Google Home update adds Gemini 3.1 voice assistant and new camera tools

In short: Google says a new Google Home update will make voice control and camera playback easier, and it adds more ways to build home automations.

What happened

Google announced what it calls its biggest Google Home update since its 2025 redesign. The update brings Gemini 3.1 to Google Home voice assistance for people in Google’s early access program. Gemini is Google’s AI system, and in this case it powers the voice assistant on smart speakers and displays.

Google says Gemini 3.1 should be better at understanding multi-step requests. That means you may be able to say something like, “Turn off the living room lights, lock the front door, and start the vacuum,” instead of giving separate commands. Google says the goal is to make the assistant less confusing and more reliable.

The update also focuses on cameras. Google says scrubbing through video history should look smoother, like dragging a playhead on a video timeline that updates more quickly. It adds 10-second skip buttons, new swipe gestures to switch views, and controls for resizing the video window.

Google is also changing how camera events are described. It says labels will be shorter and clearer, and it is adding thumbs up and thumbs down feedback to improve “Familiar Face” alerts over time. Familiar Face is Google’s person recognition feature, and the update will also try to ignore blurry faces.

Finally, Google is adding more automation triggers and actions, including options for locks, security systems, appliances like washers and coffee machines, robot vacuums, blinds, humidity, and media volume. Google says Ask Home, a chat-style helper inside Google Home, will later expand to the Home website as a preview.

Why it matters

For many people, smart home systems fail in simple moments, like finding the right spot in camera footage or getting a speaker to follow a chain of instructions. If Google’s changes work as promised, daily tasks could take fewer taps and fewer repeated voice commands.

Source: Arstechnica