Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on TechRadar.
The switch from Google Assistant to Gemini on Google’s various smart home devices hasn’t exactly been seamless, but there are encouraging signs that something is now being done about the most significant bugs and missing features.
Case in point: Google just announced that the Continued Conversation feature is making its way to users who have early access to Gemini for Home. The feature doesn’t need a subscription, and is available in all languages and in all regions — provided you’ve already been given the Gemini for Home functionality.
As the name suggests, it means you can have longer chats with Gemini, and won’t have to say “hey Google” again if you stop speaking for a few seconds. Your smart devices should keep their LEDs lit up so you know they’re still listening and will remember context from earlier in the conversation.
Google says Continued Conversation is smart enough to distinguish between commands and other “side talk” — so it won’t get confused if you suddenly tell your dog to get down from the sofa. Or at least, that’s the theory.
To see if it’s available for you, in the Google Home app, tap your profile picture (top right), then Home Settings > Gemini for Home voice assistant > Continued Conversation. Note that Gemini for Home itself is still limited in its availability.
Something similar to Continued Conversation was previously available with Google Assistant on smart devices: although the new Gemini is smarter in a few ways, Google Assistant devices were able to recognize extended instructions, without the “hey Google” phrase being used in every gap.
Users have therefore been very pleased to see the feature return: Redditors say it’s been “very awkward” and “cumbersome” to use Google Home without it, and that the feature had been “really missed” since Gemini took over. For those who have got the upgrade, it apparently “works great”.
However, there are still plenty of comments bemoaning the fact that the Gemini for Home rollout is taking so long, after having gotten underway in the second half of last year, and that there are still multiple issues that need fixing.
About the Author
David Nield is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar, you’ll find him covering news, features, and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci, and a few other places besides, as well as having edited the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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