Google Home makes it easier than ever to interact with the web and get the information you need, and while we’re still waiting to find out exactly when Google will launch its new Google Home speakers, the tech giant has already started phasing out its older Nest speakers in preparation for a “spring 2026” release of the new hardware. To help usher in this new era of Google Home speakers, Google has revealed some of the key AI-powered features of this next-generation home assistant, which it has detailed in a new support document. Since late 2025, Google has slowly been upgrading Google Home with new features based on Gemini, and these new features became available to early access members on June 8, 2026. It’s likely we’ll see a full release on the broader Google Home network in the coming months, although no specific timeline has been given yet.
Among the main improvements are more detailed and accurate weather forecasts. Google says these will provide improved voice results and show more consistent forecasts based on your chosen temperature unit. You’ll also now be able to rely on time context for forecasts, allowing you to check things like sunshine at 4 p.m. If you’re using a Google Home smart display, you’ll also be able to see time chats displayed directly on the device.
More Gemini expansions and platform upgrades
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Google is also relying on Gemini to do the heavy lifting with a new feature that will let you explore and discover new types of music, TV shows, movies and more. This is all part of the company’s attempts to unlock enhanced video browsing right on your Google Home device, and it looks like it will be a solid feature for tablet-like devices like the Pixel tablet. Since many of these new features appear to have some sort of visual addition, the Pixel tablet remains a smart buy in 2026 for those looking to expand their pool of Google Home devices.
In addition to being able to more easily find and launch videos on your Google Home screen, Google’s patch notes also indicate that users will now be able to stream movies and TV shows directly from their favorite streaming services. You’ll need to connect these services – the same way you need to connect Spotify and other music services to your Google Home account – but once that’s done and you’ve installed the new update, you should be able to conversationally speak with Gemini and start watching these shows immediately.
Google also claims to have improved the performance of the platform as a whole, now allowing you to conversationally control things like volume, and allowing Google to better ignore background noise and speech in general. The patch notes also indicate that Gemini in Google Home will now be even better at helping you manage reminders, notes, and lists with faster responses, as well as better understand your conversational requests.
