Gemini replaces Assistant on smart home devices, opens camera program

Google announced on October 1, 2025, that Gemini will replace Google Assistant on smart home speakers and displays, marking what Senior Engineering Director Matt Van Der Staay calls "a pivotal moment for the smart home." The company simultaneously launched a dedicated program for camera manufacturers and introduced the first partner devices from Walmart.

The transition affects more than 800 million devices already connected through the Works with Google Home program via Cloud-to-Cloud APIs and Matter protocol. According to the announcement, existing device integrations will automatically gain conversational benefits, allowing users to control devices and create automations using natural language without additional development work from manufacturers.

Van Der Staay emphasized that developers must begin testing their existing Works with Google Home integrations immediately as Gemini for Home rolls out to users this month. "A seamless user experience is our shared top priority, and your testing is essential to ensuring your devices perform reliably with these new conversational capabilities," the announcement stated. The company plans to provide improved monitoring data and tools later this year to help developers track device performance and reliability with Google Home.

The camera program represents Google's first vertical-specific initiative within the platform for Google Home. The program provides partners with hardware reference designs, including recommended System on Chips, image sensors, and components from an approved vendor list. Partners receive access to the Google Home camera embedded SDK, which operates across both Nest and partner camera devices.

The embedded SDK enables on-device machine learning capabilities that handle live view and event history through unified integration with Google Home's camera and intelligence cloud. This architecture differs substantially from previous Works With Google Home cameras, which only supported live view functionality. The system follows a split compute model where on-device ML provides keyframes and metadata to the camera cloud, which then preserves and prioritizes information together with event video for features like Gemini AI Descriptions.

Walmart launched the onn Indoor Camera Wired and onn Video Doorbell Wired as the first partner devices in the program. Both products offer up to 1080p live view resolution and intelligent alerts. The devices integrate with Gemini for Home camera features and connect to the Google Home ecosystem across speakers, smart displays, phones, tablets, watches, televisions, web browsers, and custom applications built using the Google Home APIs.

The timing follows a series of Gemini integrations across Google's product ecosystem. Smart home devices received Gemini AI technology in August 2024 when Google announced plans to incorporate advanced AI capabilities into Nest cameras, Google Home automation, and Google Assistant. That announcement introduced camera intelligence features that process video, images, and text simultaneously, along with a "Help me create" feature for setting up home automations using plain language.

Google unveiled the Google TV Streamer with smart home integration in August 2024, combining streaming capabilities with smart home hub functionality. The device included a dedicated control panel for managing cameras, lighting, and temperature, synchronized with the Google Home app for compatibility with millions of devices.

The platform expansion carries implications for the broader smart home market. The developer program structure provides specifications for hardware components and software integration, enabling manufacturers to build AI-powered cameras without developing proprietary machine learning frameworks. The on-device ML framework processes video locally before transmitting prioritized information to cloud services, potentially reducing bandwidth requirements while maintaining functionality for AI-powered features.

The announcement did not specify pricing structures for the camera program or detail technical requirements beyond the approved vendor list. Google did not disclose how many manufacturers have joined the program beyond Walmart, nor did the company provide timelines for additional partner announcements.

The Gemini replacement of Google Assistant represents a fundamental architectural change rather than a feature addition. Previous integrations added Gemini capabilities alongside existing Assistant functionality. The October 1 announcement confirms Gemini will serve as the primary conversational interface for speakers and displays going forward.

For the tens of thousands of developers in the ecosystem, the transition requires immediate attention to integration testing. The company specified that core conversational benefits activate automatically, but device manufacturers bear responsibility for ensuring their integrations function properly with the new conversational capabilities. Google plans to roll out improved data and tools to help monitor performance and reliability later in the year, but provided no specific date for this tooling release.

The split compute architecture in the camera program distributes processing between devices and cloud infrastructure. On-device machine learning generates keyframes and metadata, which the camera cloud receives for preservation and prioritization alongside event video. This model enables features like Gemini AI Descriptions while maintaining what Google describes as "far more advanced" capabilities compared to previous Works With Google Home cameras.

Matter protocol support continues within the expanded platform. The announcement noted that the 800 million connected devices reached this scale through both Google Home Cloud-to-Cloud APIs and Matter, the industry standard for smart home device communication. The preservation of Matter support maintains compatibility with devices from multiple manufacturers within a unified ecosystem.

