your video history with natural language queries, for instance, asking “Did the dog go outside today?” Additionally, the Home Brief feature delivers a daily summary each evening highlighting the most important events captured by your cameras.

These advanced AI camera features are currently rolling out for Premium Advanced subscribers using the new Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen), Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen) in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The update is being distributed via a software release that may take several days to reach all eligible users. It is important to note that ADT+ subscribers will not have access to these features at this time.

Looking ahead, the Gemini for Home voice assistant, which is set to replace the current Google Assistant, will begin its early access program for users in the US on October 28, 2025. This early access is specifically for the new AI features. The existing Public Preview program remains active for testing the latest app functionalities. Instructions to join involve opening the Google Home app, tapping your profile picture, and navigating to Home Settings > Early Access, though some users report the toggle may not yet be fully active.

A wide range of devices will be compatible with the new Gemini assistant, including the Google Home, Google Home Mini (1st gen), and Google Home Max. However, only the last four devices on the compatibility list, the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen), Google Nest Hub Max, Google Nest Audio, and Google Nest Hub (2nd gen), will support the interactive Gemini Live feature, which requires a Google Home Premium Standard subscription.

The international expansion is scheduled for early 2026. The advanced Gemini for Home camera features will roll out to other supported regions, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The Gemini voice assistant is also planned to expand to more countries during this period.

Finally, the new Google Home Speaker is expected to arrive in most countries in the spring of 2026, with the Australian Google Store specifically pointing to a March 2026 release date.

(Source: 9to5 Google)