- A big update for Google Home is rolling out
- The improvements include better support for Matter devices
- It's rolling out now for Android and iOS
It's not been the easiest of years for the Google Home app and anyone trying to use it — what with the whole Gemini switchover and everything that's gone along with it — but the smart home app is now continuing to move in the right direction with another major update for Android and iOS.
As detailed in the official changelog (via 9to5Google), the update includes a bunch of fixes for Gemini: transferring music between rooms, setting timers, and controlling YouTube TV playback should now work more reliably, with fewer "sorry, I didn't understand" responses when no voice command has been issued.
There's a new Home Premium benefits screen, and more accurate icons for Matter-controlled windows and doors on Android, including garage doors, windows, gates, blinds, and cabinets. These controls, plus those for Matter devices showing energy data, will be more specific and tailored, and less generic.
If you've got cameras set up, you get more reliable event timeline scrolling on iOS, a smoother live view on foldable phones on Android, plus improved Wi-Fi connectivity and faster night vision switching across all your Nest cameras. There are also upgrades including more accurate status light behavior on specific camera models.
Check for your update
Other fixes and improvements include online status indicators that are more reliable on iOS, spaces that load more smoothly on Android, and a number of quality tweaks to various visual layouts — including the Thread setting screen on iOS and the parental controls page on Android.
At the same time, firmware updates are rolling out for the Google TV Streamer, Nest Wi-Fi units, and Nest and Google Home speakers. Across the board you should see fewer bugs and more reliable operation, while numerous security patches have also been applied to keep your smart home devices safe.
On the speakers, there are upgrades to streaming performance, audio quality, volume tuning between paired speakers, local network discovery, Bluetooth streaming, Wi-Fi 7 compatibility, and controls for Google Meet voice controls. It's a fairly comprehensive update — though it hasn't addressed all the issues users are continuing to have.
Google says the update is rolling out now, and may take a few days to reach everyone. You should get it automatically eventually, but if you want to check manually, tap your profile picture then Manage apps and devices in the Play Store app on Android, or tap your profile picture then App Updates in the App Store on iOS.
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