Google Smart Home Ecosystem 2025: New AI Upgrades, Nest Devices and Everything You Need to Know

• AI-Powered Smart Speaker Coming: Google accidentally revealed a new Nest smart speaker powered by its Gemini AI, featuring a HomePod Mini-like design with a glowing LED ring and on-device generative Assistant routenote.com routenote.com. It’s expected to launch by early 2026 with advanced voice automation and sound sensing abilities.
• Major Thermostat Upgrade: In 2024 Google launched the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) with a sleeker design, a 60% larger curved glass display, built-in Soli radar for presence detection, and Matter support for compatibility with Apple Home theverge.com theverge.com. It ships with a new Nest Temperature Sensor for multi-room climate control droid-life.com theverge.com.
• Google’s New Smart Home Hub: The $99 Google TV Streamer (2024) is a Chromecast successor doubling as a smart home hub with a faster processor, Thread radio, Matter controller, and a handy on-screen Google Home control panel theverge.com theverge.com. It even has a remote finder and can show live camera feeds or adjust lights from your TV theverge.com theverge.com.
• Unified Google Home App: Google’s Home app got a complete redesign, introducing a Favorites tab for your most-used devices, customizable Spaces (rooms or groups), a better Nest camera timeline, and a new Automation tab blog.google blog.google. A powerful script editor (in public preview) now lets advanced users create 100+ custom smart routines via YAML code blog.google support.google.com.
• Nest Aware Plans & Price Hike: Nest Aware subscriptions (covering all cameras in a home) now cost $10/month (30-day event history) or $20/month (Plus plan with 60-day event history + 10 days 24/7 recording) theverge.com theverge.com. Prices jumped ~25% in Aug 2025 theverge.com, as Google adds new AI features like “camera event captions” that describe what your camera saw (e.g. “Dog digging in garden”) for Nest Aware Plus users theverge.com.
• Deep Matter Integration: Google is all-in on Matter, the new smart home standard. All current Nest speakers, displays, and Wi-Fi routers have been updated to be Matter controllers, and several serve as Thread border routers for low-power device support theverge.com. Android’s Fast Pair makes adding Matter devices plug-and-play blog.google, and with Matter’s multi-admin, Google Home can seamlessly share devices with Alexa or Apple Home.
• New Nest Devices and Rumors: Google’s 2021–2022 Nest Cam lineup (battery, wired, floodlight) brought 1080p HDR video, on-device person alerts, free 3-hour event clips, and even a 1-hour offline backup if Wi-Fi drops theverge.com theverge.com. Now, refreshed models are rumored for late 2025: a second-gen Nest Doorbell with local video backup and two new Nest Cam models (possibly in multiple colors) have leaked via marketing images techradar.com techradar.com. Also expected is a new Nest Hub Max successor to incorporate Google’s generative Assistant – since the current Nest Hub Max dates back to 2019.

Google Nest Hardware: Speakers, Displays, Cameras and More

Google’s smart home lineup (branded Google Nest) spans smart speakers, smart displays, security cameras, video doorbells, thermostats, sensors, and networking gear. Below we break down each category, highlighting the latest hardware, standout features, specs, and how they compare across generations.

Smart Speakers: Nest Mini & Nest Audio (and Upcoming AI Speaker)

Google currently sells two main smart speakers: the Nest Mini (2nd Gen) and the Nest Audio. The Nest Mini is a compact, puck-shaped speaker (successor to the original Google Home Mini) that launched in late 2019 for about $49 routenote.com. It offers surprisingly good sound for its size, touch controls, and wall-mountability, but its bass and volume are best suited for small rooms. The Nest Audio, released in 2020 as the $99 mid-range speaker, is a softball-sized fabric-covered device designed for much richer sound and music listening routenote.com. Nest Audio features a 75 mm woofer and 19 mm tweeter, delivering fuller bass and 360° sound far superior to the old 2016 Google Home. Both devices have onboard Google Assistant for voice commands (“Hey Google…”) to play music, answer questions, or control smart home devices. They support stereo pairing and multi-room audio grouping.

Despite their strengths, these speakers are due for a refresh – and it appears one is imminent. In a sneak peek at the Made by Google ’25 event, an unreleased Nest smart speaker powered by Google’s new Gemini AI was spotted routenote.com routenote.com. The device, which Google “forgot” to edit out of a promo video, is a cylindrical speaker sized between a Nest Mini and Nest Audio, with a glowing LED light ring around its base routenote.com. It has no screen or camera, focusing purely on audio and AI. Leaked details indicate it will come in four colors (black “Obsidian,” white “Porcelain,” a light green “Jade,” and a bold red) routenote.com androidheadlines.com and feature 360° sound with a balanced audio profile routenote.com. More importantly, it’s designed as a “Gemini-first” device, meaning Google’s next-gen conversational AI is baked in from the ground up routenote.com. This enables more natural, extended conversations with Assistant (no more repetitive “Hey Google” for follow-ups), context-aware responses, and even the ability for the AI to help set up home automations via voice routenote.com androidheadlines.com. The new speaker is said to include Sound Sensing — it can detect things like glass breaking or smoke alarms and send alerts to your phone routenote.com androidheadlines.com (a capability previously available only via Nest Aware on older speakers). It may also pair with your TV or Chromecast for enhanced audio, acting like a wireless soundbar routenote.com androidheadlines.com. Google hasn’t announced a name or release date yet, but insiders predict a launch by the 2025 holiday season or early 2026 routenote.com androidheadlines.com. Once released, this next-gen Nest speaker will likely replace the aging Nest Audio and Mini as the new standard, bringing AI smarts and Matter hub functionality in one.

Smart Displays: Nest Hub (2nd Gen), Nest Hub Max, and Pixel Tablet

For a visual interface to Google Assistant, Google offers the Nest Hub series of smart displays. The Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is a 7-inch touchscreen display (no camera) that doubles as a photo frame and smart home controller. Priced around $99, it launched in March 2021 as an upgrade over the original 2018 Home Hub. The 2nd-gen Hub introduced Google’s Soli radar sensor on the top bezel, enabling Sleep Sensing and gesture controls. At night, it can monitor your breathing, movements, and even snoring to provide detailed sleep reports in the morning (this was offered as a preview free trial and may integrate with Fitbit/Google Fit) store.google.com. The Soli sensor also lets you play/pause music or snooze alarms with a simple hand wave. Aside from those unique features, the Nest Hub 2nd Gen functions similarly to other smart displays: it shows you the weather, calendar, and Nest camera feeds, plays YouTube or Netflix, walks you through recipes, and responds to all Assistant voice commands. Notably, the Nest Hub 2 has a Thread radio built-in and, after updates, now acts as a Thread Border Router for connecting Matter smart home gadgets theverge.com – making it a central piece in Google’s Matter-enabled ecosystem.

