Public Preview for Google Home app

Public Preview gives you early access to the latest Google Home app features before they're made widely available. Participants can try new features and give feedback so that Google can continue to make improvements before the features are released to everyone.

Once you join, you can access Public Preview features that are available for the following:

• Google Home app for Android devices and iPhones and iPads
• Google Home for web
• Google Home for Wear OS

Joining and leaving Public Preview

Users can join or leave Public Preview at any time. It is easy to join or leave Public Preview through the Google Home app or at home.google.com.

How to join Public Preview

Before you join
To ensure that you can be added to the Public Preview programme, confirm your Google Groups settings:

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. Tap Settings   Global settings.
3. Confirm that 'Add me to their groups' is ticked  tap Save.

Join through the Google Home app

• Open the Google Home app   tap Settings   Public Preview   Join Public Preview.

Join through home.google.com

• Go to home.google.com sign in select Public Preview   Join Public Preview.

You'll get a message with information about Public Preview and when you can start to use new features. It also gives you the option to opt in to experimental AI features, share feedback or leave Public Preview.

Once you've successfully joined Public Preview, the Preview icon will appear on screen in the mobile app and Google Home for web. You might also get occasional reminder notifications when you open the Google Home app. Tapping the Preview icon brings you back to the Preview page.

Experimental AI features

Important: Experimental AI features are rolling out gradually and may not be available to you yet.

Once you’ve been added to Public Preview, a Home app inbox message will lead you to the Preview page. From there, you may be able to opt in to experimental AI features. These features will initially be available in Public Preview for select US Nest Aware Plus subscribers in English.

If you want the help of Generative AI in managing your home:

1. Turn on the Experimental AI features button .
2. The Terms page will appear. Read the terms about how your data will be shared, terms of usage, legal disclaimers, and more.
3. If you agree, scroll down to the bottom and tap Agree. Otherwise, tap No thanks.
4. Once you tap Agree, the Experimental AI features button will show as turned on in the settings page. Experimental AI features are now available.

Public Preview participants may also receive in-app notifications or messages that lead to the experimental AI features opt-in option:

1. On the prompt or message, tap Learn more.
2. Tap Next to open the Terms page.
3. Read the terms and scroll all the way down to the bottom.
4. Tap Agree for the experimental AI features to be available. Otherwise, tap No thanks.

Please note that you can’t select or deselect specific features. Once you opt in, experimental AI features will be available to you as long as you have compatible devices and the appropriate Nest Aware subscription level.

How to leave Public Preview

If you leave Public Preview, you lose access to all Public Preview features in the mobile app, Google Home for web and Google Home for Wear OS.

Leave through the Google Home app

• Open the Google Home app   tap Public Preview   Leave Public Preview.

Leave through home.google.com

• Go to home.google.com sign in select Public Preview   Leave Public Preview.

Features currently in Public Preview

The number of features available through Public Preview will vary over time. When you join Public Preview, you might not get updated features straight away. You'll get new features once they're ready for you to use.

Note: Before you use a feature, check the known issues section below.

The Google Home extension in your Gemini mobile app

With the Google Home extension, you can control your smart home devices with your Gemini mobile app.

For example, you can write or say:

• 'Turn on/off all of the lights.'
• 'Help me clean up the kitchen' (to start the vacuum cleaner).
• 'Turn the thermostat to heat-cool mode.'

For now, the Google Home extension is available on Android and works with prompts in English only. It can't perform some actions on security devices, such as gates, cameras, locks, doors and garage doors.

Learn how to set up and use the Google Home extension.

Home panel on Google TV

The home panel lets you view, manage, and make adjustments to the devices synced with the Google Home app directly from your Google TV. You can turn on your lights, start an automation, or check the doorbell live stream to see if a package was delivered all while watching your favorite movie or YouTube channel.

Learn how to control smart home devices on your Google TV.

Script editor

The script editor is currently available in Public Preview on Google Home for web and in the Google Home mobile app. With the script editor, you can create and edit your own scripted automations using additional starters, conditions, actions, and logic. You'll also be able to use presence sensing to create more custom automations than are currently available with Home & Away Routines. You can access the script editor on Google Home for web now at home.google.com/automations.

