Gemini Officially Arrives on Google Home: An Early Access Guide

Gemini officially arrives on Google Home now, and here's a comprehensive guide on how to get early access. Google recently announced that Gemini will replace Google Assistant on its smart home devices, marking a significant evolution after a decade of device innovations. The early access program has officially begun. Anish Katokaran, Senior Product Manager for Google Home, confirmed via social media that the "first wave" of early access is currently available to users in the United States, although some features began appearing for a limited number of individuals earlier. This update offers a smarter and more conversational AI experience, including most of the features available with Gemini on the web and mobile devices, while retaining all standard voice commands for your smart home.

How to Get Early Access to Gemini?

If you are a smart speaker or smart display user in your home, you might be excited that the first wave of early access rollout for Gemini Voice Assistant for Home started today at 9:30 AM PT in the United States!

There are multiple reports on Reddit indicating that users in the United States have already started seeing the option to upgrade to "Gemini for Home." If you have previously subscribed to the early access program, you will likely see a pop-up window when you open the Google Home app on your phone next time.

If you haven't requested early access yet and wish to do so, you can tap your profile picture in the Google Home app (located in the top right corner), then select "Settings" and from there "Early Access". The registration option is available for residents in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, but access is currently only available to users in the United States.

These changes sometimes cause confusion for users, but Google has worked hard to answer key questions related to the Gemini for Home update. The company provides a comprehensive Q&A page covering all aspects, from basic functionalities to language support.

Subscription Plans and Advanced Features

For additional details on subscription plans and features, you can visit the Official Google Blog and the Wired report.