Google gave us a preview of the upcoming Google Home app redesign early last month, showcasing its updated five-tab layout and highlighting some of its new features. While the app will roll out to users early next year, you can try it out early by signing up for the Public Preview program.

A recent update in the Google Nest Community blog (via 9to5Google) states that the Public Preview program for the revamped Google Home app is now live. If you'd like to try it out, you can sign up for the program by heading to the app settings and selecting the new Public Preview option. On the following page, tap the Request invite button to join the program. You can also revert to the old layout by selecting the Revoke invite request option on the same page.

If Google accepts your application, the Google Home app will show a notification stating it will soon update to Public Preview. You can tap on the Join Public Preview button in the notification to update the app. After installing the update, you will get access to the following new features:

• Favorites: Easily access your favorite devices and actions. This includes the ability to favorite your cameras so you can view your live streams right when you launch the app.
• Spaces: Quickly access groups of similar devices such as lights.
• Devices: Find all of your devices and easily check their status.
• Refreshed camera and timeline views:
  • Vertical video history timeline: Quickly scrub through hours of video history or jump to live view.
  • Event views: Access a list of events and scrub to an exact moment. See video in landscape mode on your phone or tablet.
  • Quick actions: See and talk to anyone in front of your camera or doorbell with live or pre-recorded messages. Call emergency services (U.S. Nest Aware subscribers only), access device settings and download any event to your phone.
• Media mini player: See what's playing in your home and adjust the volume or access the remote.
• Activity: Review what happened in and around your home.
• Settings: Find and manage devices, services and home members.

A support page with more details about the Google Home app Public Preview program highlights a couple of known issues in the release. These include:

• You will initially be able to favorite your devices and actions on the Favorites Tab but not your Automations. The ability to favorite your automations will be rolling out shortly.
• The new camera controller experience (with live and vertical history views) are only available for Nest Cameras and doorbells that were set up using the Google Home app. These include Nest Cam (battery), Nest Cam with floodlight, Nest Cam (indoor, wired), Nest Doorbell (battery), and Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen). Support for older cameras is coming soon.
• The re-designed Google Home app does not support a number of older devices (ex: Nest Protect) from the Nest App.
• Upon reinstall, the app may revert to the old experience on first start. Subsequent starts will restore the public preview experience.

For more information about the revamped Google Home app, check out our previous coverage.

Source: Google Nest Community blog, Google Nest Help

Via: 9to5Google