Google Home’s latest update makes Gemini better at understanding your commands

Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.Google is launching another update to its Home app, which is supposed to make controlling your smart home with its Gemini AI assistant “more natural and reliable,” according to this week’s release notes. With the update, you can describe the type of lighting you want, such as “the color of the ocean,” and Gemini will pick the color based on your prompt.You can also use more natural and precise language when asking Gemini to control your appliances or climate. That means you can now tell Gemini to “preheat the smart oven to 350 degrees” or set specific humidity levels. Google has improved Gemini’s ability to identify your devices, too — like “distinguishing between a ‘lamp’ and a ‘light’” — allowing it to complete requests faster, according to Google. Kids with supervised Google accounts can now gain access to Gemini for Home as well.This most recent update follows the introduction of “Live Search” for cameras earlier this month, along with improvements to Gemini’s ability to understand context.Additionally, Google announced that it’s bringing an update to Gemini Live, a feature that lets you have a back-and-forth conversation with the smart assistant. Gemini Live’s news summaries are “now deeper and more interactive” on smart displays and speakers. You can ask Gemini things like “What’s the latest news?” or “Catch me up on tech news” during a conversation to receive a detailed summary. All of these updates are rolling out now.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Emma Roth