Public Preview gives you early access to the latest Google Home app features before they're made broadly 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 anytime. It is easy to join or leave Public Preview through the Google Home app or at home.google.com.
Before you join
To ensure you can be added to the Public Preview program, confirm your Google Groups settings:
- Sign into Google Groups.
- Tap Settings
Global settings.
- Confirm "Add me to their groups" is checked
Join through the Google Home app
- Open the Google Home app
Join through home.google.com
- Go to home.google.com
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 
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. Access to experimental AI features requires a Nest Aware subscription. Certain AI features may require a Nest Aware Plus subscription. These features will initially be available in Public Preview for select US users in English.
If you want the help of Generative AI in managing your home:
- Turn on the Experimental AI features button
.
- The Terms page will appear. Read the terms about how your data will be shared, terms of usage, legal disclaimers, and more.
- If you agree, scroll down to the bottom and tap Agree. Otherwise, tap No thanks.
- Once you tap Agree, the Experimental AI features button
will show as turned on in the settings page. Experimental AI features are now available.
- On the prompt or message, tap Learn more.
- Tap Next to open the Terms page.
- Read the terms and scroll all the way down to the bottom.
- 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.
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
Leave through home.google.com
- Go to home.google.com
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 right away. You'll get new features once they're ready for you to use.
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 vacuum)
- “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, like gates, cameras, locks, doors, and garage doors.
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.
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.
The Favorites widget is a customizable 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.
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.
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
- Open the Google Home app
- Tap Devices
.
- Choose your camera manufacturer from the list and link your account to finish setup.
Check live stream
- Open the Google Home app
- Tap Favorites
or Devices
AI features in Public Preview
With the help of Gemini, Public Preview offers experimental AI features that make it easy to manage your home. These will only be available for select users who meet certain requirements. Features will be available to users who:
- Subscribe to Nest Aware (certain features require Nest Aware Plus)
- Are enrolled in Public Preview
- Opt in to use experimental AI features
- Have compatible devices
Not all users who qualify will be able to access these features immediately, and additional access will roll out gradually.
Other people in the home will receive a notification when another household member opts in to experimental AI features. Users will also receive in-app messages or notifications when new features are added.
This feature requires a Nest Aware Plus subscription.
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.
For more information about this feature, go to Search camera history for the Google Home app.
This feature requires a Nest Aware Plus subscription.
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.
For more information about this feature, go to AI descriptions for camera events in the Google Home app.
This feature requires a Nest Aware Plus subscription.
Help me create uses Gemini to create custom automations for your home. You can describe the behaviors you want in natural language, and the feature will generate an automation. For example, you could say, "At sunset every day, turn on the living room lights and lock the front door." The feature then generates an automation that you can save or customize.
This feature has limited language support. It’s currently only available in the US (English).
Help me create is still in development and may not work as expected in all cases. Always verify that any automations or settings created are working correctly. Additionally, not all behaviors may be supported at this time, but more support is added regularly. For more information about this feature, go to Generate Google Home automations with Help me create.
We’re experimenting with using Gemini models to update the Google Assistant’s ability to give you smarter and more helpful responses on your Nest speakers. This will make it more natural and helpful for everyone in your home to quickly get access to useful information throughout the day. When you hear a chime before Google Assistant's answer, it means your response is using Gemini technology.
We’ve also added a selection of more natural sounding voices. A new voice will be selected for you initially, but you can change it at any time through the Assistant settings in the Google Home app.
This feature is currently available on Nest Mini (2nd gen) and Nest Audio.
For more information about this feature, go to Get help from Gemini in Google Assistant on Home devices.
Feedback and known issues
- In the Google Home app
- Enter your feedback
- 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. However, 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.
- Help me create is expanding its capabilities. Not all devices, behaviors, and functionalities are supported at launch, but we're actively working to add more options. To find out what's currently supported, check Supported behaviors and Known issues for Help me create.