Google Assistant and Nest Hub get new family features in time for Mother’s Day
Google has added a range of new functions to the Assistant on its Nest Hub smart displays.
Arriving to coincide with Mother's Days, the new features expand on some that already exist on the Nest Hub, while also introducing new functions aimed at helping with daily family life.
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Buy Nest Hub 7” Smart Display with Google Assistant (2nd Gen)
First up is a feature that isn't tied to Google's smart displays, but appears across all devices that have the Google Assistant: Family Broadcast. Expanding on the existing Broadcast feature, this now lets a family create a group of devices that all receive a broadcast issued to the Google Assistant.
For example, one member of the family might say to their Nest Hub: "Hey Google, tell my family, how about lunch at noon?", and this message will be delivered to all of the family's smart displays and speakers. This includes iPhones and Android smartphones too, and these broadcasts can be replied to with a recorded reply with a tap.
Next is an extension to the Family Bell feature that Google added to its voice assistant in 2020. Now, bells ring across multiple home devices at once, not just from a single smart speaker or display, and like Google alarms and timers they can now be silenced by just saying "stop" instead of: "Hey Google, stop".
Google also says it is expanding the Family Bell feature to eight new languages, including Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.
In a bid to help entertain children, Google has also added some new stories and games to its Nest Hub smart displays. One is all about the Quidditch game from Harry Potter, and Google says customers can expect more from the Wizarding World soon.
There is also the "Who Was?" series from Penguin Random House, which lets children listen to stories from Ida B. Wells, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and over 100 others. To get started just say: "hey Google, tell me a story".
Lastly, Google has added the Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader trivia game to the Nest Hub, and promises a couple of new easter egg-style surprises too. Nest Hub owners are invited to set a timer on Mother's Day to find out more.
Buy Nest Hub (2nd Gen) at Best Buy - $99.99
Check out The GearBrain, our smart home compatibility find engine to see the other compatible products that work with Google Assistant enabled devices.
