Google Will Remove App And Game Assistant Support On Nest Hub

Illustration of Nest Hub devices (photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Google has warned Nest Hub device owners that it will no longer be able to access app and game voice assistants starting in June 2023.

The decision comes at the same time as Google also discontinued support for Conversation Actions, a platform that allows third parties to develop apps for Google Assistants.

Conversation Actions was first introduced in 2016. Using this platform, developers can create apps that support voice assistants from Google. It works on Android phones, tablets, Wear OS watches, Google/Android TV, and even cars (Otomatics/Otomotives).

Google then added support for touch input with Interactive Canvas, which allows developers to create games for Nest Hubs and other Smart Displays.

According to reports from 9to5google and Appuals, Google removed support for Conversation Actions as the search giant wanted to focus his Assistant on Android.

"We will continue to invest in all popular Assistant experiences that users like, such as Timer, Media, Home Automatically, Communication, and more," Google said in June last year.

The company also told them they remained focused on building family experiences. This step was taken before the ongoing generative AI explosion assigned to be developed by the Assistant team.

As a result of this change, Nest Hub users can no longer access games, stories, and educational experiences launched using the "Game" tab on the Smart Screen or by saying "Hey Google, talk to [X]."