Google Home prepares for the arrival of the new Nest Cam line and Doorbell
The latest, version 2.42 update for the Google Home app brings a slew of new functionality related to the new products. The blue-colored ‘Cameras’ shortcut at the top of the screen still lets you see video feeds from your cameras. But with the latest update, you can now also “control all device settings from the Home client.” The app is also adding the ability to set up Activity Zones while a new battery screen lets you select between three different usage modes that vary in power consumption. A new ‘History’ button at the bottom of the screen when viewing live stream from your camera will let you “see clips and recordings through the new Sightline 2.0 UI”. Last but not least, Google Home 2.42 adds notifications for the camera, doorbell press, and the presence-sensing feature.
There are more new features in tow
An APK teardown of the Google Home 2.42 reveals that Google is also preparing a couple more features for the app. The folks over at 9to5Google have been able to turn on a new feature that lets you “set per-Device DNS”. Once it goes live for users, the option will be available under Settings » Device information for a smart display or speaker. Currently, network preferences under this menu only include the ability to forget a Wi-Fi and see the IP/MAC address. According to the report, the new feature lets you select between the “Google Public DNS” and your “Router-provided DNS”. Google promises a “faster, more reliable experience” if you select its DNS. It could help users who have trouble reaching Assistant and other Google services, the report notes.
Additionally, this APK teardown also revealed references to Google’s upcoming partnership with renowned home security company ADT. Announced in August last year, this strategic partnership is apparently codenamed “Aruba” and Google Home 2.42 contains strings related to it. The app is seemingly preparing for what comes out of this partnership. It’s unclear when these two upcoming features will go live in the Google Home app. We will be keeping a close eye on it. Meanwhile, if you’re planning to get the new Nest Cam line and Doorbell, the devices will go on sale starting on August 24th. They will be available through both the Google Store as well as other retailers.
