At last year’s Google I/O, we introduced the Gemini era for Google Home, moving beyond basic device control toward a home that acts proactively on your behalf. Today, we’re excited to take the next step: making Gemini for Home a full-stack AI offering.

By combining the Google Home APIs—which provide access to hundreds of millions of devices—with our latest Gemini features, we are enabling service providers and hardware manufacturers to build monetizable, proactive services that care for users and their homes.

Bringing the Power of Gemini to Google Home

The same tools we are opening to developers are already transforming the Google Home experience for customers. We’ve built this transformation on three core capabilities:

• Camera intelligence: With Gemini, cameras can now "see" and describe specific events. Instead of a generic "person detected" notification, users receive relevant context.

• Ask Home: Using voice or by chatting with Ask Home, users can ask complex, household-specific questions like, “Did the dog chew the shoe on the couch?” and receive real-time, tailored answers.

• Home Brief: Gemini processes hours of sensor and video data to provide a daily summary. It understands your household context—like knowing who family members are—to tell you that "Julie delivered flowers to Marina upstairs" while you were away.

New Opportunities for Service Providers

For Carriers, ISPs, and security companies, Gemini for Home offers a way to bundle peace of mind with branded, high value services. By integrating the Google Home Premium subscription, service providers can offer:

• Daily household awareness: Leveraging Home Brief to give customers a synthesized summary of home activity, highlighting what they care about most.

• Advanced deterrence: Using natural language to create "simulated presence" automations, making a home look occupied while the family is on vacation.

• Proactive protection: Cutting through notification noise by using camera intelligence to identify things like specific visitors or deliveries in real time.

AT&T is already leading the way, using Google Home APIs to integrate Gemini features directly into their Connected Life app and security service. By combining Google’s camera intelligence with their own LTE backup, they are delivering a robust, AI-driven security solution to their customers.

Expanding Gemini built in

We understand that for many partners, the hardware in the home is a physical extension of their brand. However, the R&D barrier for AI-native hardware is high.

To solve this, we are expanding the Google Home Gemini built in Program, allowing you to skip the multi year research and development phase.

This program goes beyond a spec sheet and offers a turnkey solution featuring fully validated reference designs—including SOCs, sensors, and mics—built with partners like Amlogic, SEI Robotics, and Apical. With a scalable hardware design, you can save time and money - allowing you to focus on delivering an exceptional service experience.

• Smart cameras: Partners can bypass long development cycles to launch high-performance, Gemini-capable cameras with our Camera Reference Design.

• New for 2026 - smart speakers: Our Speaker Reference Design allows you to build high-fidelity speakers that support the full Gemini voice experience, acting as the command center for the home.

Build the Helpful Home Together

This is the most open the Google Home ecosystem has ever been. We are giving you the keys to the full stack—from the app layer to the hardware itself—to build a home that doesn't just wait for a command, but proactively cares for the people inside it.

Ready to get started? Sign up here to stay in the loop on all the latest program updates and features. Be sure to also check out our Google I/O developer site to learn more. We can’t wait to see what you build.

Explore this announcement and all Google I/O 2026 updates on io.google.

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