The Pixel Tablet gets a new smart home trick

Google’s Pixel Tablet is a solid Andriod tablet, but its smart home capabilities have been somewhat lacking since its debut. That’s finally changing with a new update that brings a much-needed feature to the tablet. Now, the Pixel Tablet can do what Nest Hub smart displays have been doing for years: show you a live feed from your Nest doorbell and give you options to communicate with whoever’s at your door.

In a Nest blog post (via The Verge), Google says this update that is part of the Public Preview program works with all Nest doorbells. After joining Public Preview, you will need to make sure the tablet is also docked and locked for the full-screen view to work.

With the standalone Pixel Tablet recently announced and the lack of new smart home features, we wondered if Google had given up on any further smart home functionality and was going to focus on just the tablet experience instead, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. It’s worth noting that the Pixel Tablet still doesn’t have Gemini support (coming later this summer apparently) or the Quick Gestures that were rumored to show up late last year.

Although the Pixel Tablet is still lacking the full functionality you would get on a Nest Hub display, this update is still a step in the right direction. If you’ve been considering a Pixel Tablet or have seen the trade-in offers and thought about giving it a try, now might be a good time to make the move. Or if you currently own a Pixel Tablet and have a Nest doorbell, make sure to join the Public Preview to give this new feature a try!