Google's Nest Hub Max rolls out the 'Look and Talk' feature for everyone

Nest Hub Max camera
Nest Hub Max camera (Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Google has rolled out the "Look and Talk" feature for all Nest Hub Max owners.
  • The feature was announced back in May during Google's I/O 2022 event.
  • It allows you to look at your smart display and start giving voice commands.

Back in May, Google announced a new feature for the Nest Hub Max that allows users to give voice commands to their smart display without having to say the usual hot word. The feature is now available to all users.

The "Look and Talk" feature is now available on the Nest Hub Max, allowing you to summon Google Assistant simply by gazing at it. You must be within 5 feet of the device in order to enable its camera to recognize your face and listen for voice commands.

To get started with Look and Talk, you need to enroll your device in the program through the Google Home app. After opening the app, go to the "Features" section and then tap "Google Assistant." Select "Face Match" and turn on the Look and Talk option beneath the Nest Hub Max.

After that, its camera will detect when someone looks at it and identify the person using Google's Face Match system.

This feature is an excellent addition to one of the best Google Assistant speakers as it removes the need to say "Hey Google" each time you want to talk to the digital assistant. It first leaked in late 2020 when it was codenamed "Blue Steel."

According to Google, the feature uses Real Tone technology found in the Google Pixel 6 series to ensure the Nest Hub Max accurately recognizes people of all skin tones. To protect your privacy, the feature performs all video processing locally to keep the device from sending your data to Google's servers.


Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.