Google looks set to reshape its smart home ecosystem again. This time, it’s folding Nest Aware into a seemingly broader subscription called Google Home Premium. The change, first spotted in a report detailing refreshed Nest cameras and a new Gemini-powered smart speaker, suggests the subscription model for Google’s smart home devices is about to expand in scope.
What we know about Google Home Premium
Alas, Nest Aware, we hardly knew ye
For now, Nest Aware is one of two paid layers of Google’s Home platform, unlocking event history and intelligent alerts. Nest Aware Plus subscribers also get continuous 24/7 recording with longer video storage. According to Android Headlines, Google Home Premium and Google Home Premium Advanced will replace those existing plans directly, meaning current subscribers will likely just see the branding shift sometime later this year.
That timing lines up neatly with Google’s previously teased Gemini for Home, which the company promised would arrive as early as October in both free and paid flavors. Premium subscribers are expected to get AI-powered perks like natural language event search on cameras, daily recap summaries of detected activity, and deeper conversational features when Gemini fully replaces Google Assistant across Home and Nest hardware.
Google is also renaming the paid Nest subscription which was Nest Aware. It’ll now be called ‘Google Home Premium.’ There will also be a second plan called ‘Google Home Premium Advanced.’ We have no word on what the pricing might be for either plan, however. — Android Headlines
The future of Google Home and its expanding feature set
Modified from source: Google
But there’s a bigger question: Is Google laying the groundwork to put more of its smart home platform behind a paywall? Google Home Premium seems to stretch well beyond cameras. If Nest Aware was always a subscription about security and surveillance, Google Home Premium could easily expand to cover new AI-driven automations, personalized routines, or other power-user features in the Home app for a price. It’s a reasonable suspicion. Google has long struggled to monetize its smart home products beyond hardware sales, and with AI shaping up as the company’s central strategy, charging for more advanced integrations seems inevitable. However, drawing a new line between free and paid could create confusion, or worse, resentment, if long-time users feel like their devices are being hobbled without a subscription.
For now, though, the details remain fuzzy. We’ll likely know more this fall, when Google is expected to show off its new Nest cameras and Gemini-powered smart speakers. Until then, Nest Aware subscribers should prepare to see their plans renamed — and maybe wonder what else Google might eventually decide is “premium.”
