Google Home App Upgrade Broadens ‘Ask Home’ Feature Accessibility, Features Significant Bug Repairs and Performance Enhancements on iOS and Android
Following a significant redesign of Google Home, this minor update is informed by user feedback.
What you need to know:
– Google is deploying an update for the Google Home app on Android after its significant redesign earlier this month.
– The update increases the reach of Ask Home, a feature that facilitates conversational inquiries and daily summaries.
– It includes bug fixes and enhancements inspired by user feedback on the ambitious version 4.0 revamp.
Google is introducing version 4.1 of the Google Home app on iOS and Android, extending the “Ask Home” feature to more users along with additional enhancements.
This is a follow-up to the major version 4.0 launch of the Google Home app, which was released earlier this month. That revamp introduced a fresh user interface designed with Material 3 Expressive design and Google AI capabilities. A few weeks later, the latest update to the Google Home app comprises bug fixes and feature updates inspired by user feedback.
“We’re attentive and actively making enhancements based on your feedback,” Google stated in the release notes for version 4.1.
Remarkably, the recent version of the Google Home app broadens the access to Ask Home for more users, provided they have a Google Home Premium subscription. Ask Home empowers users to receive answers to quick inquiries about their home via a natural language chatbot. It can furnish daily summaries, tackle intricate multi-step questions, and function as a search bar for in-app toggles.
The Google Home redesign divided the app into three distinct sections: Home, Activity, and Automations. Nevertheless, some users have reported scrolling issues in the Home tab on iOS after the redesign. In the version 4.1 update, Google states that the Home tab experience is now “more fluid and responsive.”
The company also rectified a bug that impacted the color status for items in the Lights category within the Android app. The previous version did not change color when a light was turned off, but it now appears grey as expected.
Finally, the Google Home app now has a fix for inaccuracies in Ask Home summaries. The release notes clarify that summaries were occasionally labeled “today’s Home Brief” when they actually pertained to the previous day.
What do I need to use Ask Home in the new Google Home app?
Google is rolling out Ask Home to a larger group of users with the launch of version 4.1 of the Home app, but you will require a Google Home Premium subscription. There’s a standard plan for $10 per month or $100 annually, and an advanced tier for $20 per month or $200 per year. This serves as the successor to Nest Aware, the prior subscription service for Google Home and Nest devices.
Nevertheless, you might already have access to Google Home Premium at no cost. Google AI Pro users receive the standard version as part of their package, while Google AI Ultra users get the advanced version included. A year of Google AI Pro is complimentary with the purchase of an eligible Pixel phone.
Check the Google Play Store to ensure your Google Home app is current.
What is the “Ask Home” feature?
Ask Home is a natural language chatbot feature enabling users to pose conversational inquiries about their smart home. It can offer daily summaries, manage complex multi-step queries, provide answers to quick questions about your home, and serve as a search bar for locating in-app toggles.
Read More