The Nest Hub Max is Google’s larger 10-inch display, released in late 2019 (at $229). In addition to a bigger screen, it packs a powerful stereo speaker system and a 6.5 MP camera. The camera enables video calls via Google Meet/Zoom, and it powers unique features like Face Match (the Hub Max recognizes household members’ faces to show personalized info) and Quick Gestures (e.g. holding up your hand to pause media). The Nest Hub Max can also act as a Nest Cam feed – you can view its camera remotely in the Home app, and it supports Nest Aware with familiar face detection and motion alerts. As a smart display, Hub Max excels for communal areas – it can show a fullscreen Google Photos album when idle, and it’s great in the kitchen for watching recipe videos or controlling devices via a visual dashboard. However, with the rapid advancement of Google’s AI Assistant, the Hub Max hardware is now over 4 years old and due for replacement techradar.com techradar.com. Indeed, rumors suggest Google is prepping updated smart displays that will feature the new Gemini Assistant and possibly new form factors. (One clue: Google quietly stopped selling the Nest Hub Max in some markets by mid-2025 help.adt.com, hinting that a successor may be imminent.)

It’s also worth mentioning the Google Pixel Tablet (released June 2023) as part of the ecosystem. While primarily a standard Android tablet, the Pixel Tablet comes bundled with a Charging Speaker Dock that essentially turns it into a Nest Hub-style smart display when docked. In “Hub Mode,” the Pixel Tablet acts just like a Nest Hub: it shows a photo slideshow, responds hands-free to “Hey Google,” and provides quick smart home controls on-screen support.google.com support.google.com. The dock’s speaker even upgrades the tablet’s audio, making it a handy kitchen or bedside device. Many users see the Pixel Tablet + Dock as a flexible alternative to a dedicated Nest Hub Max – you get a portable tablet, but when you’re not carrying it, it lives on the dock as a communal smart display. That said, the Pixel Tablet lacks some Nest Hub Max features (no camera for Duo calls or Face Match on the dock), and its speaker, while decent, isn’t as powerful as the Hub Max’s. It also currently doesn’t serve as a Thread border router (the tablet has no Thread radio), though it can control Matter devices over Wi-Fi like any Android. Still, this hybrid approach signals where Google is headed: more versatile devices that bridge mobile and smart home use cases, rather than single-purpose screens.

Standout Features & Integrations: All Google smart speakers and displays run Google Assistant and integrate deeply with the Nest ecosystem. They can act as intercoms (using the “Broadcast” feature to send messages across your home), alarm clocks with gentle sunrise animations, and hubs for audio/video casting. The Nest displays, in particular, are central for viewing video feeds from Nest Cams or answering the Nest Doorbell. With recent Matter updates, you can also control third-party smart lights, thermostats, and more directly from these devices (either via voice or touch UI), even if those gadgets are from other brands. Another 2025 addition: Google enabled Smart Home Controls on the TV – if you have the new Google TV Streamer or a recent Chromecast, you can press a button on its remote to bring up a side panel of your devices and cameras on the big screen theverge.com theverge.com. This kind of cross-device integration underscores Google’s approach: your Nest speakers, displays, phones, and even Chromecasts all tie in to the same Google Home platform, giving you multiple touchpoints to monitor and manage your house.

Nest Cam (Indoor, 2nd Gen) comes in four colors – Snow, Linen, Fog, and Sand (with a maple wood base) – a rarity among security cams theverge.com theverge.com. This 1080p camera is wired for power and intended for indoor use.

Cameras and Doorbells: Nest Cam Series and Nest Doorbell

Google’s Nest Cam lineup got a significant refresh in 2021, bringing new hardware and a more affordable pricing structure (no need for a costly subscription to get basic features). The current family includes:

• Nest Cam (Battery) – a $179 wireless camera for both outdoor or indoor use. It records in up to 1080p HD (16:9) with HDR at 30 FPS, has a 130° diagonal field of view, and 6x digital zoom theverge.com. It’s weather-resistant and has a rechargeable battery (~6 Ah) that can last anywhere from 1–6 months per charge depending on activity (realistically closer to 1 month in a busy area). You can also wire it for continuous power. This cam introduced on-device AI chip for object detection – it can locally identify people, pets, vehicles, and packages and label events accordingly, without a Nest Aware subscription theverge.com. The first 3 hours of event video clips are included free (accessible in the Google Home app). Notably, if your Wi-Fi or power goes out, the Nest Cam (Battery) will cache up to an hour of recorded footage internally and auto-upload it when back online theverge.com. This offline backup (about a week’s worth of typical motion events) means short outages won’t create security blind spots – a very welcome feature.
• Nest Cam (Wired, 2nd Gen) – a $99 mini camera intended for indoors only theverge.com. It’s essentially a smaller sibling of the battery cam, without a battery and not weatherproof (to cut cost). Specs are similar: 1080p HDR video, 135° field of view, 6x zoom theverge.com. Despite the lower price, it has the same on-device smarts (person/pet/car detection, 3-hour clip history). The Wired Nest Cam comes in an array of colors – Snow (white), Linen (beige), Fog (light green/blue), and Sand (pinkish) – reflecting a push to make indoor cams blend with decor theverge.com. It can also attach to an optional wood plate base for a more furniture-like look. These cosmetic options aside, it’s a very capable little camera for monitoring inside your home.
• Nest Cam with Floodlight – a $279 camera + floodlight combo. This is essentially the Nest Cam (Battery) mounted on a wired outdoor floodlight fixture theverge.com. The dual LED panels pump out 2,400 lumens of brightness when triggered. Unlike many motion floodlights that use a simple PIR sensor, Google’s uses the camera’s AI sensing to decide when to turn on the lights – e.g. it can distinguish a person or car from just tree motion, so your yard isn’t lit up for every stray cat or wind-blown branch theverge.com. The floodlight cam shares the same 1080p/HDR sensor (2MP) and 130° view as the battery cam theverge.com. It requires hardwired power and installation on an outdoor junction box (like a typical floodlight). With an active Nest Aware Plus plan, you can also record continuous 24/7 video with this device (since it’s permanently powered).
• Nest Doorbell (Battery, 1st Gen) – launched alongside the new cams in 2021, it’s a versatile video doorbell that can run on battery or be wired to doorbell power. It has a 3:4 aspect ratio HD video (960×1280 pixels) digitaltrends.com, which gives a head-to-toe view of visitors and packages on the ground. The field of view is 145° diagonal. Video quality is lower than the older Nest Hello – Google opted for a 1.3 MP sensor (about 960p) to balance battery life digitaltrends.com. Still, it provides HDR and night vision, and in practice reviewers found the image “far more clear” than the raw specs suggest reddit.com. Like the cams, the doorbell offers on-device smart detection for people, packages, animals, and vehicles with no subscription needed. It does not support continuous recording (even if hardwired, it only does event-based clips due to hardware limitations), which was a point of criticism from power users. Battery life can range from 1-2 months on a charge in a moderate-traffic area. Google’s design intentionally makes installation easy (no need for existing doorbell wires), appealing to renters or those without pre-wiring.
• Nest Doorbell (Wired, 2nd Gen) – in October 2022, Google introduced this second-generation wired doorbell blog.google to effectively replace the original 2018 Nest Hello. It looks very similar to the battery model and unfortunately has similar video specs (960×1280, 145° view) abt.com. The benefit is that, since it’s wired to constant power, it can record 24/7 continuous video if you have a Nest Aware Plus plan – something the battery model can’t do. It also works with traditional chimes. Google appears to have standardized on the 960p sensor across both doorbells, likely to streamline production. While image resolution didn’t improve, the wired model did bring better local storage fallback: it can save about an hour of footage if your Wi-Fi goes down (a new doorbell feature mirroring the cams) techradar.com. Both Nest Doorbell models support two-way talk, of course, so you can converse with visitors through the Google Home app or a Nest display. They also integrate with Google Assistant routines (for example, your Nest Hub can announce “Someone’s at the front door!” and even display the live video when the bell rings).

