Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Gemini is coming to Google Home APIs.
- Users will be able to ask Gemini natural language questions about their camera history and get AI-generated descriptions.
- Google is making it easier to create automations that make sense for the devices in your home.
- The company is testing a Home Summary Widget for Pixel devices.
This year’s Google I/O was filled to the brim with AI-related announcements like Veo 3, Gemini Live screen sharing, Google Search AI mode, and so on. If you still have some room left after that flurry of news, Google has a few more AI-related reveals to share. These announcements deal with Gemini coming to Google Home APIs.
Google has announced that it is powering up its smart home efforts with Gemini integration. One way the tech giant is using its AI to improve your smart home experience is by simplifying automations. For example, if you’re having trouble thinking up automations for your home, Gemini will now analyze your devices and provide suggestions. If creating an automation sounds daunting, you can tell the AI what you want to achieve, and it will draft an automation for you. On top of that, there are new automation starters that offer more sophisticated triggers based on dates and weather conditions, allowing your automations to respond more dynamically.
Next up, Google is adding a few Gemini-enhanced camera features for developers. In addition to live streaming, event history access, two-way talk capabilities, and camera settings, users will now be able to get AI descriptions and can use Gemini to search their camera history. These should make it easier to find the videos you’re looking for quickly.
If you have ever wished for there to be a way to check up on your smart home at a glance, you’ll soon be able to do just that. Google says it is working on a Home Summary Widget that would be available on Pixel devices. We actually first discovered this widget in development back in November 2024. With this widget, you’ll be able to look at insights about your home without having to open up an app. However, you may have to wait a while for this to arrive as the company is currently testing it out with select users.
A few other announcements Google shared is new partner experiences built with Home APIs. This includes First Alert, Yale, iRobot, Cync, Motorola Moto Tag, and Tuya Smart. The firm is also rolling out an early access program for Gemini-powered Home APIs later this year and a series of developer challenges to help developers learn and grow.
Google revealed quite a lot of information during its I/O event. You can catch up on all of the announcements in our article that covers everything that was at the event.
