The Google Nest Hub and Hub Max are picking up a handful of new features with Cast firmware version 1.52. This release has been in the Preview Program for the last few weeks, and is now widely rolling out to all other users.
New Nest Hub alarms UI + Sunrise
Google has been testing a revamped Alarms screen since September, with more Nest Hub owners in the Preview Program receiving it last month as part of Cast firmware 1.52. “Hey Google, show me my alarms” or swiping up from the bottom of the screen and tapping the clock icon will bring up a new list-based interface that replaces the previous carousel approach.
Each line features the time, date, and on/off toggle. The first part of the “Set an alarm” UI where you select a time is unchanged. There is now another step to set additional preferences:
- Repeat: Select days of the week.
- Alarm tone: 20 sounds grouped by Light, Medium, Heavy, and Natural with the ability to preview each.
- Sunrise alarm: “Screen will slowly brighten like a sunrise to gently wake you.”
- Specify whether Room lights should “brighten to gently wake you.”
- Pre-alarm: “soothing sound that plays when the sunrise alarm begins.”
- How long the effects play: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 minutes.
- Morning routine: Can be automatically triggered after alarm is canceled.
Other alarm settings include a volume slider, and ability to choose “Silence after” and “Snooze length” durations.
Zoom integration
Google rolled out a preview of Zoom to the Nest Hub Max in December. At the start of this month, @MadeByGoogle tweeted that Zoom is “now available.” The broader launch could coincide with this firmware, though the Google Support document — with full setup instructions — still mentions how the integration is “only available to a limited number of users.”
Family tab
Joining Clock, Your morning/afternoon/evening, Home control, Media, Communicate, and Discover is a new tab for “Family.” This was announced in November to highlight kid-friendly functionality on one screen like sticky notes, Bell schedule, and interactive stories.
New Cast tone + more dark theme
The new sound that plays when you Cast audio or video is softer and more friendly than the previous iteration, which dates back several years.
Old tone
New Cast tone
Lastly, the dark theme that was introduced with the broader Smart Display revamp last year has been expanded to more parts of the system UI, including the screen that appears when you lose internet connection.
Google Nest Hub 1.52
Version 1.52 is in the process of rolling out to all Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max devices outside the Preview Program. It’s available on all our stable devices today. Smart Displays update automatically over night, though unplugging and reattaching power might aid in pulling the new firmware .
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