Nest speakers and Pixel Tablet get new device control confirmation tone

4 weeks ago 5

Google has updated the confirmation tone that plays when you activate smart home hardware devices like lights, switches, and more with the Nest Hub, Nest Audio, and Pixel Tablet.

The Nest lineup of smart speakers and displays doesn’t often receive huge updates or overhauls. Google prefers to push minor tweaks and changes. The last major update was back in March, where Fuchsia version 16 rolled out to Nest Hub hardware. It’s easy to think that Nest devices are a forgotten part of the wider Google ecosystem. Rumors of new hardware have been brewing for a number of years, but we’re more interested in how Gemini is better integrated into existing speakers and smart displays.

Complaints aside, over the past week or so, it appears that the confirmation sound that plays when you activate or control any connected devices has changed. According to our own Kyle Bradshaw, this change is also live when using voice controls with a docked Pixel Tablet.

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Previously the tone sounded more akin to a dull plink. Now the confirmation tone emitted by Nest speakers is more of a bright chime. This sound is more shrill, but only plays when your Nest speaker or Pixel Tablet has successfully completed an action. It’s a very subtle change, but if you hadn’t noticed, you can hear the new tone below:

Alongside the new confirmation tone, some are also suggesting that the Google Assistant on Nest hardware has changed the way it responds to commands with fewer human responses. A number of Reddit threads are complaining that soft statements like “Okay, turning off the bedroom light” are replaced with brief “bedroom light off” phrases. However, we have been unable to replicate this successfully so far.