Gemini is officially rolling out on Google Home right now – here's how to get early access

• The first wave of Gemini for Google Home updates are rolling out
• For now, only users in the US are being let into the early access program
• You can sign up for early access in the US and selected other countries

Earlier this month, Google announced that Gemini would be replacing Google Assistant on its smart home devices, stretching back through a decade of hardware releases – and now the early access program has officially got underway.

Anish Kattukaran, the Chief Product Officer at Google Home, posted on social media to share that the "first wave" of early access is now rolling out to users in the US, although some elements of it were already popping up for a few people.

Essentially, this gives you access to a much smarter and conversational AI – including most of the features you get with Gemini on the web and mobile – without taking away any of the standard voice commands you might have been using around your smart home.

On the official Google blog, you'll find a comprehensive list of 100 commands you might want to try with the new Gemini AI bot inside Google Home, covering everything from queueing up music to turning off all your smart lights at night.

How to get early access

There are threads on Reddit where people in the US are reporting they're now seeing the "Gemini for Home" upgrade, as it's called. If you've signed up for early access, you may well see a pop-up (see below) the next time you open Google Home on your phone.

If you haven't already requested access and you'd like to, tap your profile picture in the Google Home app (top right), then choose Settings and Early Access. The option to sign up is open to those in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, but it's only those in the United States who are being let in at the moment.

The switch is understandably confusing a lot of users, but Google has tried its best to answer major queries about the Gemini for Home update. There's a comprehensive FAQ page addressing everything from functionality to language support.

There are also paid subscriptions, replacing the Nest Aware plans, that give you access to more advanced AI features – though the Gemini basics are free. We've previously explained some of the Gemini extras you get if you give Google a monthly fee.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.