Is Gemini responsible for Google Home glitches? Google CPO breaks the silence

Hindustan Times

4 days ago

Google is facing growing backlash from loyal smart home users as its Home and Nest devices continue to suffer widespread reliability issues. What began as scattered complaints on Reddit has turned into a full-blown user revolt. There have been multiple reports of Google Assistant failing to respond, executing the wrong commands or becoming entirely unusable for day-to-day tasks. Google Home users are fed up with broken routines and unresponsive devices.(Unsplash)
The problems appear to stretch across both software and hardware. Users describe routines breaking down, speaker groups malfunctioning and smart devices like light bulbs and doorbells losing connectivity through the Google Home app.
'I ask it to turn off a fan, it shuts off all my lights. I ask for the weather, and it gives me updates from a city I don't even live in,' wrote one frustrated user. 'At this point, I'm genuinely wondering if Google is trying to phase out older hardware.'
Many point to Google's ongoing transition to Gemini, its next-gen AI assistant platform, as the likely source of the chaos. While not officially confirmed, the timing aligns with a noticeable dip in performance across older Nest Hubs and smart speakers. The issue seems to be affecting core functionality, including voice recognition, room-specific commands and third-party device control.
Adding fuel to the fire, a Reddit user reported that 90% of their Smart Life bulbs disconnected from Google Home, alongside failures with their eufy doorbell and Tapo cameras. These problems sparked widespread agreement across the community, suggesting the issue is far from isolated.
In response to the mounting criticism, Google has broken its silence. Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer for Google Home and Nest, issued a public apology on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
'Hey everyone, I want to acknowledge the recent feedback about Google Assistant reliability on our home devices. I sincerely apologize for what you're experiencing and feeling!'
After weeks of complaints, Google confirms Assistant issues across Home devices(X)
The company also acknowledged 'an issue with accessing some devices in the Google Home app' in a statement on Reddit, thanking users for their patience but offering no immediate fixes.
The situation has sparked concern among long-time users who feel Google is neglecting its smart home ecosystem in favour of flashy AI upgrades. 'This isn't just about a glitch,' one user wrote. 'This is years of trust breaking down because the basics no longer work.'
With Google promising updates later this fall, likely around the rumoured Pixel 10 launch, users are left waiting for a fix that many believe should have arrived months ago. Until then, the smart home dream for many Google users remains frustratingly broken.