What’s New in Google Home: November 11, 2026 Release

On Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (local time), Google released the latest update, “What’s new in Google Home,” which summarizes the new features and improvements rolling out for Google Home and its related services.

This edition of “What’s new in Google Home” announces numerous feature enhancements and bug fixes, including improved reliability for smart home controls and visual answers with images on smart displays in “Gemini for Home (Early Access),” the addition of “Home keys” to the “Google Wallet” app (Public Preview), and automation creation and management support via “Google Home MCP (Early Access).”

Release notes for 2026

November 11, 2026

Gemini for Home (Early Access)

Voice Assistant

• More reliable smart home controls: Gemini is better at handling complex smart home requests, so it is less likely to say it can’t help and will ask a quick clarifying question (like “which bedroom?”) instead of guessing when multiple devices match.
• Visual answers with images on smart displays: On-screen answers on smart displays now will include relevant images when helpful so you can take in information at a glance.
• Faster timers, alarms, and media sleep timers: Gemini now responds faster when you set, check, or cancel timers, alarms, and media sleep timers. Fixed some rare cases where Gemini would fail to actually set the sleep timer.
• More conversational voice feedback: When you share feedback by voice, Gemini now makes it easier to add more detail or change your message before sending it.
• Faster Broadcasts across your home: Broadcast messages now start playing more quickly across your home’s speakers and displays.

Google Home App

Google Home Premium

• Easier access to your subscription: It’s now easier to access and manage your Home Premium subscription. Just tap on the Google Home App’s profile menu, then tap ‘Google Home Premium’ to manage your subscription and premium features.

Energy

• Eco Mode Everywhere: If you have multiple Nest thermostats, you can now enable Eco mode across every device in your home with a single press, helping you maximize energy savings instantly.

Safety & Security

• Add home keys to Google Wallet (Public Preview): Rolling out to Public Preview, users can now tap to unlock or unlock hands-free on approach by adding a digital home key to Google Wallet on supported Android devices for Aliro-compliant smart locks. Learn more.

Camera

• More reliable camera history player controls (Android): Fixed issues in camera event history where the previous and next event buttons or player controls could be missing or unresponsive on still-image events, timeline gaps, or playback error screens, or get stuck loading when rotating your phone.
• Fewer unnecessary Nest account linking prompts (Android): Fixed an issue where already-linked users could be prompted with “Do you have a Nest account?” during brief network interruptions.
• Clearer account relinking for partner cameras (Android): Fixed an issue where third-party cameras with an expired partner account link appeared offline instead of showing the option to relink your account.
• Offline legacy Nest Doorbell removal (Android): Restored the option in device settings to remove an offline unmigrated Nest Doorbell (wired, 1st gen).
• Software updates for Nest Cam Indoor (1st gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (1st gen), Nest Doorbell (wired, 1st gen / Nest Hello), Nest Cam IQ Indoor, and Nest Cam IQ Outdoor migrated to the Google Home app:
  • Fixed live streaming connection issues on certain network connections: Resolved an issue where live streaming could fail to connect over certain internet connections (such as PPPoE, fiber, or mobile hotspots) while event history continued recording normally, and improved live stream responsiveness and smoothness.
  • Restored event thumbnails on Nest Cam IQ: Fixed an issue on Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Nest Cam IQ Outdoor where event previews in the Google Home app could appear blank.
  • Improved playback timestamps and camera reliability: Improved camera clock accuracy for reliable event history timestamps, updated security certificates, and fixed stability issues to reduce unexpected camera restarts.

Home MCP

Google Home MCP (early access)

• Create and manage household Automations: Your personal agent can now view, create, and update automations for your home, on top of checking device status, browsing history, and controlling devices. Agents can work with automations created in the Google Home app or through Google Home MCP, while sensitive security actions stay blocked for safety. Agents can’t permanently delete routines yet, so you can ask your agent to turn off an automation instead or delete it directly in the Google Home app.
• Expanded smart device support: We now support additional device capabilities including status checks and control across thermostats, fans, air purifiers, robot vacuums, lighting effects, kitchen appliances, EV chargers, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

What’s new in Google Home – Google Nest Help

“Gemini for Home (Early Access)”

Voice Assistant

Processing for complex smart home requests has been improved in Google’s AI, “Gemini,” for Google Home smart speakers and smart displays.

Gemini is now less likely to respond that it cannot help with a request. Furthermore, when multiple devices match a request, instead of guessing which one to control, it will ask a quick clarifying question such as “Which bedroom?” Additionally, on-screen answers on smart displays now include relevant images when helpful, allowing you to grasp information at a glance.

Response speeds for setting, checking, or canceling timers, alarms, and media sleep timers have also been improved, and a rare bug where sleep timers failed to be set correctly has been fixed. In addition, when sharing feedback by voice, it is now easier to add more details or change your message before sending, and the playback of broadcast messages across speakers and displays in your home starts more quickly.

Google Home App

“Google Home Premium” and Energy/Security Features

You can now more easily access and manage your subscription and premium features by tapping “Google Home Premium” from the profile menu in the Google Home app.

In energy management, if you have multiple Nest thermostats installed, you can now enable Eco mode across all devices in your home with a single tap. Additionally, for safety and security, the public preview has rolled out the ability to add “Home keys” to the “Google Wallet” app on supported Android devices for Aliro-compliant smart locks, allowing you to tap to unlock or unlock hands-free as you approach.

Camera Features

In the Android version of the Google Home app, bugs have been fixed where previous/next event buttons or player controls in the camera event history would disappear or become unresponsive on still-image events, timeline gaps, playback error screens, or when rotating the phone.

Issues have also been resolved where already-linked users might be prompted with “Do you have a Nest account?” during brief network interruptions, and where third-party cameras with expired account links appeared offline instead of showing an option to relink. Additionally, the option to remove an unmigrated, offline 1st-gen Nest Doorbell (wired) has been restored in the Android device settings.

Furthermore, software updates have been released for 1st-gen Nest Cam Indoor, 1st gen Nest Cam Outdoor, Nest Doorbell (wired, 1st gen / Nest Hello), Nest Cam IQ Indoor, and Nest Cam IQ Outdoor migrated to the Google Home app. These updates resolve live streaming connection issues under specific network environments (such as PPPoE, fiber optic, or mobile hotspots), fix blank event previews on Nest Cam IQ, improve playback timestamp accuracy and update security certificates, and enhance stability to reduce unexpected restarts.

Google Home MCP

“Google Home MCP (Early Access)”

In “Google Home MCP (Early Access),” which connects AI agents with the smart home, personal agents can now view, create, and update home automations in addition to checking device statuses, browsing history, and controlling devices.

While supporting automations created via the Google Home app or Google Home MCP, sensitive security actions remain blocked for safety. Please note that agents cannot permanently delete routines yet; if you wish to remove an automation, you can ask your agent to turn it off or delete it directly in the Google Home app.

Furthermore, expanded support has been added to check status and control a wider range of smart devices, including thermostats, fans, air purifiers, robot vacuums, lighting effects, kitchen appliances, EV chargers, and smoke/carbon monoxide alarms.

Google Home App Links

Source: Google