Google Home tiers add Gemini perks

Google has drawn a sharper line between its two Google Home Premium tiers: the $10 Standard plan adds Gemini Live on select Nest speakers and displays, while the $20 Advanced plan layers on deeper camera and search tools. (blog.google) Google said Standard costs $10 a month or $100 a year, and Advanced costs $20 a month or $200 a year. Since October 1, 2025, the service has replaced Nest Aware for Google-sold subscriptions, though Nest Aware still remains for some third-party partner bundles. (blog.google) (support.google.com) Gemini Live on home devices works on four models Google lists as fully compatible: Nest Mini second generation, Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Hub second generation. Google’s help pages say older speakers and displays can get most Gemini for Home features, but not Gemini Live. (support.google.com 1) (support.google.com 2) Google describes Gemini Live as a back-and-forth voice chat that starts with “Ok Google, let’s chat,” instead of the older one-shot command style. The same support pages say basic Gemini for Home voice features are free, but Gemini Live and camera-history search sit behind Google Home Premium. (support.google.com 1) (support.google.com 2) The Advanced tier adds the security features Google is using to justify the higher price: 60 days of event video history, 10 days of continuous 24/7 recording, AI event descriptions, Home Brief summaries, and searchable video history through Ask Home. The Verge also reported this week that Advanced includes quick video-history search and more descriptive notifications. (support.google.com) (blog.google) (theverge.com) That pricing also now ties directly into Google’s broader artificial intelligence bundles. Google said Google AI Pro includes the Standard Home plan at no extra charge, while Google AI Ultra includes Advanced automatically, and AI Pro users can upgrade to Advanced for another $10 a month. (blog.google) (9to5google.com) Google is still treating parts of Gemini for Home as an early rollout, not a finished universal launch. Its help pages say the Gemini for Home voice assistant is in early access in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and some features depend on language, country, device, and preview enrollment. (support.google.com 1) (support.google.com 2) Google’s store page also frames the pitch in practical terms: Standard gets “smart suggestions” and “help me create” automations, while Advanced unlocks richer camera summaries and longer history. On that page, Google says the newer Gemini for Home experiences are still in early access. (store.google.com) The result is a simpler ladder than Google had at launch in late 2025: pay $10 for Gemini voice chat and basic home intelligence, or $20 for the camera-heavy package. The remaining question is how quickly Google moves those early-access Gemini features from a preview into the default Google Home experience. (blog.google) (support.google.com)