Generational Comparisons: The 2021+ Nest Cam lineup marked a shift from the older Nest IQ cameras. The discontinued Nest Cam IQ Indoor/Outdoor (2017) had higher-end features like a 4K sensor (used for enhanced zoom and facial recognition) and a subscription-required familiar face alerts. Google’s new approach was to put an AI chip in every camera and give consumers baseline detection features without extra fees theverge.com. The trade-off was a step down in raw video resolution from the IQ’s potential. However, Google made these cams much more affordable and user-friendly (the original IQ Outdoor was $349; now you can cover front and back with two battery cams for about the same cost). The free 3-hour event history and the ability to define Activity Zones without a subscription are also big pluses theverge.com. Overall, reviews of the Nest Cam (Battery) praised its versatility and smarts, though battery life can disappoint if placed in a high-traffic area security.org. The Nest Doorbell (battery) likewise earned points for flexibility and AI features, but was dinged for its lower resolution and lack of continuous recording digitaltrends.com. The 2nd-gen wired doorbell addressed the always-on video issue for enthusiasts (when paired with Nest Aware Plus), but it didn’t leap forward in image quality.

Looking at 2024-2025 updates, Google seems poised to refresh the camera line again. According to credible leaks, a next-gen Nest Doorbell and two new Nest Cam models are in development techradar.com. One rumor suggests the new doorbell will have dual cameras (for better package visibility) because many competitors now use two lenses – however, leaked renders show only a single camera lens, so Google might stick to one sensor techradar.com. It is expected to include local video storage (the leak mentions the ability to store about an hour of footage during outages) as a backup, but not full local recording without a cloud plan techradar.com. The upcoming indoor/outdoor cameras also reportedly feature limited onboard storage for outages techradar.com. Enthusiasts are also speculating about higher resolution (perhaps 2K) to catch up with rivals like Arlo and Ring that offer 2K/4K options. Code snippets and an FCC filing have pointed to a “Nest Cam Indoor/Outdoor (2nd Gen)” and a new floodlight cam variant in testing. Interestingly, leaked marketing images show Google might offer bold colors like bright red on some of these new devices – prompting bemusement from some Nest fans (“who in the hell would want red cameras?” one TechRadar editor quipped) techradar.com techradar.com. The color options could be a play to differentiate Google’s style in a market full of uniform white/black cameras.

From a compatibility standpoint, all Nest cameras and doorbells (new and old) are now fully integrated into the Google Home app. As of late 2024, Google finished the long-awaited migration, allowing even first-gen Nest Cam and Nest Hello devices (2015–2018 models) to be accessed in the Google Home app (via a device transfer process) theverge.com theverge.com. This was the “final nail in the Nest app’s coffin,” as one report put it. Indeed, the aging Nest app is effectively retired for camera viewing; the only things still not in Home app were the Nest Protect and Nest × Yale Lock – and Google discontinued those in 2025 (more on that below) theverge.com techradar.com. So now you can view all camera feeds in one place and even on the web (home.google.com lets you check your cams from a PC browser). The newer cameras (2021 onward) work exclusively in the Google Home app and can’t be added to the old Nest app at all theverge.com, a deliberate move by Google to unify the user experience.

Thermostats and Sensors: Nest Thermostat Models, Protect, and Sensors

Google’s Nest thermostats are among the most iconic smart home devices, and in 2024 they finally got a major upgrade. There are currently two Nest thermostat lines available:

• Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen, 2024) – This is the premium, feature-packed model (MSRP $279.99). Announced almost a decade after the previous flagship, the 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat brings an all-new luxury design and beefed up smarts theverge.com theverge.com. The device retains the classic circular shape but now has a much larger 2.7-inch IPS display with a domed glass finish, inspired by the Pixel Watch’s look theverge.com. The screen blends edge-to-edge with no visible bezel, and it supports customizable faces and a new Dynamic Farsight feature: as you approach, it can show extra info like humidity, outdoor temperature, or even an air quality index alongside the target temp theverge.com theverge.com. The signature rotating stainless steel ring is still there for manual control, and it’s even smoother to turn. Inside, Google added its Soli radar sensor to detect if people are nearby theverge.com (for more accurate auto-away and motion-based temperature adjustments). The thermostat uses improved AI algorithms to learn your schedule and preferences faster than before theverge.com, aiming to optimize heating/cooling and save energy. Google says it can even proactively suggest schedule tweaks instead of making mysterious changes – increasing transparency in how it “learns” theverge.com. Importantly, the 4th-gen includes built-in support for Matter (over Wi-Fi), so it can integrate with other smart home platforms more openly theverge.com theverge.com. (Surprisingly it does not include a Thread radio, even though Nest was a founder of Thread – Google clarified that it expects other devices like the Nest Wifi Pro or Google TV Streamer to handle Thread networking in the home theverge.com.) Each thermostat comes packaged with the new Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd Gen) in the box droid-life.com theverge.com. This small wireless sensor can be placed in another room to monitor its temperature and feed data to the thermostat, allowing room-by-room balancing (e.g. “make the bedroom 72°F at night”). The 4th-gen model supports up to 6 sensors. Technically, this is the true successor to the Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen (2015). It still “learns” your habits and supports features like Airwave, Early-On, and Eco Temperatures. It also expanded HVAC compatibility, now handling up to 3-stage heating and 2-stage cooling systems droid-life.com (older Nests could only do 1-stage in many cases), which justifies its higher price for those with complex systems. With its high-end materials (it comes in Polished Gold, Brushed Silver, or Obsidian Black finishes droid-life.com theverge.com), the new Nest is as much a decor piece as a thermostat – reviewers have called it “a stunner of a smart home device” on the wall droid-life.com.

Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) in two of its metallic finishes. The redesigned model has a sleek mirrored display and includes the 2nd-gen wireless temperature sensor theverge.com droid-life.com.

• Nest Thermostat (2020 model) – This is the budget-friendly Nest thermostat (approximately $129 retail). Launched in late 2020, it’s a simpler device than the Learning series. It has a slimmer plastic design with a mirrored display (that lights up through the mirror) and uses a touch-sensitive strip on the side for controls (rather than a rotating ring). It doesn’t have the self-learning AI; instead, users primarily rely on programming schedules in the app or using basic presets. It also omits support for remote temperature sensors. On the plus side, it introduced full integration with the Google Home app from the start (the older Nest LTs originally needed the Nest app). The 2020 Nest Thermostat was one of Google’s first devices to later get Matter support – in fact, it was updated in 2023 to work with Matter, so it can be managed by Apple HomeKit or other Matter apps theverge.com theverge.com. (This thermostat has Wi-Fi but, like the new model, no Thread.) It’s a good entry-level smart thermostat for those who want app and voice control and basic energy-saving features without breaking the bank. However, its functionality is more limited: for instance, it supports fewer HVAC wiring configurations than the Learning model (it’s geared toward single-stage systems and cannot control complex multi-stage equipment) droid-life.com. Google continues to sell this model as the “Nest Thermostat” alongside the pricier Learning Thermostat.

Older Models: The Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen) from 2015 was effectively replaced by the 4th-gen in 2024. The 3rd-gen had a smaller display and relied on the Nest app for many functions; it also supported the original Nest Temperature Sensor (1st Gen) which launched in 2018. Google has likely discontinued the 3rd-gen now that the new version is out, though many remain in homes and still work with Google Home. The Nest Thermostat E (2017) was a mid-range frosted-display model that has been phased out; it was mostly sold via professional installers and supported the Nest sensors, but Google pivoted to the 2020 model as the “entry” option.

Beyond thermostats, Nest’s other climate and safety devices included the Nest Protect and Nest sensors. The Nest Protect (smoke and CO alarm) was one of the first smart smoke detectors, known for its friendly voice alerts and smartphone notifications (“Heads up, there’s smoke in the kitchen” rather than a blaring siren). The Protect (2nd Gen) debuted in 2015 and impressively had a nearly 10-year run without a new version. In a March 2025 announcement, however, Google confirmed it has stopped production of the Nest Protect techradar.com. The Protect units in the field will still work and Google will support them (CO detectors generally have a 7-10 year sensor lifespan anyway), but no more will be sold. The discontinuation suggests Google may be leaving the smart alarm hardware to partners (perhaps expecting Matter-compatible smoke alarms from companies like First Alert) or it could be planning a new Protect with updated capabilities (potentially with better connectivity or integration with Nest speakers for audio alerts). Alongside Protect, Google also discontinued the Nest × Yale Lock in 2025 techradar.com. This was a smart deadbolt made by Yale that connected to Nest Secure/Guard. With Nest Secure alarm system having been discontinued back in late 2020, and now the door lock as well, Google’s strategy seems to be to partner with security companies rather than produce its own alarm panel or locks. (Notably, Google invested $450M in ADT in 2020 and has a partnership where new ADT systems use Nest cameras and have deep Google Home integration – so ADT + Nest is the path Google chose for home security.) droid-life.com droid-life.com

The Nest Temperature Sensor (1st Gen, 2018) was a small puck that allowed compatible Nest thermostats (Nest LT 3rd Gen and Thermostat E) to measure temperature in other rooms. As mentioned, the Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd Gen) launched in 2024 alongside the new Learning Thermostat droid-life.com. It serves the same purpose but likely has updated radio hardware. The original used Bluetooth LE to talk to the thermostat – Google hasn’t stated if the new one does the same or uses Thread (since the thermostat itself lacks Thread, it may still be BLE). In any case, these sensors let you tell the Nest “use the bedroom sensor reading at night” so that your sleeping area is comfortable, for example.

Notable Features: All Nest thermostats work with Google Assistant voice commands (e.g. “Hey Google, set the temperature to 22°C”), and they integrate with presence sensing routines in the Google Home app. For instance, when nobody’s home (determined by phone location plus now the Soli sensor detecting inactivity), you can have the thermostat go into an Eco mode automatically to save energy blog.google. The new thermostat’s AI enhancements like Natural Heating/Cooling and Adaptive Eco aim to smartly use ambient conditions (like pausing heating if sunlight is warming a room) theverge.com. These kinds of features show how Google is blending its AI prowess with Nest’s legacy of energy saving. And of course, the thermostats participate in utility demand response programs via Nest’s Seasonal Savings and other opt-in services that can tweak settings to reduce load during peak energy times (usually with rebates for the user).

Google Home Software, Services, and AI Platform

Hardware is only half the story – Google’s smart home ecosystem is heavily defined by its software: the Google Home app, Google Assistant (now evolving with AI), automation routines, and subscription services like Nest Aware. As of late 2025, Google’s platform has seen significant upgrades aimed at unifying the experience, embracing new industry standards, and adding intelligence.

The Google Home App: One App to Rule Them All

The Google Home app (Android/iOS) is the central command center for Google’s smart home. In 2023, Google rolled out a major redesign of the Home app – the largest overhaul since its 2016 debut. The new interface was first released in Public Preview in late 2022 blog.google and refined with user feedback. Key changes in the new Google Home app include:

