Gemini for Google Home can now use your cameras to trigger automations | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Gemini for Google Home can now use your cameras to trigger automationsNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsGoogleCloseGooglePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GoogleGemini for Google Home can now use your cameras to trigger automationsIf your camera spots you coming home with a yoga mat, it can dim your lights and play relaxing music.If your camera spots you coming home with a yoga mat, it can dim your lights and play relaxing music.by Jess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedNews ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess WeatherbedMay 28, 2026, 11:07 AM UTCLinkShareGiftYour security cameras will watch for specific events and then trigger whatever actions you need automatically. Image: GoogleJess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews.Google Home is rolling out a new Gemini-powered automation feature that can trigger smart home routines based on what your security cameras can see. This is one of several updates announced yesterday for Gemini for Home, including enhanced voice command support and general stability improvements, following its early access launch in October.“We are introducing a brand-new starter that lets you design automations based on visual insights,” Google said in its announcement. “Because your cameras can now actually understand what they see, your smart home can automatically react to almost anything happening around your home.”The feature is currently supported for Nest cameras and select third-party cameras with “Gemini Built-In,” and it’s only available in English for US users enrolled in the Google Home Public Preview program for now. You’ll also need to enable AI descriptions for your cameras via “Gemini for Home camera features,” and be subscribed to the Google Home Premium Advanced plan ($20 per month or $200 per year).To set up the feature, Google says you can simply describe the exact event you want to trigger an automation for using natural language, and then select which cameras inside or outside of your home should look for it. Google recommends you describe objects that are clearly visible to your cameras and says the camera “needs a brief moment to process what it sees,” and so this shouldn’t be used for “instant alerts, time-sensitive situations, or security and safety purposes.”Here are a few more examples of how you can use the new Gemini for Home camera-triggered automations. Image: GoogleFor example, you can ask Gemini for Home to look for “raccoons near the trash bins” to then trigger a routine that turns on security lighting to scare them off, or tell it to notify you when it detects that mail has been delivered. You can also ask it to look for “red BMW enters driveway” or for specific people (provided you have the Friendly Faces feature enabled), and then activate routines inside your home, like opening smart blinds or controlling your heating system.Google also announced that Gemini for Home users can now ask the voice assistant to trigger multiple actions in a single verbal command, such as telling it to lower the blinds, dim the lights, set a 20-minute timer, and start your favorite podcast. Gemini should also now respond more quickly to voice commands and provide more “consistent and predictable” responses to natural language commands, such as asking it to make your room lighting “a little warmer.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Jess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedNews ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess WeatherbedGoogleCloseGooglePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GoogleNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsSecurityCloseSecurityPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All SecuritySmart HomeCloseSmart HomePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Smart HomeTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Sony’s first RGB TV is a statement pieceSony is offering up to 50 percent off some of our favorite PS5 gamesHere’s how Google is responding to Fitbit users who don’t like the new Health appWin cool gadgets we can’t keep because The Verge has ethicsThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Google Home is introducing a new Gemini-powered automation feature that allows smart home routines to be triggered based on visual insights from connected security cameras. This capability enables the smart home system to automatically react to events occurring within the home by analyzing what the cameras see. This development is part of broader updates to Gemini for Home, which also included improved voice command support and general stability enhancements following its earlier access launch.

The core functionality allows users to design automations based on visual information detected by the cameras. For instance, a user can instruct the system to trigger actions, such as dimming lights and playing relaxing music, when the cameras detect an object, like a yoga mat, indicating a specific arrival scenario. This feature is currently supported for Nest cameras and certain third-party cameras equipped with "Gemini Built-In." Availability is limited to English speakers in the United States who are enrolled in the Google Home Public Preview program. To activate this feature, users must first enable AI descriptions for their cameras through the "Gemini for Home camera features" and be subscribed to the Google Home Premium Advanced plan, which costs either twenty dollars per month or two hundred dollars annually.

Setting up these camera-triggered automations involves describing the desired event using natural language, followed by selecting which cameras, both inside and outside the home, should monitor for that event. Google recommends describing objects that are clearly visible to the cameras, noting that the camera requires a brief moment to process the visual information. Furthermore, the announcement cautions that this feature should not be utilized for instant alerts, time-sensitive situations, or matters concerning security and safety. Examples of potential applications include having the system look for raccoons near trash bins to activate security lighting deterrents, or notifying the user upon detecting mail delivery. Users can also request actions based on detecting vehicles or people, provided features like Friendly Faces are enabled, such as triggering routines to open smart blinds or adjust the heating system upon detecting a red BMW entering the driveway.

In addition to triggering single actions, Gemini for Home users can now issue voice commands that trigger multiple actions simultaneously. This includes instructions like telling the assistant to lower blinds, dim lights, set a time-based timer, and initiate a preferred podcast all in a single verbal command. Moreover, the voice assistant is now expected to respond more rapidly to voice commands and deliver more consistent and predictable responses to natural language input, such as adjusting room lighting to be "a little warmer."