A recent Google Home update seems to have caused some confusion, as the familiar “play the news” command no longer works as expected under Google’s recent Gemini changes.
Google Home received an update earlier this month and has since been steadily rolling out to users in early access. The changelog notes a change to news summaries, noting that news provider broadcasts would be accessible under a new “play my news brief” command, rather than simply “play the news.” The latter results in story summaries generated by Gemini as it pulls in the latest headlines.
The update appears to be rolling out to more users. Some have noted their frustration with the change, citing the sudden change to a command they’ve been using for years. One user posted on Reddit, saying they have an automation set to play news briefings for them. Even with the automation set, Gemini returns with an error.
Even without an automation, users seem baffled by the change to a command that’s become habit. Saying “play the news” returns with Gemini’s account of recent headlines.
Google says this new approach adds an interactive element. The update allows Gemini to actively listen for a response without a hot phrase, and the intent is for users to ask about certain headlines Gemini listed off, or to dive down a rabbit hole of stories.
