Google is expanding its Familiar Faces feature in Google Home, allowing smart home cameras to continue identifying tagged individuals even when their faces aren’t clearly visible. The update, rolling out starting June 23, 2026, uses “additional non-biometric signals (body size, clothing color, etc.)” to recognize people who are turned away from the camera.
The Familiar Faces library will also begin automatically updating with the most recent images of people in a household, which could reduce inaccurate notifications caused by outdated reference photos.
Google is also improving its AI-generated video event descriptions. The system can now identify specific sounds — such as dogs barking, alarms, or footsteps — and include them in event notes, even when the audio source is off camera.
These changes may help address issues previously noted with Google’s smart home system, including event logs that contained detailed descriptions of people who weren’t present and events that didn’t occur.
A separate update to the Google Home app, arriving in version 4.20, adds new System Health alerts. When a Nest thermostat detects issues with a home’s HVAC system, users will receive notifications through this feature. The update also includes improved support for Matter switches.
The System Health alerts appear to build on Google’s previously existing Nest System Health Monitoring and may be connected to the company’s Gemini AI platform, though Google has not confirmed specifics beyond the feature’s functionality.
Source: The Verge