• Favorites Tab: The app now opens to a customizable Favorites screen blog.google. Here, you can pin your most important devices, groups, or automations for quick access. Love seeing your front door camera and thermostat as soon as you open the app? You can favorite them. If you have Nest Cams, you can even favorite their live feeds – so the app can launch directly into a grid of camera views without extra taps blog.google blog.google. This personalized dashboard is a big usability win, especially for users with many devices.
• Spaces: To help organize the exploding number of device types, Google added pre-defined Spaces – essentially filtered views for specific categories like Lights, Cameras, Climate (Thermostats), Wi-Fi network, Speakers, and Cameras blog.google. Tapping “Lights” shows all your lights grouped by room, “Cameras” shows all camera feeds, etc., in one view. In 2024, Google added Custom Spaces as well, letting users create their own groups of devices however they like blog.google blog.google. An example from Google: you could make a “Pet Space” that groups a pet cam, smart feeder, air purifier, and vacuum – devices across different rooms but unified by purpose blog.google blog.google. Spaces make the app far more scalable and organized than the old single long list of rooms.
• Media and Connectivity Controls: At the top of the Favorites tab, there’s a media player widget showing what’s currently playing in your home (e.g. “Living Room Speaker – Spotify”). This mini player lets you quickly pause, skip tracks, or adjust volume on active speakers blog.google. If you tap it, you get the full media controls and cast interface. Similarly, for those with Google/Nest Wifi, a Wi-Fi “space” shows your network status and devices. The aim is to surface common controls without diving into sub-menus.
• Refreshed Camera Interface: Google worked to bring the best of the old Nest app’s beloved camera interface into Google Home. Now, tapping a camera in the Home app brings a much improved timeline viewer with fine scrubbing and event markers blog.google. Important moments (captured by the cam’s ML, like person, package, motion) are labeled and color-coded on the timeline for easy review blog.google. You can scroll through hours of footage in seconds and quickly jump to the 10-second action clip you care about blog.google. This was a critical update – early on, many users complained the Google Home app lacked the polished experience of the Nest app for video history. Over 2023–24, Google added support for all Nest camera models into this new interface theverge.com theverge.com, as mentioned, finally letting people delete the old Nest app entirely. Additionally, Google Home for Web (home.google.com) launched a full camera viewing page, so on a computer you can watch live feeds or recorded events from any Nest Cam or Doorbell.
• New Automation Tab: The redesign puts home automation “front and center” with its own tab, rather than burying routines in menus blog.google. The Automation tab shows your Household Routines (which are basically if-this-then-that style rules you’ve set up) at a glance. Google expanded the capabilities of routines significantly: you can use many more device types as triggers or actions now blog.google. For example, a motion sensor detecting movement, a smart lock being unlocked, or a temperature threshold can initiate routines – not just voice commands or schedules. There are preset Routine suggestions as well. A new “Script Editor” was introduced (initially on the Home app for web) to give advanced users power-user automation abilities blog.google. This editor uses a YAML syntax and supports over 100 new features and conditions that the normal routine UI can’t do blog.google support.google.com – things like repeating actions, conditional logic, delay timers, calling webhooks, etc. It’s akin to SmartThings’ Groovy or Home Assistant’s automations, right within Google Home. While still in Public Preview as of 2025, many enthusiasts have jumped on it to build complex routines (for instance, “if camera sees a person and it’s after sunset, flash the porch lights and broadcast a warning”).
• “Home Panel” on Android & Wear OS: Google also integrated quick smart home controls into other surfaces. On Android 11+, tapping the Google Home icon in the phone’s power menu or using the lockscreen device controls shows a Home panel for quick toggles (this was earlier tied to Assistant). On Wear OS (e.g. Pixel Watch), the Google Home watch app (launched in late 2022) lets you glance at thermostat temps or camera notifications and even talk to unlock your door from your wrist blog.google. And as noted earlier, the new Google TV Streamer’s interface includes a side panel for Google Home devices on your TV theverge.com.

All these enhancements underscore Google’s push to make the Home app a unified hub not just for Google-made products, but for all your smart home gear – Nest or not. With the advent of Matter, the Home app can directly set up and control Matter-certified devices from dozens of brands blog.google blog.google. For instance, you can add a Matter smart bulb or smart plug in the Home app with Android Fast Pair pop-ups simplifying the process blog.google. Google even touts that over 80,000 devices that work with Google Assistant can be managed through the Home app now blog.google. In short, the app is aiming to be “the single best place” to control and automate your home blog.google, fulfilling the promise of an ecosystem that just works, whether you have two devices or two hundred.

Google Assistant and the Rise of “Gemini” AI in the Home

Of course, the Google Home experience wouldn’t be complete without Google Assistant, the voice AI that powers all those speakers, displays, and more. In 2024–2025, Google Assistant is undergoing its biggest transformation ever – shifting from the traditional command-based assistant to a more conversational, AI-driven helper backed by Google’s new Gemini large language model. This evolution is akin to moving from a simple Q&A bot to something more like ChatGPT but specifically tuned for helpful tasks.

In the smart home context, what does this mean? For one, Google promises a more natural dialogue with your home devices. Instead of rigid commands, you might say, “Hey Google, I’m headed out for vacation for a week,” and the Assistant (powered by Gemini) could understand this and offer to set an away routine: it might reply, “Okay, shall I lock all doors, set the thermostat to Eco mode, and arm the cameras every evening?” – a much more contextual and proactive assistant than before. Google gave a glimpse of this future at I/O 2023 and at the Pixel 8 launch in late 2024, where they demoed Assistant with Bard (Bard being their LLM chat AI) handling complex queries and multitasking.

For the smart home, the new Gemini Assistant is expected to live first in the upcoming hardware like the leaked Nest speaker routenote.com routenote.com and presumably next-gen hubs. It will allow continuous conversation mode by default (no need to say “Hey Google” for follow-ups), and it can handle compound or nuanced requests better. For example, you could say: “Hey Google, set the lights to a color that matches the sunset I saw in Hawaii last year” – an LLM-powered assistant might infer and execute a specific warm color scene, whereas old Assistant would probably be stumped. Google has indicated Gemini will bring more “fluid conversations” and even the ability to help set up automations via conversation routenote.com androidheadlines.com. That could be game-changing: imagine telling your Nest Hub, “When I say ‘It’s movie time’, dim the living room lights and turn on the TV,” and the Assistant just creates that routine for you on the fly.

Another area is smarter alerts and insights. We already see an example with the Nest Aware Plus “intelligent summaries” – where AI can generate a caption for camera events (“Julie came home and took the dog out at 5 PM”) theverge.com. In the future, Google’s AI could analyze patterns: “Your front door was left open twice this afternoon, is that expected?” or “The living room has been 80°F for 2 hours, would you like to adjust the thermostat?” Some of this insight is present in 2025 in basic forms (the Home app can ping you if a device is offline, or suggest you enable presence sensing), but a LLM could make it far more personalized and useful. Google is also reportedly working on natural language programming for routines – essentially you could just tell the assistant what you want to happen in plain English and it will compile the script.

Security and privacy remain considerations: Google emphasizes that much of the on-device AI (like sound detection or camera person detection) runs locally, and audio recordings aren’t sent to the cloud unless you use voice commands. With the new voice models, Google has said they plan to allow certain AI tasks to run on-device (the next Nest speaker will likely have a chip to run the Gemini model locally for quick responses, similar to how the Pixel 8 phones run Bard on-device for some queries). This would keep your voice interactions more private and instantaneous.

