X

Google Home gets 7 new tricks

The Google Assistant got smarter at Wednesday's Pixel event.

Andrew Gebhart Former senior producer
2 min read
Google home mini launch

Google launched two new smart speakers on Wednesday. They'll both be able to yell at your kids. 

CNET

As Google launched two new members of its smart speaker lineup on Wednesday -- the Home Mini and the Max -- the company also announced new tricks to make the always-listening Google Assistant even smarter across all Home devices. 

  1. Broadcast: The coolest new feature lets you send a message to all the other Home devices in your house. Call your kids to dinner or tell your spouse that you're on your way. 
  2. Find your phone: Ask Google's digital assistant to find your phone, and it will ring your Android phone, even if it's on silent. 
  3. Smart home routines: Google is getting better at managing the smart home as well. You'll now be able to add your synced devices to your routines. Give a single command such as "Good morning" and the Google Assistant can turn on your lights, raise the temperature of your thermostat, and help get your house ready for the day.
  4. Show my entryway: If you have a Nest Cam IQ and a Chromecast , tell Google you want to see your front door, and the live stream from the cam will pull up on your TV. 
  5. Doorbell chimes: In another collaboration with Nest , Nest's new smart doorbell -- called the  Nest Hello -- will sound a chime on your Google Home . Your Home can even announce a person the Nest doorbell recognizes via facial recognition.
  6. Family accounts: You can already create individual accounts for family members to help Google learn everybody's voice and customize responses accordingly. Now, parents can create accounts for kids under 13. Google is promising improved understanding of your kids' speech.
  7. Family fun: Google's also partnering with the likes of Disney, Warner Brothers and Sports Illustratred for Kids to offer unique experiences tailored for the whole family when you ask it to tell a story, play a game or say "let's learn."
Watch this: 7 new tricks in the Google Home

We'll see if these features are enough to help the original Google Home and the new members of the Home lineup out duel Amazon's similar smart speaker lineup

Google Pixel 2 event live: Watch the livestream of Google's press conference

Everything Google just announcedEvery story from today's event