Have a conversation with your Google smart speaker or display

With Gemini Live, you can have a back-and-forth dialogue with your Google smart speakers and displays without saying “Hey Google” before each question.

Important: You must set your voice assistant language to English.

Go live with Gemini for Home voice assistant

To start a conversation with Gemini, you can say “Hey Google, let’s chat.” Google will respond with a chime to let you know conversation mode has started.

Or try…

• “Hey Google, let’s chat about what to make for dinner.”
• “Hey Google, let’s chat about possible evidence of life on Mars.”
• “Hey Google, let’s chat. Tell me a story about a boy and his pet dragon.” And, steer the adventure along the way. “Hey Google, have them go searching for the magic crystal.”

As long as the Gemini Live session is active, you can ask follow-up questions, pause, change the topic, or even interrupt, just like in a normal conversation. When it responds, it’ll listen for about up to 15 seconds for your follow-up questions. Your speaker or display will show the mic listening indicator.

While actions are not supported during a live conversation, if you want to issue a command or control your smart home devices, you can just say “Hey Google” and issue your command like you normally would. Google will stop the chat to fulfill the command.

What you’ll need

• Switch from Google Assistant to Gemini for Home voice assistant
• The latest version of the Google Home app (4.1+)
• A Standard or Advanced plan of Google Home Premium

Important: If you cancel your subscription to Google Home Premium, you'll retain access to the basic Gemini for Home features only. Learn about Gemini for Home voice assistant.

Compatible devices

• Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
• Nest Audio
• Nest Mini (2nd Gen)
• Nest Hub Max

Restart a conversation

You can resume a previous conversation up to one hour later. Say “Hey Google, let’s chat again” to pick up where you left off.

End the chat

If you’re done with your chat, you can say anything that signals you want the chat to end and it will end immediately. Or, just stop talking and Gemini for Home will stop listening after 15 seconds.

End the chat when you say any of these commands:

• "Thank you."
• “Hey Google, stop talking.”
• "I'm done."

Check if the microphone is on

Anytime you start a live chat, the mic and the speaker light will turn on. If the mic is muted, the mute indicator will show. The mic is re-enabled if the lights at the top of your Google smart speaker or display light up.

You can also choose to get a sound after saying “Hey Google.” When Gemini for Home is listening, you’ll get a brief sound at the start and/or end of your request.

Features you can’t use with Gemini Live

When chatting, you won’t be able to multitask and use most features on your speaker or display. You can’t have a chat while:

• On a phone call
• Alarms or timers are going off
• Issuing commands like turning on the lights, or creating a calendar event
• Playing media

Continued Conversation for Google Assistant

Important:

• This feature is only available with Google Assistant.
• If you’re not the primary account holder and you want to use Continued Conversation, you'll need to be Voice Matched.
• When you turn on Continued Conversation, it's on for all your speakers and displays.

Compatible devices

• Google Home
• Google Home Mini
• Google Nest Hub
• Nest Mini
• Nest Hub Max

Turn on Continued Conversation

How it works

Say “Hey Google” and ask your question or give a command. When your voice assistant responds, it listens for about 8 seconds for your follow-up questions.

Your voice assistant is listening if your speaker lights are moving or the white circle in the top left corner of your display screen is visible. If the primary account holder turns on Continued Conversation, it’ll work for all users. Otherwise, you’ll need to be Voice Matched.

For example, say “Hey Google, what’s the weather like today?” After your voice assistant shares today’s weather, you can ask “And what about tomorrow?” and get the forecast.

End the conversation

If you’re done with your conversation with your voice assistant, you can stop to talk or start to talk to someone else. Your voice assistant will know your conversation is over and the microphone will close.

End the conversation when you say any of these commands:

• "Thank you."
• "Thanks, Google."
• "I'm done."

Features you can’t use with Continued Conversation

You can’t have a conversation with your voice assistant:

• During a phone call
• When alarms or timers are going off