AT&T brings Gemini camera search and daily summaries to Connected Life

AT&T has added Gemini for Home camera features to Connected Life, bringing richer alerts, video search and daily summaries to its home-security offering. In its November 4 announcement, the company described the features as recently introduced for new customers. Residents can look for recorded activity using conversational queries instead of opening individual clips.

The Professional monitoring plan includes Google Home Premium Advanced. AT&T’s sales page, checked November 5, lists it at $29.99 per month plus taxes and requires AT&T wireless or internet service. Security hardware is sold separately. The $15.99 Essential plan includes Premium Standard and 30 days of event history.

AT&T gives delivery alerts with parcel counts and sizes as examples. Search depends on the relevant event and object being captured. The company tells users to check responses for accuracy.

Google’s camera guide limits the AI features to adult administrators. Supported devices include Nest cameras launched in 2021 or later and set up in Google Home, plus older cameras transferred to that app. Users acknowledge Gemini for Home disclosures and choose participating cameras. Disabling a camera’s AI features also excludes its activity from Home Brief.

Sound descriptions require microphone and audio recording settings, an event trigger, and supported non-verbal sounds.

Home Brief appears each evening in Google Home’s Activity tab. Google’s separate Ask Home guide describes custom summaries for a specified topic and time frame, follow-up questions, and personalization using household information. Outside onboarding, saving information requires an explicit request or confirmation. Users can also ask to delete saved information.

Ask Home’s quick device and automation search, simple status queries and real-time controls are available without a subscription. Natural-language automation creation and saved information require Premium; camera search and Home Brief require Advanced.

Different limits for event clips and continuous video

Professional includes 60 days of event history and 10 days of continuous recording. Google’s subscription guide describes continuous history as useful for periods without motion or sound, barely moving subjects and changing lighting. Event recording instead saves detected activity, so those retention periods cover different kinds of footage.

Power and hardware determine continuous-recording support. Google’s recording guide says a battery Nest Cam needs a power connection. A battery Nest Doorbell cannot provide continuous history even with optional wired power. Recordings are stored in the cloud and deleted on a rolling basis. When upgrading from Standard to Advanced, the longer history begins at purchase. Downgrading to Standard removes event history older than 30 days and converts the last 10 days of continuous footage into event history.

Professional monitoring uses an Abode center in the U.S. to request emergency services after eligible alarms. The hub has battery and cellular backup; video still needs Wi-Fi and internet.

Google’s privacy guidance says camera video and audio are processed according to recording, streaming and notification settings. Gemini for Home also uses interaction transcripts, generated responses and information users request it to remember. Google says these interactions are not used to show ads. Integrated partner services remain subject to their own terms and privacy controls. Google says human reviewers, including trained service-provider reviewers, examine some collected data for purposes such as providing and improving services. Sharing personal information with connected-home service partners requires permission.

AT&T gives no date for moving all existing subscribers to the newly described features.