Google Vows to ‘Earn Back Your Trust’ with Nest, Home, and Gemini Integration

Google’s journey in the smart home arena has been, to put it mildly, inconsistent. For many users, repeated missteps across its Home, Nest, and especially Assistant platforms have eroded confidence in the company’s ecosystem. Now, Google says it is fully “committed” to rebuilding that trust.

To understand the problem, start with Google Assistant. Before the launch of Gemini — and even more so afterward — the experience of using Assistant on smart speakers and displays has deteriorated. Commands frequently fail for no apparent reason. Meanwhile, Google has discontinued many Assistant features (often citing low usage), Nest devices are undergoing major overhauls, older hardware has reached end-of-life with no replacements, the Home app took ages to integrate the best parts of the old Nest app, and some products have simply been discontinued without alternatives.

Despite this turbulent history, Google insists it hasn’t given up on regaining users’ confidence.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Anish Kattukaran, head of Google Home, said:

“We are committed to winning back your trust and love.”

He emphasized that this renewed focus starts not by forcing people to buy new products, but by rolling out Gemini features to devices users already own.

“Of everything we launched last week, the most important message is our focus on prioritizing existing Nest and Assistant customers,” Kattukaran added. “We’re determined to earn back your trust and loyalty. I know it won’t be easy — we’ll have to work for it — but this quote perfectly captures our mindset and commitment.”

Kattukaran highlighted a Wired article contrasting Google’s strategy with Amazon’s. While Amazon is encouraging users to access its new Alexa+ features by buying the latest Echo devices, Google is doing the opposite — enhancing existing hardware first.

The article notes:

“While Amazon says the fastest way to experience Alexa+ is by purchasing one of its newly announced Echo devices, Google is prioritizing upgrades to devices people already own.”

So, what does this mean for the future of Google Home?

As we noted in a recent analysis, the platform’s prospects look brighter than ever. Gemini integration is driving a wave of new and genuinely useful features, while Google’s ecosystem is expanding with increased support for third-party hardware. Yet, optimism alone isn’t enough. As Kattukaran admitted, Google will have to “earn” user trust back — and whether it succeeds will depend on how well it delivers on these promises.