What you need to know
- Google is rolling out an update to the Google Home app for Android following its major overhaul earlier this month.
- The update expands the availability of Ask Home, a feature that adds conversational requests and daily summaries.
- It also comes with bug fixes and improvements based on user feedback regarding version 4.0’s ambitious redesign.
Google is rolling out version 4.1 of the Google Home app for iOS and Android, bringing the “Ask Home” feature to more users, along with other improvements.
“We are actively listening and making improvements based on your feedback,” Google wrote in the statement. release notes for version 4.1.
Notably, the latest version of the Google Home app expands Ask Home’s availability to more users, provided they have access to Google Home Premium. Ask Home allows users to get answers to quick questions about their home from a natural language chatbot. It can provide daily summaries, handle complex multi-step queries, and serve as a search bar for in-app toggles.
The Google Home redesign split the app into three separate pages: Home, ActivityAnd Automations. However, some users have reported scrolling issues in the Home tab on iOS following the redesign. In the 4.1 review, Google says the Home tab experience is now “smoother and more responsive.”
The company also fixed a bug affecting the color status of elements in the Lights category on the Android app. The previous version failed to change color when a light was turned off, but it now turns gray as expected.
Finally, the Google Home app now includes a fix for incorrectly described Ask Home summaries. The release notes explain that the summaries were sometimes called “Today’s Home Brief” when they were actually from the day before.
What do I need to use Ask Home in the new Google Home app?
Google is rolling out Ask Home to more users with the release of version 4.1 of the Home app, but you’ll need a Google Home Premium subscription. There is a standard version for $10 per month or $100 per year, or an advanced tier for $20 per month or $200 per year. It succeeds Nest Aware, the previous subscription service for Google Home and Nest products.
However, you may already have free access to Google Home Premium. Google AI Pro users get the included standard version, while Google AI Ultra users get the included advanced version. You get one year of Google AI Pro free with the purchase of an eligible Pixel phone.
Check the Google Play Store to see if your Google Home app is up to date.
What is the “Ask Home” feature?
Ask Home is a natural language chatbot feature that allows users to ask conversational questions about their smart home. It can provide daily summaries, handle complex multi-step queries, get answers to quick questions about your home, and serve as a search bar to find toggles within the app.
