Probably the best feature that Google Home has is the broadcast feature and Google just made it better. This functionality turns your Google Home device into an in-home intercom system.
The broadcast feature gets better
The feature rolled out last year, and it allows users to send messages via the Google Assistant app or another Google Home speaker which is located elsewhere. Until now, the messages could have only gone one way.
For instance, you could have broadcasted from your device that you were on your way to get home or send one from a speaker letting someone in the house know that they have to come in the room you’re in.
The person who received that message, on the other hand, did not have any way of responding and this means that you could have never been 100% sure that your message was received.
This is what’s changing from now on. Google adds the reply functionality, and this means that the recipient of the message can reply to broadcasts with their own voice messages.
This will basically turn your Google Home device into more than an intercom; it will become a walkie-talkie.
The feature will roll out in the upcoming weeks, says Google.
Solving other issues
The update that will roll out to your Google Home device will take care of other issues as well, such as the way you receive broadcasts if you have more than one Google Home devices.
The initial incoming message will still play on all the devices, but subsequent replies will play over the speaker you are replying from.
More new features
Google also adds more new features:
- A new “recipes” feature that brings “suggested recipes” on Google Home products with a display.
- A kid-oriented feature that allows users to set alarms in the voice of cartoon characters.
- New playback controls for audiobooks and podcasts which will allow users to change the playback speed to be faster or slower.
There are more reasons to purchase a Google Home from now on.
After finishing Theatrical Journalism at the Faculty of Theatre and Television in Cluj-Napoca, Rada reviewed movies, books, theatre pieces and she also wrote articles from the IT niche as a content editor for software producers. At the moment, she is working with various online advertising firms.
