Google Is Retiring Assistant – And Gemini Is Taking Over Your Smart Home from 1 October

Google's Oct. 1 event could see Gemini land in an array of smart home products. - Google

Big changes are coming to Google’s smart home ecosystem. Starting 1 October, Google is officially retiring the Google Assistant on its Nest and Home devices — and replacing it with Gemini, its next-generation AI assistant.

This is more than a name change. It’s a shift in how Google sees the smart home: not just as a set of connected gadgets, but as a space that can genuinely understand and respond to you like a person would.

Goodbye Assistant, Hello Gemini

For years, Google Assistant has been the voice behind smart speakers, Nest Hubs and other home devices. It was functional but limited. You had to speak in a very specific way to get results. And if you needed to chain commands together or interrupt it mid-task, forget it.

Now, Google is making a clean break. Assistant is out. Gemini is in.

From 1 October, your Nest and Google Home devices will begin transitioning to Gemini for Home. This isn't a background update. It’s a full-blown replacement, and it’s going to change how you interact with your smart home every day.

What Gemini Does Differently

Gemini is built to understand real, everyday conversation. It listens more like a person, not a robot waiting for key phrases.

Instead of saying “Hey Google” over and over, you’ll be able to start a session by saying “Hey Google, let’s chat”, and from there, talk naturally. Ask a question. Change your mind halfway. Follow up with something unrelated. Gemini keeps up.

It’s designed for actual living — the chaos of cooking dinner, getting kids out the door, or juggling work and housework. You can say:

• “Turn off all the lights except the kitchen”

• “Set a timer for 10 minutes and put on some music”

• “Remind me to take the bins out if it doesn’t rain”

And it just works. No repeating, no strict phrasing, no shouting over your shoulder.

A Smarter Home, Not Just Smarter Devices

This isn’t just a flashy upgrade. It’s a move that adds real intelligence to the smart home concept.

Gemini plugs into the full ecosystem of Nest products and compatible devices. It can:

• Analyse Nest Cam footage to detect deliveries or suspicious motion

• Help with vague media requests like “Play that jazz song from that Netflix show”

• Offer smarter suggestions for routines, energy use or schedules

• Handle proper multitasking — like dimming lights, setting timers and adjusting temperature all in one go

It treats your home like a connected environment, not a pile of gadgets with different apps.

Free and Paid Options

The core Gemini experience will be free, and that includes the major upgrade from Assistant. But Google is also expected to roll out a premium version with deeper features — likely bundled into a “Google Home Premium” tier or as part of Nest Aware.

For casual users, the free tier should be plenty. But if you're someone with multiple cameras, speakers and routines running every day, the paid version might be worth exploring once it launches.

New Nest Devices on the Horizon

To go along with Gemini, Google is releasing new hardware built to support the update natively.

• New Nest Cams will come with 2K resolution, improved night vision and daily AI summaries

• A new smart speaker has also been teased — round, compact, and built to handle Gemini’s enhanced capabilities out of the box

These devices aren’t required to use Gemini, but they’ll offer better performance and more features right away.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just a software refresh. It’s a clear message: Google wants to lead the smart home space again.

By phasing out Assistant entirely and replacing it with something built for natural conversation, Google is rethinking the role of the home assistant. It’s no longer just about responding to commands — it’s about making the home feel like it runs with you, not around you.

That kind of shift could make smart homes actually feel smart for once. And it might push other players like Amazon and Apple to raise their game.

Final Thought

If you own Nest or Google Home devices, this change is coming whether you’re ready or not. And from early signs, it looks like a good one. Gemini has the potential to make smart homes more seamless, less frustrating and actually helpful in real life.

Mark your calendar for 1 October. That’s when Google officially turns the page — from Assistant to Gemini, and from routine to intelligent.