Google Guest Mode launched for smart home devices
Chris Burns - Jan 13, 2021, 1:22pm CST
On the 13th of January, 2021, Google announced the launch of Guest Mode. They’ve revealed this feature as “another easy way to control your privacy on smart speakers and Smart Displays.” That includes Google Nest and Google Home speakers as well as a number of Google-embedded Smart Displays. This system was launched in English, first, and will likely spread to other devices and languages in the near future.
While Guest Mode is on, audio recordings and Google Assistant activity is all automatically deleted after actions are complete. Google Assistant won’t say or show personal results that’d normally be available to an activated account.
Google introduces ‘Guest Mode’ for its smart speakers, smart displays
January 14, 2021
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Users can ask questions, control smart home devices, set timers and play music, but won’t show personal results (calendar entries, contacts), until they turn the mode off
Google is introducing a new ‘Guest Mode’ for its smart speakers and smart displays.
“We’re introducing Guest Mode, another easy way to control your privacy on smart speakers and Smart Displays, like Nest Audio and Nest Hub Max. Just say, “Hey Google, turn on Guest Mode,” and your Google Assistant interactions will not be saved to your account,” Google said in a blog post.
Google Assistant glitch appears to be affecting some users worldwide
Google is aware of the issue
Numerous reports suggest a small number of users have been unable to access Google Assistant on any of their devices over the past week.
9to5Google reports that the glitch seems to be happening at the Google Account level and that Smart Displays appear to be the most impacted. Reports from Google Help Forum posts, Twitter and Reddit reveal that dozens of users around the world are experiencing these issues.
A Google âProduct Expertâ has responded to a thread in the Assistant forum and stated that the âGoogle support team is aware of this issue.â
How to Hide Date and Location Info on Google Smart Displays and Chromecast
Dec 13, 2020, 8:30 am EDT
| 1 min read
Google Smart Displays and Chromecasts display the dates and location information for Google Photos in Ambient Mode. If this personal information is something you don’t want everyone to be able to see, it can be hidden.
Since September 2020, showing the date, location, and other photo information for the Google Photos backdrop became the default setting. This only applies to devices that use Google Photos in Ambient Mode (the screen saver).
To hide this information, open the Google Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Tap the Smart Display or Chromecast-enabled device you want to use.