Google has started rolling out a redesigned Google Home application for iPhone, introducing a new feature called “Ask Home” ahead of its October 1 announcement. Version 4.0.54 of Google Home for iOS was released on a Saturday afternoon, Pacific Time.
For users in the Public Preview program, the new design is visible after relaunching the application. Upon the initial launch of the redesigned app, a glow animation draws attention to a new “Ask [Home name]” bar at the top of the three main pages. Tapping a circle to the left of this bar lets a user set their Home or Away status.
The application’s interface has been simplified to three primary tabs at the bottom: Home, Activity, and Automations. The Home tab now features its own set of top tabs, beginning with Favorites and Devices. Users can swipe between these feeds; the current selection is highlighted with a rounded rectangle, while other tabs are shown as circles. Additional top tabs include Cameras, Lights, and Wifi. The appearance of the device tiles themselves remains unchanged. The Activity and Automations tabs retain their previous layouts, though their bottom bar icons are new. There are no changes to the controls for media that is currently playing.
A vertical, pill-shaped “plus” button allows users to add a Device, Speaker group, Automation, link an app or service, or add a Home member or a new Home. This is located next to an account menu that gives access to Settings, which remains identical to the previous version. The menu also includes links for What’s new, Inbox, Switch home, Public Preview, Help, and Feedback.
When launching “Ask Home,” users must first “Acknowledge Gemini for Home disclosures.” This leads to a chat user interface with a carousel of device tiles. These tiles can be tapped to turn a device on or off or to open its full control page. In its initial state, the chatbot functions as a device search, showing tiles, actions, and Automations as a user types.
More advanced prompts are not yet functional. The application displays a message stating, “Ask Home isn’t ready for your home yet, but you’ll get a notification once it is.” The full redesign is anticipated to launch on Wednesday, following announcements from Google.
Google’s disclaimer page for Ask Home provides further details. It specifies that the Gemini for Home voice assistant will be accessible to everyone in the household, including guests, and that responses may be heard in shared spaces. Household members with Voice Match enabled can search and view video history from compatible cameras or doorbells on smart displays, contingent on their subscription type. A setting will be available to switch to audio-only camera history results for smart displays.
The page also describes the Gemini Live feature, where the microphone remains active to allow for follow-up questions without needing to repeat “Hey Google.” The microphone turns off after a brief period of inactivity, and a conversation can be ended at any time to stop the mic. A visible indicator on the device will remain on during microphone activity.