It’s worth noting that in late 2023 and early 2024, Google actually removed some older Assistant features – a somewhat controversial move. They sunset a number of rarely-used Assistant automations and third-party integrations (like some location-based reminders, voice-driven notes, etc.), calling it a streamlining effort forbes.com forbes.com. While users felt some pain from losing features, Google’s rationale was to clean the slate for the new generative Assistant. The forthcoming Assistant will likely add entirely new capabilities that dwarf those legacy features.

In summary, Google Assistant in late 2025 is at an inflection point. The existing Assistant is still very capable for home control – it can handle multiple commands at once (“lock the doors and turn off the lights downstairs”), answer general questions, and even execute custom routines by voice. But what’s coming next with Gemini is a more “conversational concierge” for your home, tying together context from your personal life (calendars, preferences) with control over devices. Google has promised updates rolling out through 2024 and 2025 to bring these AI enhancements to Assistant across devices routenote.com techradar.com. The leaked speaker in August 2025 was a strong hint that by the time it launches, we’ll be talking to a much smarter Assistant when we say “Hey Google.”

Home Automation: Routines, Presence Sensing, and Scripting

Automating tasks is a big part of any smart home, and Google’s ecosystem provides several tools for this:

• Household Routines: These are the if-this-then-that style automations configurable in the Home app’s Automations tab. Google provides ready-made routines for common needs (like “Good Morning,” “I’m Leaving,” etc.), and you can create your own. Triggers (starters) can include: voice phrases, a set time/schedule, sunrise/sunset, when a device does something (e.g. motion detected, door opens), when you silence an alarm on a Nest Hub, or when nobody/home (presence) conditions are met blog.google. Actions can range from adjusting lights and thermostats to playing music, announcing something on speakers, or running Assistant commands. In 2023 Google greatly expanded routine starters and actions to include many new devices blog.google – for instance, a water leak sensor detecting water could trigger an announcement and turn off a smart valve, or a specific person arriving home (using their phone’s location and face detection on a Nest Cam) could disarm cameras and turn on interior lights. The Home app now also supports conditions in routines (like “Only run this if after sunset” or “if the thermostat is in cooling mode”). For most users, the visual Routine editor is enough to create useful automations.
• Presence Sensing: Google uses an optional feature called Presence Sensing to know if you’re home or away. It combines signals from multiple sources – your phone’s location (if you opt in via the Home & Away routine settings), Nest device activity (Nest Guard alarm, Nest Protect motion, Nest Hub’s Soli motion detection, etc.), and now even connected smart sensors – to determine occupancy. This enables Home/Away Routines that automatically execute when the last person leaves or the first person returns. A common Away routine might turn off all lights, set thermostats to eco, and arm cameras. A Home routine might reverse those. In 2024, Google refined presence sensing to be more reliable, addressing earlier complaints of routines misfiring. For example, they added a feature where Nest Hub Max’s camera can use familiar face detection to confirm it’s actually a household member arriving, not just any motion, before turning off alarms. Presence routines are easily configurable and one of the best “set it and forget it” automations for energy and security.
• Advanced Script Editor: For those who outgrow the basics, the script editor (currently accessible via Home app web preview) unlocks complex automation scenarios. This is essentially writing a bit of code (YAML) to do things like: loops, delays, variables, and more fine-grained control. Recent updates to the script editor (mid-2024) added support for using camera events as triggers, including specific object detection (e.g. “if the driveway camera sees a person, do X”) googlenestcommunity.com. It also added notification actions where a routine can send a custom phone notification (with images, etc.), and suppressions to prevent repetitive triggers googlenestcommunity.com. The script editor brings Google Home closer to parity with DIY platforms like Home Assistant or SmartThings in terms of power, all while staying within Google’s cloud ecosystem. One difference is that Google’s automations run in the cloud (except very simple local time/device triggers) – so they may have a second or two of latency and won’t work if internet is out. Google is exploring more local execution especially with Matter (e.g. a motion sensor triggering a light through a Nest Hub can be local), but cloud logic still drives most routines.

All considered, Google’s approach to automation tries to cater to novices with an easy app and to experts with the script editor. The ecosystem’s intelligence also automates things for you: Nest thermostats learn schedules, cameras decide when to record, and presence sensing handles away modes. Google often uses the phrase “helpful home” – the idea is the home anticipates needs (with your input and permission). For example, Nest Protects used to turn on Nest thermostats’ away mode if no one’s moving around. The integration between Nest devices allows for neat tricks: if your Nest smoke alarm goes off, your Nest Hub can flash the lights red and your speakers can announce “Emergency!” via a routine – giving whole-home awareness.

Nest Aware: Security Subscriptions and Services

While many features are free, Google offers the Nest Aware subscription for advanced security monitoring. Nest Aware has been simplified into two plans (and as mentioned, a possible rebranding is on the horizon):

• Nest Aware (Standard) – Costs $10 per month or $100/year as of Aug 2025 (previously $8/mo, $80/yr) theverge.com. This plan gives 30 days of event video history for all your Nest cameras and doorbells. “Event history” means any time the camera detects motion or a person etc., the clip is saved to the cloud and viewable for 30 days. (Without a subscription, you only get 3 hours of events stored.) The standard plan does not include 24/7 continuous recording, since that’s very data-heavy – it’s event-based only. However, 30 days is a generous retention for most needs. The plan also activates Familiar Faces recognition: if you label people in your Google Photos or Home app, the cameras will start telling you by name who’s in view (“Claire spotted at Backyard Camera”) theverge.com. It enables sound detection alerts on speakers/hubs as well – your Nest Mini or Nest Hub can listen for smoke alarms or glass breaking and send alerts (this was originally a Nest Guard feature, but got folded into Aware for speakers) theverge.com. Additionally, with Aware you get the ability in the Home app to call your local 911 dispatch center directly (useful if you’re away and see an emergency at home – the service connects you to the 911 center near your house, not the one near your phone) theverge.com. This could save critical minutes in emergency response. These features apply to all devices in one “home” location.
• Nest Aware Plus – Costs $20 per month or $200/year after the 2025 increase (was $15/mo, $150/yr) theverge.com. This includes everything above but doubles event history to 60 days and, importantly, adds 10 days of 24/7 video history for devices that support continuous recording theverge.com. So if you have any wired Nest Cam or Nest Doorbell (wired) and want around-the-clock recording, Plus is the way to go. It will keep a rolling 10-day full video recording that you can scrub through (older footage beyond 10 days will fall back to the 60-day events). Plus also is required for the new “intelligent alerts with captions” feature Google is introducing theverge.com. This is where the AI, using Gemini vision models, will generate a textual description of what happened in a video clip – e.g. “A person walked their dog by the front yard at 2:35 PM” instead of just “Person detected.” Google had this in beta via Public Preview and is likely to roll it out widely as part of Nest Aware Plus, making the higher tier more compelling. It’s comparable to Ring’s rich notifications or Arlo’s smart alerts, but with Google’s twist of more natural language.

One nice aspect: one subscription covers unlimited devices in your home theverge.com. Whether you have 2 cameras or 10, the price is the same. Many competitors charge per camera or have tiered plans, so Google’s approach can be cost-effective for camera-heavy homes (though at $200/yr for Plus, it’s at the high end of the market). Google argues the pricing is on par with rivals’ premium plans that offer face detection and smart alerts theverge.com – for instance, Ring’s highest plan is $20/mo and Arlo’s multi-cam plan is around $18/mo theverge.com.

It’s worth noting the recent news that Google appears poised to rebrand or revamp Nest Aware into something called “Google Home Premium.” In August 2025, an Android Police report revealed strings in the app and support pages indicating Nest Aware may be folded into a broader subscription androidpolice.com. This could hint that beyond just cameras, a Premium plan might bundle other perks – perhaps extended video storage, advanced AI features across the home, or even integration with Google One cloud storage plans. (Speculatively, Google could tie Home Premium with higher-tier Google One memberships, since 2 TB Google One now includes the older Nest Aware in some regions reddit.com.) As of late 2025, nothing official has been announced, but we do know Google is investing in more AI-powered services for the home that could justify a subscription. The Nest Aware branding, tied to Nest Cam history, might evolve when things like AI summaries, enhanced home security monitoring, and maybe even professional monitoring (if they partner with ADT for a bundle) come into play.

For now, if you have Nest Cams or Doorbells, subscribing to Nest Aware is what unlocks their full potential – especially for knowing who was seen and keeping a searchable history for weeks. If you’re content with just getting motion alerts and checking within a couple hours, you can technically avoid the subscription. But features like package detection or familiar face alerts do require it. On the other hand, Nest thermostats or Protect alarms do not require any subscription – their features are fully usable as-is (Protect has no sub, and thermostat’s only “sub” is if you choose to link with utility programs).

Matter and Third-Party Device Integration

Perhaps the biggest change in the smart home landscape in recent years is the advent of Matter, an interoperability standard that all the big players (Google, Apple, Amazon, Samsung etc.) agreed upon. Matter aims to make devices from different brands work together seamlessly, and Google has been a strong proponent of it. In late 2022, when Matter 1.0 launched, Google rolled out updates to Android and Nest devices to be Matter-ready blog.google blog.google. Here’s how Google’s ecosystem integrates with Matter and other third-party devices as of 2025:

• Android Fast Pair & QR Code Setup: Setting up a new Matter device can be as easy as turning it on. Your Android phone will automatically detect a Matter device (via Bluetooth) and prompt you to add it, similar to how AirPods pop up on iPhones blog.google. Alternatively, you can scan the Matter QR code. Google handles connecting it to your home network and linking it to your Google Home. This streamlined onboarding removes the headache of installing multiple manufacturer apps just to add a light bulb.
• Google Nest as Controllers and Hubs: All Google Nest speakers, displays, and hubs with updated firmware can act as Matter controllers – meaning they can send commands to Matter devices locally in your home. Furthermore, devices with Thread (Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max after an update, Nest Wifi routers, Nest Wifi Pro, Google TV Streamer, etc.) serve as Thread Border Routers theverge.com theverge.com. Thread is a low-power mesh network used by Matter for things like sensors and locks. For example, a Thread-enabled motion sensor can communicate to a Nest Hub 2nd Gen, which bridges it to Wi-Fi and the rest of your network. Google strategically placed Thread radios in many Nest devices: the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) and Nest Wifi units are two big ones, and the new Google TV Streamer has one as well theverge.com. The older Google Home/Nest Audio speakers do not have Thread, but that’s okay – as long as you have at least one border router in your system, the Thread devices can join the fabric. Google has basically turned its smart displays and Wi-Fi into the infrastructure for your Matter network.
• Cross-Platform Control (Multi-Admin): Matter has a feature called multi-admin which Google supports. It allows you to share devices between apps/platforms without unpairing and re-pairing. For instance, you can set up a smart plug in Google Home, then use the manufacturer’s app or even Apple’s Home app to also control it – the device can securely connect to multiple “controllers” at once support.google.com support.google.com. Practically, this means if one family member prefers Siri on their iPhone and another likes Google Assistant, a Matter light can be controlled by both. Google has also worked with Amazon such that you can easily expose your Matter devices from Google Home to Alexa. Using the Google Home app’s “Works with Alexa” option, you can authorize Amazon to see your devices (this uses Matter’s multi-admin behind the scenes, instead of the old cloud-to-cloud linking). It’s a big win for consumers, as the walled gardens are coming down – you aren’t locked into one ecosystem’s hardware because of your past device choices.
• “Works with Google Home” and Legacy Integrations: Before Matter, Google had the “Works with Google Assistant” program (previously “Works with Nest” for some devices). That allowed third-party services like Philips Hue or SmartThings to link with Google. Those cloud-to-cloud integrations still exist and cover thousands of products that might not be Matter yet (e.g. a Roomba vacuum or a Dyson fan can be controlled via linking their account to Google Assistant). Google continues to support these, and the Home app still has the Add > “Works with Google” section for connecting accounts. However, going forward, more new products will use Matter as it matures. Google’s own products are also embracing Matter – for instance, the Nest Thermostat 2020 and Nest Thermostat 4th Gen both work in other ecosystems thanks to Matter theverge.com theverge.com. The Nest Doorbell and cameras are not Matter devices (there’s no Matter spec for cameras yet as of 2025), so they still rely on the Google Home app or Assistant for any cross-platform use (HomeKit Secure Video doesn’t officially include Nest, but some use tools like Homebridge to get around that). We may see future standards for cameras and robotic vacuums, etc., either through Matter or another layer, but not quite yet.
• Third-Party Device Example: Suppose you buy a Philips Hue kit. You can add it to Google Home (either via the Hue Bridge’s Matter support or via the Hue cloud integration). Google Home will list all the Hue lights, and you can voice control them or include them in routines alongside your Nest gear. Or say you get a SmartThings sensor – SmartThings and Google Home can share devices via Matter multi-admin, so that sensor could trigger a Google routine. Another example: August smart locks – August added Matter support to some models; you could then integrate it such that “Hey Google, lock the front door” works directly, and also have a routine that if the front door lock is unlocked after 9 PM, Google Assistant announces “Front door opened”. These cross-brand scenarios are now much easier than a few years ago.

