Earlier this week, Google had officially announced a redesigned UI for its smart displays. The new tab-based UI is now rolling out to the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max devices. Notably, the latest update with version 32.28.38 is currently available for beta testers enrolled in the Preview Program.
The update is not yet available for third-party devices like the Lenovo Smart Display 7. If you don’t want to wait for the public release, enroll in the Preview Program through the Google Home app to experience the overhauled UI. Moreover, this new update also brings the dark mode to smart displays.
Google rolling out the new UI update to the Nest Hub & Nest Hub Max
Even before the official announcement, this new UI showed up on a few Nest Hub Max devices with software version 32.24.0. Instead of offering an endless carousel of cards, both the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max will offer a tab-based UI following the latest update.
The cards are divided into separate categories, such as Home control, Media, Communications, Discover, and more. However, the first tab will automatically change to show personalized recommendations as the day progresses. In addition, these cards come in different sizes.
Users can also tap and hold on any particular card to have the option of dismissing the card entirely. Another new feature coming to Smart Displays is the Sunrise Alarm. The brightness of the display will gradually increase starting 30 minutes before your set the alarm time.
The update also brings dark mode and multi-account support
Google says this feature mimics sunrise to wake up its users naturally. Also, turning off the buzzing alarm can be done by simply saying “stop.” There will be no need to say “Hey Google” hot word. Google says the Sunrise Alarm feature will be available soon but didn’t mention any specific date. The time will always appear in the top right corner too.
The smart displays will also support both personal and work accounts simultaneously. There is no need to switch accounts to check the calendar of another account though. As of now, only Google Workspace users enrolled in the Google Assistant Beta Program can access this feature.
Apart from selecting Dark mode by default, users can set the display settings to automatic mode to automatically match the environment based on sunrise/sunset or ambient lighting. While the dark mode comes with a dark gray background for the UI, the cards have a slightly lighter shade.