Google is changing how the Google Home smart speaker and Nest Hub smart display respond to voice commands about lights. Instead of repeating your command back to you, Google says the voice assistant will simply respond with a confirmation chime, so long as the device is in the same room as the lights you’re trying to control.
Google’s announcement suggests that the reason for the change is that the longer replies can be loud and jarring, especially late at night when you want to use your voice assistant to turn off your bedroom lights. The change will affect any commands you use to control your lights, whether it’s turning them on, turning them off, or adjusting their brightness.
The search giant says the changes are rolling out now, and that they’re not available for everyone just yet. The announcement only specifically mentions the change in relation to the Google Home and Nest Hub devices, but we’ve contacted Google to ask whether other Google Assistant smart speakers and smart displays will also be affected.