Important: All household members can check when these routines run. Routines are for convenience only, not safety- or security-critical use cases. Do not create routines that could result in injury or harm if they fail to start or stop. Routines can depend on working Internet, Wi-Fi and service availability from both Google and the third parties who manufacture the devices included in routines. Routines may not always work and Google is not responsible for any harm or losses incurred due to failed routines.

Help me script is an experimental feature in script editor. It makes it easier to create powerful home automations on Google Home for web. With the help of generative AI, you can now simply describe the automation you want, and it’ll generate the script for you. This feature is available for a limited time in Public Preview.

Favourites widget

The Favourites widget is a customisable widget that allows you to quickly access compatible smart home devices from your home screen. It is currently available in Public Preview for iOS devices.

Note: The Favourites widget is available to all users running Android 12 or later.

Learn how to use the Favourites widget.

Migrate Nest App Cameras to the Google Home App

Nest Cam IQ Indoor, Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor, and Nest Doorbell (wired, 1st gen), formerly known as Nest Hello owners can add their cameras to the Home app. If you're eligible, the app will let you know. Learn more about device migration.

Note: You can also transfer your Nest Hub Max's camera to the Google Home app. Refer to Manage your Nest Hub Max cameras with the Google Home app for more details.

View live streams for Works with Google Home cameras

You can monitor compatible Works with Google Home camera live streams in the Google Home app. This feature is still under development and isn't available for all cameras. To try this out with an eligible camera:

Link a camera

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Devices   Add   Works with Google Home .
3. Choose your camera manufacturer from the list and link your account to finish setup.

Check live stream

1. Open the Google Home app .
2.  Tap Favorites or Devices   the camera you want to monitor.

AI features in Public Preview

Public Preview offers experimental AI features that make it easy to manage your home. These will only be available for selected users who meet certain requirements. Features will be available to those who:

• Subscribe to Nest Aware Plus
• Are enrolled in Public Preview
• Opt in to use experimental AI features
• Have compatible devices

However, not all users who qualify will be able to access these features immediately, as they will roll out gradually.

Other people in the home will receive a notification about household members who opted in to experimental AI features. Users will also receive in-app messages or notifications when new features are added.

Search camera history

Search camera history uses Generative AI to help you find specific camera events by asking questions. For example, you can ask questions like:

• Did my dog go outside today?
• Was the trash taken to the street yesterday?
• Did the USPS truck stop by yet today?

To help in feature improvements, you can provide thumbs up or down feedback on results. Written text can be entered with thumbs down responses to help explain your feedback.

This feature has limited language support. It is currently only available in the USA (English). This feature is not available in Illinois due to regional restrictions.

For more information about this feature, go to Search camera history for the Google Home app.

AI descriptions

AI descriptions use Generative AI to describe what’s going on in a recorded event. A name or a short description of the event is generated in the Activity Tab and the Camera view. This information is then used when searching your camera history.

Rate the results with thumbs up or down to help improve the feature. Written text can be entered with thumbs down responses to explain your feedback.

This feature has limited language support. It is currently only available in the USA (English). This feature is not available in Illinois due to regional restrictions.

For more information about this feature, go to AI descriptions for camera events in the Google Home app.

Feedback and known issues

Share feedback

To let us know how well Public Preview features work, submit your feedback.

• In the Google Home app , tap Public Preview   Share feedback.
• Let us know your level of satisfaction  tap​ ​​​​Next  Submit.

Known issues

• Camera or doorbell migration from the Nest app to the Home app might freeze or fail. If you can't complete device migration after a second try, please Contact Us for assistance.
• When the Owner of a Nest App home migrates a camera to the Home app, other home members lose full access to the camera in the Nest App. To access the camera controller in the Home app, other home members must join Public Preview. Learn more about device migration.

• When a single person is detected during a camera event, the AI caption and description might include their name if they're in your familiar face library.
• When multiple people are detected, the caption and description won't include their names.
• If you search your camera events for someone in your familiar face library, the results include any event when their face was detected, even if other people were there.