Google adds Gemini Live to first-gen Home Mini and Nest Hub

Google has expanded access to its Gemini Live conversational AI feature to some of its oldest smart home devices, including the first-generation Google Home Mini speaker and Nest Hub smart display. The expansion, which was announced on July 23, 2026, comes with the latest updates to the Gemini for Home early access program and applies to existing Google Home Premium subscribers.

Gemini Live is a feature that allows users to have open-ended, back-and-forth conversations with Google's AI assistant. Users can now activate it on the older devices by saying, "Hey Google, let's chat." A chime indicates the assistant is listening, and the user can ask questions on a wide variety of topics. This move brings the aging first-gen devices, originally excluded from Gemini Live, in line with newer models like the Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max, and the recently launched Google Home Speaker, which gained the feature in October 2025. The one catch is that the functionality requires a paid Google Home Premium subscription, which costs $10 per month.

In a significant accompanying upgrade, Google has extended Gemini's contextual memory window across the entire Gemini for Home experience to 15...