Google is replacing its traditional Assistant with Gemini for Home, rolling out through early access starting October 2025. The pitch? More natural, conversational control of your smart home. The catch? It requires a Google Home Premium subscription at $10/month.
Instead of remembering specific device names or rigid commands, you can now say things like “Turn off the lights everywhere except my bedroom” or “Dim the lights and set the temperature to 72 degrees.” It’s meant to feel less like commanding a robot and more like talking to someone who actually understands context.
The standout feature is “Gemini Live,” which lets you have ongoing conversations without repeating “Hey Google” every time. Ask for cooking advice, brainstorm ideas, or get real-time guidance on tasks. It’s designed to feel like a continuous dialogue rather than isolated commands.
Google also redesigned the Home app with “Ask Home,” a chatbot that handles complex queries about your devices. Plus, there are new Nest Cams and a Nest Doorbell with 2K video, all optimized for Gemini.
The Convenience Trade-Off#
Here’s where it gets interesting. Google Assistant was free. Gemini for Home requires a monthly subscription. You’re now paying $10/month for something that used to cost nothing, plus feeding Google more nuanced data about your daily routines, habits, and home environment.
We’re moving from simple on/off commands to systems that understand “I’m heading to bed” as a cue to dim lights, lock doors, and adjust temperature. Convenient? Absolutely. But it means both paying for the privilege and teaching AI to infer patterns from your behavior.
The question isn’t whether Gemini for Home works better than Assistant—it probably does. The question is whether we’re thinking about what we’re trading: recurring payments, richer behavioral data, and increasing dependency on a single ecosystem. Once you’re subscribed and your home is optimized for it, switching becomes harder each month.
Try it yourself: Learn more about Gemini for Home.