Overall, Google’s ecosystem plays very nicely with others in 2025. The company’s strategy seems to be: be the best app and assistant for a heterogenous smart home. They know many folks have Alexa or Apple devices too, so they’re ensuring Google Home is open. For instance, Google and Apple both support each other’s music services on their speakers now (you can set Apple Music as the default on a Nest Audio, or Spotify on a HomePod, etc.). Similarly, Google Home supports streaming video to your TV via Chromecast, but also has an app on Android TV / Google TV devices to show camera feeds (and you can even ask a Fire TV with Alexa to show a Nest Cam, thanks to an Alexa skill – not Matter, but still cross-platform). The bottom line: integration is a strong suit for Google’s smart home, from Zigbee bridges (Hue, Aqara) to Wi-Fi devices to the new Matter universe.

Looking Ahead: New Nest Hardware and Developments in Late 2025 and Beyond

Google has publicly stated to “expect even more helpful home devices in the coming months and years” techradar.com techradar.com. From what we’ve gathered, here’s what’s likely on the roadmap and rumor mill:

• Next-Gen Nest Speaker & Display: The leaked Gemini-powered Nest speaker will almost certainly launch with a marketing push around Google’s AI chops routenote.com routenote.com. It might be called something like “Google Home (something)” since Android Headlines even referred to it as simply the “Google Home speaker” androidheadlines.com – possibly signaling a return to the Google Home naming. Alongside it, an updated Nest Hub Max (2nd Gen) is anticipated. It’s been over four years since the original, and with the Hub Max now pulled from Google Store in some regions by mid-2025, a replacement could feature an improved camera, possibly a larger screen (rumors mention a 12-inch display) ts2.tech, and of course the Gemini Assistant. Some patent filings hint at a Nest Hub with a detachable screen (much like the Pixel Tablet concept) – it wouldn’t be surprising if Google eventually converges those product lines. There’s also speculation of built-in Matter/Thread in new displays and even perhaps a battery in one for short portability.
• New Cameras and Doorbell: As discussed, second-generation Nest Cam (battery) and Nest Cam (wired) models are expected, likely keeping 1080p but maybe improving HDR/night vision or field of view. If Google opts to add higher resolution, it would be a welcome upgrade, but no solid leaks confirm that yet. The new Nest Doorbell (Battery, 2nd Gen) is due – potentially addressing complaints by adding things like continuous recording when wired (if hardware allows) or at least better image quality. Android Headlines leaks showed it in an off-white “Snow” color and mentioned features like garage door detection (perhaps using camera AI to see if your garage door was left open) techradar.com and more refined alerts for animals/vehicles – which sound like software enhancements leveraging the new model’s processing power. One tidbit: the leak noted the new doorbell has a bit of local storage as a backup (just ~1 hour) but explicitly not meant for true local usage without Nest Aware techradar.com. That aligns with current cameras’ behavior and indicates Google will continue to rely on cloud for primary storage (with the subscription). Expect these new cams to be announced possibly in a fall hardware event or a Nest-only release – Google sometimes quietly launches Nest gear outside of big events (like how the Thermostat was announced via blog post).
• New Nest Protect or Sensor Devices: With Nest Protect retired, it’s possible Google will introduce a next-gen Protect with longer battery life or new detection capabilities (for instance, some newer alarms can detect indoor air quality or even gas leaks). However, Google might also leave this category – they said they’re focusing on partners for some hardware droid-life.com techradar.com. We could see a Matter-enabled Nest Protect if they simply update it to join the new ecosystem (so it could trigger routines in the Home app like turning on all lights when smoke is detected). As of late 2025, no concrete rumors of a new Protect have surfaced, so its future remains uncertain.
• Nest × ADT Integration: By 2025, ADT’s new security system powered by Google Nest should be fully in market. This includes an ADT control hub that works with Nest’s cameras and sensors, and full Google Home app integration (so your security system shows up in Google Home). If you prefer a professionally monitored solution, ADT+Google is the path Google endorses. There’s talk that Google Home app might even allow subscribing to ADT’s service directly as a “upgrade” – essentially Google Home Premium could one day offer professional monitoring add-on (this is speculative but would match what Apple did with HomeKit Secure Video and some monitoring options).
• Wearables and Mobile Integration: Google’s Pixel Watch 2 (2024) and phones are getting better tied to the home. For instance, the Watch can automatically show your Nest doorbell feed when the doorbell rings (a feature enabled via the Home app on Wear OS). Also, phones now have a home panel shortcut in quick settings on Pixel devices. We may see Google push proactive suggestions to your phone – e.g. “It’s bedtime, tap to run your nighttime routine” appearing as a notification. They have all the pieces (Assistant, routines, personal data) to do these context-based prompts more.
• Competition and Matter’s Growth: By late 2025, Amazon and Apple have also updated their smart home offerings (Amazon launched its own LLM “Alexa with improved conversation” and new Echo devices, Apple introduced iOS updates to Home and likely a new HomePod in 2024). Google’s challenge is to leverage its strength in AI to leapfrog. The leaked sentiments show Google is aware of needing to catch up in hardware variety (“Google hasn’t given us a new home device since 2022’s Nest Wifi 6E” one commentator noted bluntly droid-life.com droid-life.com). The TechRadar coverage also pointed out Amazon’s onslaught of budget Echo devices could pressure Google to diversify or lower prices techradar.com. In response, Google’s leaning into unique colors and aesthetics (we see that with the colorful indoor cams) and embedding Assistant everywhere (even the new Pixel phones can function as little smart home sensors and controllers with their AI). Matter will continue to make device choice more about the app and ecosystem experience than the voice protocol. And that’s where Google is aiming: make the Google Home app + Assistant so good that people prefer it as the master controller, regardless of which smart bulbs or locks they buy.

In conclusion, Google’s smart home ecosystem in late 2025 is robust, feature-rich, and more open than ever. The current hardware lineup – from the Nest Hub displays that show your day at a glance, to the Nest Cam guarding your doorstep, to the learning thermostat saving you energy – covers all the bases of a modern connected home. Google has woven these devices together with a revamped Home app and is infusing the system with powerful AI via its Gemini Assistant. The ecosystem is not without competition or the occasional glitch (some long-time users grumble about bugs or features that were lost in transition techradar.com), but Google’s recent updates and forthcoming devices suggest a renewed commitment to the smart home. With new Nest devices on the horizon and the promise of more intelligent, personalized control, Google is positioning its Nest ecosystem as a serious contender for the smartest home on the block.

Sources: Google Nest official blog and product pages; hands-on reviews from The Verge theverge.com theverge.com, Droid-Life droid-life.com droid-life.com, Android Headlines androidheadlines.com androidheadlines.com; The Verge news on Nest Aware theverge.com theverge.com and Google TV Streamer theverge.com theverge.com; TechRadar and Android Police for rumors and industry context techradar.com techradar.com.