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After yesterday’s massive announcement of Gemini for Home, the big question on everyone’s mind was a simple one: “Will my existing speakers and smart displays get this new, smarter assistant?” We’ve all been burned by new software features being limited to the latest hardware, and many were bracing for bad news.
Well, the answer is here, and it is a resounding and very welcome yes. In an incredible show of long-term support for its hardware, Google has confirmed that every single Home speaker and Nest smart display released in the last decade will be upgraded to Gemini.
The free Gemini upgrade for everyone
That’s right, even the original 2016 Google Home speaker is getting a massive brain transplant. The core Gemini for Home voice assistant—the part that brings more natural, contextual conversations, a better understanding of complex requests, and 10 new, less robotic voices—will be a free upgrade for a huge list of legacy devices. Here’s the full list of existing devices that will be upgraded to the base Gemini assistant, with the early access program set to begin at the end of October:
- Google Home (2016)
- Google Home Mini (2017)
- Google Home Max (2017)
- Nest Mini (2019)
- Nest Wifi point (2019)
- Nest Audio (2020)
- Nest Hub (2018)
- Nest Hub Max (2019)
- Nest Hub (2nd gen, 2021)
The catch: Gemini Live is for newer devices and subscribers
As you might expect, the most computationally intensive new feature, Gemini Live, will not be coming to all of those older devices. Gemini Live is the “hotword-free” continuous conversation mode that allows for a more natural back-and-forth chat.
To use Gemini Live, you’ll need two things: a newer, more powerful device and a Google Home Premium subscription. The specific devices that will support Gemini Live are:
- Nest Audio
- Nest Hub Max
- Nest Hub (2nd gen)
- The upcoming Google Home Speaker (Spring 2026)
Still, to see an eight-year-old smart speaker getting a free upgrade to the company’s latest and greatest AI is a huge, pro-consumer decision that deserves a lot of praise. While the most advanced features will require newer hardware and a subscription, the fact that the core, smarter Gemini experience is coming to everyone is a massive win for all Google Home users.
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