Google’s Gemini for Home users just got a paywall scare | usagoldmines.com

Gemini for Home has only been working on Google’s Nest smart speakers for a month, and users are still getting used to what costs extra and what doesn’t. But Gemini surprised some Google Home users recently when it suggested an upsell for an old Google Assistant feature that should be free. 

A Gemini for Home user complained on Reddit that Gemini on their Nest Mini speaker declined to give a definition of a word, saying instead that “Live conversations are only available if you buy the Premium subscription.” 

Now, it is true that Gemini Live, the freewheeling conversational mode that allows you to have back-and-forth chats with Gemini, requires a paid subscription. 

Specifically, you’ll need to pay $10 a month for Google Home Standard, which also includes 30 days of video history for Nest cameras, intelligent camera alerts, the AI-enhanced Gemini for Home assistant, and the ability to create Google Home automations using natural language queries. (There’s also a pricier tier that we’ll get to in a minute.) 

But during its big Gemini for Home reveal in early October, Google promised that any standard duties previously performed by the soon-to-be-legacy Google Assistant would still work for free, and that includes defining and translating words. 

Luckily, a Google rep joined the chat (as reported by Android Authority) with an explanation: 

We are aware of an issue where Gemini for Home incorrectly states that a subscription is required for certain translation and definition queries. We are working on a fix as soon as possible and will provide an update once it rolls out. Thank you for your patience. 

Phew! 

Still, the kerfuffle underlines Gemini’s growing pains as it makes its way to Google’s smart speakers, as well as the lingering confusion over what’s free and what costs extra for Gemini for Home users. 

Google has previously warned users that Gemini for Home might behave in unexpected ways, such as forgetting what was said in previous chats or allowing recent banter to affect its subsequent responses. And yes, Gemini for Home is prone to hallucinations, as are all other LLMs. 

Then there’s the fact that a fair number of Gemini for Home features cost extra, while the vast majority of Google Assistant’s functionality was free.

Aside from the aforementioned Google Home Standard, there’s also the $20-a-month Google Home Advanced tier, which adds AI-generated descriptions to Nest Cam video events and serves up a Gemini-composed “Home Brief” that summarizes key smart home events of the past 24 hours, among other features. 

This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers.