Are you tired of waiting for the full Gemini for Home voice assistant experience? Here’s a clever workaround that lets you access the new Gemini voices right now—even if you don’t have Early Access. But here’s where it gets controversial: this trick doesn’t actually unlock the full LLM-powered assistant, just the voices. Is it worth it? Let’s dive in.
Back in late October, Google began rolling out Gemini for Home (https://9to5google.com/2025/10/28/gemini-for-home-voice-assistant-preview/), but Early Access remains limited. While this workaround won’t give you the full assistant experience (https://9to5google.com/2025/10/01/gemini-for-home-app-launch/), it does let you experiment with the new voices—a small but fun upgrade. Shared by Reddit user u/Siciliano777 (https://old.reddit.com/r/googlehome/comments/1pa0xv7/updatedforcegeminiforhome/), the trick involves entering a specific URL into your Android or iOS browser:
googlehome://assistant/voice/setup
If you’re using Chrome, be sure to select the second option (as shown below), since the first one defaults to a Google Search. If prompted with “Continue to Home?”, simply tap “Continue.” This will launch the Google Home app and kickstart the setup process.
Google’s setup prompts highlight some exciting features, though they’re not fully available yet:
- Expert brainstorming: Get advice, learn new topics, or brainstorm ideas just by talking.
- Daily tasks, simplified: From meal planning to scheduling, let your assistant handle the details.
- Ask your home: Control multiple devices at once or subscribe to Google Home Premium for a full home recap.
Next, you’ll encounter the “Upgrade” screen, which explains that this replaces Google Assistant permanently. You’ll also need to acknowledge several disclosures. The real treat comes when you choose from ten natural-sounding voices, each with unique pacing and intonation. Here’s the full lineup:
- Amaryllis: Bright • Higher voice
- Bloom: Calm • Mid-range voice
- Calathea: Australian accent • Higher voice
- Croton: Smooth • Deeper voice
- Fern: Warm • Higher voice
- Magnolia: Calm • Deeper voice
- Oxalis: Bright • Mid-range voice
- Pothos: Engaging • Mid-range voice
- Violet: British accent • Mid-range voice
- Yarrow: Warm • Deeper voice
And this is the part most people miss: This trick only changes the voice—it doesn’t activate the full Gemini for Home assistant. To confirm, ask, “Hey Google, who are you?” and you’ll still hear, “I’m your Google Assistant. How can I help you?” Even in the Home settings, it’ll display “Google Assistant” instead of “Gemini.”
While the new voices are a fun addition, they’re just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to switch voices later, simply restart the process using the same URL.
Controversial question: Is Google holding back the full Gemini experience on purpose, or is this just a phased rollout? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! And remember, we use income-earning auto affiliate links. More details here: (https://9to5mac.com/about/#affiliate).
