In a move announced by Google a year ago, the tech giant has now begun the process of phasing out third-party Assistant voice apps, including games, on the Nest Hub.
These voice-based experiences, known as Conversational Actions, were initially launched with the command “Hey Google, talk to [app/service]” and could be used on most Assistant devices. Google later expanded this concept to better support Smart Displays, enabling the development of apps and games that incorporated both voice and touch input. This expansion allowed for interactive trivia puzzles and picture books.
Due to a lack of user engagement with the initial method for third-party app development on Assistant, Google made the decision to discontinue support last June. The company provided a one-year transition period, and users have been informed of this change since April.
The process of phasing out these third-party experiences is currently underway, with users noticing the removal of the “Games” tab on the Nest Hub.
Among the affected voice apps on the Nest Hub, grocery apps, such as OurGroceries, are experiencing the impact of this deprecation. Additionally, the integration of third-party Notes & Lists services (Any.do, AnyList, and Bring Shopping Lists) with Assistant will be shut down this month, as it relied on the same Conversational Actions platform.
However, Google has assured users that they will still be able to interact with shopping lists using Google Keep through voice commands.
Looking ahead, Google’s focus is on enabling voice capabilities for Android apps. This includes phones, tablets, Wear OS, Google/Android TV, and Android Auto/Automotive. As a result, affected users may be able to issue similar commands to Android phones.
Google has confirmed that the following Assistant experiences will not be affected by this deprecation:
- Answering questions
- Playing music and videos
- Making calls
- Setting timers
- Controlling smart home devices
- Launching and controlling Android apps.