Good news for anyone chatting with their Google Nest Mini or Audio! Google is rolling out three brand new, more natural-sounding voices for the Google Assistant on these devices. This update is part of Google’s ongoing effort to integrate its powerful Gemini models into the Assistant experience, starting with users in the Public Preview program.
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This means you now have even more ways to personalize how your smart speaker talks to you, moving closer to a future powered by advanced AI conversations.
More Ways Your Nest Speaker Can Talk to You
If you’re tired of the same old voice from your Google Assistant, you’re in luck. Google has just added three fresh options to the selection available on the Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers. These new voices aim to sound even more natural and expressive, offering a warmer or brighter tone depending on your preference.
The new voices join the existing selection of “Improved Assistant voices.” Google is naming these new options after plants, continuing a theme from previous voice additions.
Here are the latest additions:
- Yarrow: Described as Warm and having a Deeper voice.
- Croton: Smooth, also a Deeper voice.
- Pilea: A Bright option with a Higher voice.
These new styles are designed to give you more variety and potentially a more pleasant interaction with your smart speaker as it starts to utilize Google’s new Gemini AI technology.
Charcoal Google Nest Mini smart speaker on a surface
How to Try the New Voices
To get access to these new voices right now, you’ll need to be part of the Google Home Public Preview program. This program lets users test out new features before they’re widely released.
Here’s how you can check and potentially enable the new voices:
- Make sure you are enrolled in the Google Home Public Preview program.
- Open the Google Home app on your phone.
- Tap the beaker icon (🧪) usually found in the top-right corner to check your experimental features.
- Ensure the “Experimental AI features” toggle is turned on.
Once that’s set up, you can change your Assistant’s voice:
- Go to the Settings tab in the Google Home app.
- Navigate to Google Assistant.
- Select “Assistant voice & sounds.” (On an iPhone, you might need to find “Manage all Assistant settings” first).
You should see the new voice options listed under the “Improved Assistant voices” section. Tap on each one to hear a preview and choose the one you like best.
Screenshot of Google Home app showing new Google Assistant voice options listed
Why New Voices? It’s About Gemini
This update isn’t just about adding more options; it’s closely tied to Google’s rollout of Gemini models to the Assistant. Google began testing a Gemini-powered Assistant on the Nest Mini and Audio back in December.
The goal of using Gemini is to make the Assistant smarter and more capable. Gemini allows the Assistant to “respond to a wider range of questions and provide more in-depth, AI-powered answers on general knowledge topics.” Think of it as giving your smart speaker a more advanced brain.
As Google continues to integrate Gemini across its products, including smart home devices, expect the Assistant to become more conversational and helpful. There’s even speculation that Google might eventually rebrand the Assistant entirely as Gemini on platforms like smart speakers and displays, similar to how Gemini is replacing Assistant on Google TV later this year.
These new voices are likely designed to complement the more natural and intelligent interactions that Gemini enables, making conversations with your smart speaker feel less robotic and more engaging.
What’s Next?
Adding more natural-sounding voices is a small but significant step in making our interactions with AI feel more comfortable and intuitive. For owners of the popular Nest Mini and Audio speakers in the preview program, this means a chance to experience a more varied and potentially more pleasant voice interface as Google brings its latest AI advancements to the home.
It’s exciting to see how Google is enhancing the Assistant experience, and these new voices powered by underlying Gemini technology are just a hint of the more natural and intelligent interactions coming to our smart homes.
Ready to explore more about Google’s AI advancements or smart home tech? Find out how Gemini is changing things across Google’s ecosystem or dive into the latest Nest device updates.
