Skip to main content

Google warning Nest Hub owners that Assistant games are going away soon

In addition to Google no longer updating third-party Smart Displays, the Nest Hub is set to lose Assistant voice apps and games in June, and users are now seeing a warning ahead of that.

“Conversational Actions” date back to 2016 as the first way third parties could develop for Google Assistant. Later on, Google added support for touch input with Interactive Canvas, which led to several games.

Those Nest Hub games, as well as stories and educational experiences, are set to go away in June of 2023. They were often launched with “Hey Google, talk to [X]” or via the “Games” tab on Smart Displays.

That section today shows a “Games are going away” card/message: You can still ask me things like “What does an elephant sound like?”

Google is removing support for Conversation Actions as it’s focusing Assistant on Android. “App Actions” are meant to let developers add voice control to existing Android applications instead of creating an entirely independent experience that was device independent. It works on Android phones, tablets, Wear OS watches, Google/Android TV, and even cars (Auto/Automotive).

Last June, Google said it will “continue investing in all of the popular Assistant experiences users love, like Timers, Media, Home Automation, Communications, and more.” The company also told us it remains focused on building family experiences. This move was made before the ongoing generative AI boom that the Assistant team has been tasked with developing.

More on Nest Hub:

Thanks Petar

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com