Google acknowledges and addresses persistent issues with Nest and Assistant, pledging a resolution
Google's Chief Product Officer for Home and Nest, Anish Kattukaran, has publicly acknowledged user frustrations regarding the reliability of Google Assistant on home devices. These issues have been occurring amidst Google's transition from classic Assistant to Gemini, an AI-powered voice assistant.
The anticipated fix for these issues is planned for Fall 2025. According to Kattukaran, this fix aims to provide better long-term reliability and capability, addressing problems such as commands failing, devices disconnecting, and slow or unresponsive behaviour. These issues have been a concern for many users over the past few months.
Regarding Gemini support, there are rumours suggesting that the Fall 2025 fix may include incorporating Gemini AI technology into smart speakers and displays, potentially enhancing Google Assistant's functionality on these devices. However, this Gemini support is not officially confirmed and remains speculative as part of the rumoured improvements.
Google has committed to sharing more details as the fix approaches, but has not yet provided a specific release date or full feature list beyond these statements.
In the meantime, it's worth noting that Google Assistant has already lost more than 20 features since 2024. Additionally, Google has dropped support for the first two Nest Learning Thermostat models this year.
Discussions about these issues on platforms like Reddit and Threads have garnered significant attention, with a post on Reddit about Home and Nest troubles receiving nearly 300 comments in just three days. Another post on Threads about Home and Nest troubles gained traction two days ago.
Kattukaran has promised a fix for the issues plaguing Nest users, but it won't be implemented until the fall of 2025. As for the Google Nest hardware, such as the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max, they are starting to show their age, with the Nest Hub last updated in 2021 and the Nest Hub Max not seeing a refresh since its launch in 2019.
Google is currently addressing customer complaints about smart home devices, particularly Google Nest hardware and Google Assistant software. The company is undergoing a transition from classic Assistant to Gemini, and it seems that this transition has caused some instability in the functionality of these devices. With the promised fix in Fall 2025, users can look forward to improved reliability and potentially enhanced functionality with the introduction of Gemini AI technology.
The transition from classic Assistant to Gemini has led to concerns about the reliability of Google Assistant on home devices, with issues such as commands failing, devices disconnecting, and slow or unresponsive behavior being reported by users.
Google's planned fix for these issues, due in Fall 2025, aims to improve long-term reliability and potentially introduce Gemini AI technology to enhance Google Assistant's functionality on devices such as smart speakers and displays.
