Google Home’s user experience has deteriorated in recent years, with many customers voicing frustrations over key features that no longer work reliably. Over the past week, complaints have surged, highlighting problems with Home speakers and related devices that show no clear sign of resolution.
Google Acknowledges Problems and Promises Fix
Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer at Google Home and Nest, has publicly acknowledged these issues and apologized to users. He confirmed that Google is actively working on a solution.
“I want to acknowledge the recent feedback about Google Assistant reliability on our home devices,” Kattukaran said. “I sincerely apologize for what you’re experiencing and feeling! We hear you loud and clear and are committed to getting this right — and making sure we have a long-term solution that provides better reliability and capability. We have been actively working on major improvements for some time and will have more to share in the fall.”
User Frustration Fueled by Price Hike and Degraded Performance
The dissatisfaction seems to have escalated following Google’s recent announcement of a price increase for its Nest Aware subscription. Starting mid-August, the standard plan will rise by $2 a month, and the Nest Aware Plus by $5, marking the second hike in two years.
A popular Reddit thread from July 21 collected user experiences describing the decline in functionality. Examples include:
- A request to play “classic vinyl” resulting in an incorrect Spotify playlist.
- Devices failing to respond to voice commands and randomly pinging.
- Users unplugging devices due to frustration.
Kattukaran’s mention of “major improvements” may hint at the long-awaited integration of Google’s Gemini AI into smart speakers. The delay in folding this AI assistant into Google Home’s ecosystem has been notable, but no exact cause has been given.
Google is set to hold a Pixel event on August 20 to unveil the Pixel 10 series, but any Home-related updates are expected to arrive later, likely in September or beyond.
What The Author Thinks
Google’s neglect of Home device reliability while focusing heavily on AI like Gemini risks alienating its user base. Increasing subscription costs amidst worsening functionality only compounds customer frustration. To regain trust, Google needs to deliver tangible improvements swiftly and transparently. Otherwise, competitors could capitalize on this growing dissatisfaction and erode Google’s foothold in the smart home market.
Featured image credit: Foysal Ahmed via Pexels
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.