Google has announced that Nest Secure is finally getting Assistant support, not to be confused with being compatible with Assistant which came to Nest Secure almost a year ago.
With Google Assistant support Nest Secure turns into another Google Home speaker in your home. This support is similar to the ecobee4 that has Amazon Alexa built-in. Basically, this isn’t just “OK Google” lock the front door”, but it works as a Google Assistant hub like a smart speaker.
Technically, Google Assistant is coming to the Nest Guard, which is essentially the hub for your Nest Secure system. You can ask it for the weather, or for the news, or really anything that Google Assistant can do. If you are looking to bring the Google Assistant into every room in your home, this is a great way to do just that.
Google Assistant will also give you real-time information, so instead of just asking the Assistant to lock up the house for you, it can also let you know if your flight has been delayed or not. Also tell you the traffic conditions – a feature that is pretty important in the winter time. Google Assistant can also tell you who is at the door, if you are using the Nest Hello doorbell. This does require a Nest Aware subscription though, as that would be part of the Familiar Face alerts that Nest does.
Nest Secure is the company’s security system for your home. Allowing you to “secure” your home when you aren’t home. It’s a do-it-yourself home monitoring service that also has door and window sensors, as well as motion sensors, so it knows when a door or window has been opened. There also key fobs that the kids can use to get into the house without setting off the alarm.
It took a bit longer than it probably should have, considering Nest is owned by Google, but Google Assistant on the Nest Guard can be very useful. But let’s clear something up first. Google Assistant has been available on Nest Secure since last April. It has been compatible with the Assistant, where you can telly our Google Home that you’re home and it will disarm the doors and alarm. The difference now is that you don’t need that Google Home, it is all being done on the Nest Guard – a part of Nest Secure that is essential to it actually working.
Google says that the Nest Guard will get Assistant support through an over-the-air update. The update does appear to be rolling out, but like most software updates from Google, it is going to be a slower rollout than you likely want. It may be a few weeks before the Google Assistant is actually available on your Nest Guard. But it is coming.
This is part of Google’s attempt to get Assistant into and onto everything that you use everyday. Nest Guard is something you use everyday, when you leave and come home. And including the Assistant in that means you are more likely to use it a bit more often. Exactly what Google wants.