The Walmart partnership demonstrates Google's strategy of expanding beyond premium price points. The onn Indoor Camera Wired and onn Video Doorbell Wired target affordability while delivering 1080p resolution and intelligent alerts. Both devices provide access to Gemini for Home camera understanding and deep integrations across the Google Home ecosystem.

Van Der Staay positioned the platform expansion as enabling choice across brands, form factors, and price points. "We believe the power of Gemini for Home shouldn't be limited to just one brand, form factor or price point," the announcement stated. The dedicated camera program represents what Google calls "taking our Works with Google Home promise to the next level."

The announcement follows Gemini's expansion to additional Google services, including personalization features and temporary chats introduced in August 2025. That update enabled Gemini to reference past conversations for more targeted responses while offering privacy controls through temporary chat functionality. Privacy concerns emerged when Gemini gained automatic Android access to phone and messaging data in July 2025, requiring users to manually deactivate permissions through app settings.

The complete toolkit for camera makers includes hardware reference designs with recommended components, the device-side embedded SDK, and integration specifications for connecting with Google Home's camera and intelligence cloud. Google described the program as providing everything manufacturers need to build the next generation of AI cameras rather than simply offering guidelines.

For developers working with the existing Works with Google Home program, the immediate priority involves testing integrations with Gemini's conversational capabilities. The platform upgrade enables users to employ natural language for device control and automation creation, representing what Google characterizes as a significant upgrade requiring no additional development work for core functionality.

The announcement emphasized that a Gemini-powered home depends on integration quality. Van Der Staay stressed that robust testing is critical as rollout begins this month to ensure devices perform reliably with new conversational capabilities. The improved monitoring data and tools planned for later this year will help developers track performance and reliability metrics.

Google's approach combines automatic benefits for existing integrations with new programs for specific device categories. The camera program launch indicates potential for additional vertical-specific initiatives within the platform for Google Home. The announcement did not specify which device categories might receive similar programs in the future.

The October 1 timing coincides with Google I/O 2025, where the company initially shared plans to bring Gemini to Home APIs. The announcement represents what Van Der Staay describes as "a next step forward in that vision," expanding the platform through new Gemini-powered features for existing devices and the launch of the camera manufacturer program.

Timeline

• December 6, 2023: Google introduces Gemini, its multimodal AI model capable of processing text, code, audio, image, and video
• August 11, 2024: Google enhances smart home devices with Gemini AI technology, integrating AI models into Nest cameras and Google Home automation
• August 11, 2024: Google unveils TV Streamer with smart home integration, combining 4K streaming with smart home hub functionality
• July 7, 2025: Gemini app gains automatic Android access to phone and messaging data, affecting millions of users
• August 13, 2025: Gemini introduces temporary chats and personalization features, enabling memory capabilities and enhanced privacy controls
• October 1, 2025: Google announces Gemini for Home, replacing Google Assistant on smart home speakers and displays
• October 1, 2025: Google launches dedicated camera program for manufacturers with Walmart as first partner
• October 2025: Gemini for Home begins rolling out to users with requirement for developers to test existing integrations

Summary

Who: Google announced the platform expansion, with Senior Engineering Director Matt Van Der Staay leading the Google Home division. Walmart serves as the first partner in the camera program, launching onn Indoor Camera Wired and onn Video Doorbell Wired. The changes affect tens of thousands of developers in the Works with Google Home ecosystem and users of more than 800 million connected devices.

What: Gemini replaces Google Assistant as the primary conversational interface on smart home speakers and displays. Google launched a dedicated program for camera manufacturers, providing hardware reference designs, an embedded SDK, and integration specifications. The platform upgrade enables natural language control and automation creation for existing devices without requiring additional development work for core functionality.

When: The announcement occurred on October 1, 2025, with Gemini for Home beginning rollout to users this month. Google plans to provide improved monitoring data and tools later this year but did not specify exact dates.

Where: The changes affect the entire Google Home ecosystem, including speakers, smart displays, phones, tablets, watches, televisions, web browsers, and applications built using Google Home APIs. The platform serves more than 800 million devices connected through Works with Google Home program via Cloud-to-Cloud APIs and Matter protocol.

Why: The expansion aims to bring advanced AI capabilities to smart home devices across multiple brands, form factors, and price points. The camera program enables manufacturers to build AI-powered cameras without developing proprietary machine learning frameworks. The Gemini replacement of Assistant provides more natural conversational interactions while maintaining compatibility with the existing device ecosystem.