Gemini-powered Google – A new small Google smart speaker leans on Gemini for more conversational control, and it works—right up until it quietly chooses which thermostat should get the message. The same Gemini features also bring interactive “Gemini Live” chat on some older devices,
The moment the room got cold, the new Gemini-powered Google Home speaker seemed confident—almost too confident.
In a three-story townhouse with two smart thermostats—one controlling the highest floor and another covering the lower two—the request felt simple: turn on the AC. Gemini did it immediately. But it didn’t ask which thermostat should be used. It simply decided it was time for the upstairs AC to shine.
Worse, it defaulted the thermostats to Eco mode. To get to the right temperature. the speaker had to be told to set the thermostats to 75 degrees instead of the high 70s. Still, the interaction wasn’t a total loss. When a living-room and upstairs setting were spoken in one casual line—“Can you set the temperature in the living room to 75. and upstairs too?”—both smart thermostats received the instruction.
Gemini Live is another layer in Google’s pitch for everyday conversation. It’s described as a way to talk with the Google Home Speaker using a chatty, back-and-forth mode. The trigger is simple: “Hey Google. let’s talk.” The feature is said to be available only on some older devices. In practice. the conversation flowed through topics like a 3-year-old’s sleep schedule. how to treat sunburns on your scalp. and a request for a summary of the previous night’s episode of Love Island. That last one hit a limit: Gemini didn’t have a recap yet of an episode that had premiered just a few hours before.
The speaker also pulled follow-up questions to keep each topic moving. but it would shift to whatever the user introduced next. It works as intended. The question is whether it’s actually useful in the home. The speaker reviewer doesn’t seem convinced—saying it’s more natural to use something like this on a smartphone. and that audio learners might be more likely to enjoy the experience.
What sounded like the most exciting test—asking what the speaker could see around the home via Google security cameras—didn’t land as strongly. Questions like whether the car was in the garage were met with the same wall repeatedly: Gemini either didn’t have access to the information or required an upgrade to a subscription tier. Getting answers depends on Google Home Advanced.
That product direction is playing out alongside Amazon’s own push. Google and Amazon made the same move around the same time: a new small-sized smart speaker promising the sound quality of larger speakers. retailing for $100. Smaller speakers such as previous Echo Dot models and the Google Home Mini have been popular largely because they can go almost anywhere—from a crowded shelf to a quiet corner of the kitchen—and because they were much cheaper.
Google smart speaker Gemini Gemini Live Google Home smart thermostats smart home control Google security cameras Google Home Advanced Echo Dot Amazon smart speaker
So it just chose the upstairs AC?? lol.
This is why I don’t trust smart home stuff. Like how hard is it to ask which thermostat?? If I say “turn on AC” it should do the normal one, not whatever Gemini decides. Also Eco mode by default feels shady.
Wait, it couldn’t recap Love Island but it can control my temperature? That seems backwards. I mean it probably just needs an update, right? But still, the thermostat thing… I’d be mad. Like my upstairs would freeze while downstairs is cooking, awesome.
Maybe it’s not picking the wrong thermostat, maybe that’s just how Google “interprets” commands. Like if you say AC it hears “make sure upstairs is comfortable”?? Then it throws Eco mode in there so it’s extra slow to do anything. And the Gemini Live chat with the 3-year-old sleep schedule and sunburn tips… sounds helpful but also kinda like it’s just talking to talk. If it asks “which one” I could’ve avoided telling it 75 degrees like an assistant doing my job.