- Gemini for Home is slowly running out of stock for users
- There might be a way to skip the line
- The trick doesn’t completely work for everyone who tries it.
Google is slowly rolling out the big Gemini for Home update to its smart home platform, but there’s a waiting list and limited access depending on where you live and what devices you have. Now it looks like there may be a way to skip the line.
According to a Reddit user (via Android Authority), you can force the update by entering the URL “googlehome://assistant/voice/setup” in Chrome on your Android device. So far it is unclear whether this also works on iPhones with the Google Home app installed.
If the trick works, you’ll be able to start a free trial of Google Home Premium and then get the Gemini update. However, some users who have tried the trick only get new Gemini-style voices for the same Google Assistant AI, so it doesn’t work for everyone.
Interestingly, the Redditor who discovered the solution appears to live in Italy. According to Google, early access to Gemini for Home will not expand beyond the US before the end of 2025.
Try this at home (if you want)
If you’re desperate to start playing with Gemini for Home (perhaps to rat out misbehaving pets), then this trick is worth trying. However, keep in mind that you will need to continue maintaining the Google Home Premium subscription to get the best features.
While simple actions and voice commands are free, video history and more interactive chats with Gemini require a subscription, from $10 / £8 / AU$15 a month, after a free trial. You can also get these benefits with a subscription to Google AI Pro or AI Ultra.
Everything seems to work fine for Reddit users who tried this hack, but it’s a hack so bugs are to be expected. If you want to play it safe, you’d better sign up for early access and wait for Google to officially invite you to the program.
The main part of the change is getting the smarter, more conversational Gemini instead of the Google Assistant, and it will also work with all of Google’s older smart home devices. The update also gives you features like more detailed AI descriptions of video clips.
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