Google has begun rolling out a new preview update for the Nest Hub series, and we have an idea of what’s new, thanks to the Fuchsia version 14 patch notes.
While all three of Google’s Nest Hub smart displays originally ran on the same “Cast OS” system used by the original Chromecast dongles and Home speakers, they’ve all been swapped over to the company’s in-house Fuchsia operating system. Where Cast OS offered scant details about each update – most often “Bug fixes and improvements” – Fuchsia provides detailed patch notes for each major version.
According to Google’s official support page listing the current firmware versions of its speakers and smart displays, version 14.20230831.4.72 is now available to those enrolled in the Preview Program (which can be accessed via the Google Home app). These updates are often released in stages, meaning it may be a few weeks before your Nest Hub gets the latest build.
On the project’s website, Google offers a more in-depth look at what has changed in Fuchsia version 14 (as well as version 13, which the Nest Hubs skipped). Most of the changes will only be relevant to Fuchsia developers, but there are a handful of user-facing improvements.
The Nest Hub Max and second-gen Nest Hub are both capable of serving as Matter hubs for your smart home. Fuchsia version 14 includes some improvements to Matter support, including new “transition time handling” that will be used when you ask to change the color of a smart light.
- Added transition time handling for commands related to color.
- Added support for matter update group.
- Updated subscribing to all device fabrics.
In another patch note, the company says that some Fuchsia devices were experiencing “spurious overnight presence events.” We believe this may refer to a frequently reported issue with the Nest Hub Max that would incorrectly detect someone’s presence and activate the user’s preset Assistant routine. This issue should be fixed with the update to Fuchsia version 14.
- Resolved spurious overnight presence events.
There have also been some tweaks to the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, though the majority of the changes are unlikely to be noticeable on a Nest Hub.
- Added minor fixes and improvements.
- Enabled FastUDP on all platforms. Performance improvements are expected, but no user visible changes.
- Fixed media playback time inaccuracy in some situations such as a Bluetooth speaker.
- Fixed Bluetooth audio resumes after connecting during an ongoing video call.
- Initial in-band audio support for HFP.
- Improved latency when streaming A2DP to a speaker.
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