Google

Google Home is a brand of smart speakers developed by Google. The devices enable users to speak voice commands to interact with services through Google Assistant, the company's virtual assistant. Both in-house and third-party services are integrated, allowing users to listen to music, control playback of videos or photos, or receive news updates entirely by voice. Google Home devices also have integrated support for home automation, letting users control smart home appliances with their voice. The first Google Home device was released in the United States in November 2016, with subsequent product releases globally from 2017–2019.

Through software updates to Google Home devices and Google Assistant, additional functionality has been added over time. Multiple speakers can be placed in different rooms in a home for synchronised playback of music. An update in April 2017 brought multi-user support, allowing the device to distinguish between up to six people by voice. In May 2017, Google announced multiple updates, including: free hands-free phone calling in the United States and Canada; proactive updates ahead of scheduled events; visual responses on mobile devices or Chromecast-enabled televisions; Bluetooth audio streaming; and the ability to add reminders and calendar appointments.

The original Google Home speaker was released in November 2016, featuring a cylindrical shape with coloured status LEDs on top. In October 2017, Google announced two additions to the product lineup, the miniature puck-shaped Google Home Mini and the larger Google Home Max. In October 2018, the company released the Google Home Hub, a smart speaker with a 7-inch touchscreen. In May 2019, Google announced that Google Home devices would be rebranded under the Google Nest banner, and unveiled a larger version of the Home Hub known as Google Nest Hub Max.