Google Home can now make and receive voice calls using Google Duo, finally bringing the smart speaker up to speed with Google’s Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max smart displays.
The new feature effectively means your Google Home speaker can act as a landline of sorts. So, you can now make calls to your smart speaker from your mobile – or any phone – when out and about.
To set-up the feature, users should head to the Services section in the Settings of the Google Assistant app. From there, tap on Voice and video calls and press Video and voice apps.
This menu will allow you to link a Duo account to the Assistant. At the bottom of the page, there are toggles to enable the feature for each smart speaker in your home.
After you’ve enabled your Google Home kit, you can use the Californian firm’s virtual helper to call any your device. If you’ve got multiple AI-powered speakers littered around your home, you’ll need to be a little specific when you bark orders, for example saying “call kitchen speaker” or “hallway speaker”, depending on what you’ve named the hardware.
While the support page discussing the feature currently says the new feature is only available in the US, it seems Google Home owners in other countries are also able to harness it.
Android Police was able to make Duo calls in Germany. The outlet said changing the primary language of any particular device to US English appeared to do the trick.
The new Google Home feature will certainly be welcomed by the millions that have a souped-up smart home, but the good news doesn’t stop there.
That’s because Google is having a hardware event later this month where it will reveal entirely new connected home devices. The Mountain View company has already confirmed this in a promotional banner on its web store.
One of the devices that could be unwrapped during the company’s feverishly-anticipated showcase in bustling New York City is an updated Google Home Mini.
Back in August, tech blog 9to5Google claimed the firm was hard at work on a second-generation Google Home Mini that would adopt Nest branding, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Aptly titled the Nest Mini, a number of features about the device were detailed. It was noted the speaker would boast a built-in wall mount, better audio quality and more.
Design-wise, the hardware was said to look extremely similar to the current Google Home Mini and “roughly the same size”.
It was also reported the smart speaker would tote a 3.5-millimetre stereo port and feature proximity awareness. It was noted the latter could allow the hardware to show its volume level as an individual approaches it.
9to5Google also said it’s likely the Nest Mini will cost a similar amount to its predecessor, meaning it could set you back around £50. Finally, the publication noted it was likely to debut at Google’s annual hardware event in the fall.
Google will take to the stage in New York on Tuesday, October 15. Express.co.uk will on hand to let you know if a successor to the Home Mini is revealed during proceedings.