Google Nest Speaker Firmware Update 3.79: What's Being Tested

Google is testing a new Google Nest speaker firmware update, version 3.79.550760, but for now the rollout is limited to people enrolled in Google's speaker Preview Program. The build currently covers four older speakers, the original Google Home, Home Mini, Nest Mini, and Nest Audio, according to 9to5Google, which reported the test yesterday. The supplied reporting does not include a Google announcement describing the update.

The build is not yet in the production channel. 9to5Google estimates a general release could land within a few weeks, though that timeline is the outlet's own projection rather than a dated commitment from Google.

This article covers which speakers qualify, what the changelog claims, how enrollment works, and how this firmware test relates to Google's separate Gemini for Home rollout.

Which speakers qualify for the Google Home and Nest speaker update

9to5Google's report lists only four models in the current test:

• Google Home (2016)
• Home Mini (2017)
• Nest Mini (2019)
• Nest Audio (2020)

The current test does not include the Google Home Max, which has reportedly been running an older firmware branch for some time, per 9to5Google.

Also excluded is the $99.99 Google Home Speaker, the company's first new smart speaker in six years and its first model built for Gemini (The Verge, in July). The report does not explain why it is excluded from this build.

Only the four models listed by 9to5Google are included in the current test.

What the reported changelog doesn't confirm

9to5Google lists five broad categories of change in the 3.79.550760 build:

• Audio and media streaming, including volume handling
• Wi-Fi setup and connectivity
• Google Assistant entry experience
• Smart home device control
• General performance and stability

Those categories are broad, and the report doesn't name a specific bug, cite a benchmark, or describe a measurable before-and-after change. The report does not establish whether a particular Wi-Fi dropout, volume glitch, or setup failure is fixed by this build. The version number, device list, and rollout estimate all trace back to this single report, and the supplied reporting does not include a Google support page or official release note for the build.

The update follows reported reliability complaints about Google Assistant on older speakers. The Verge reported in 2025 that Google's Nest-branded speaker lineup had not received a new model since 2021, and described Google Assistant's performance on existing speakers as deteriorating as the company shifted toward Gemini.

Google Home's chief product officer, Anish Kattukaran, publicly apologized for those reliability issues, according to the same report. That provides context for why Assistant reliability is relevant to readers, but neither source connects those complaints to version 3.79.

How to join the Google Home Preview Program for firmware updates

Testing 3.79 requires joining Google's Preview Program, which the company has long operated for speaker firmware ahead of general releases, according to 9to5Google. The steps:

1. Open the device page for the speaker in the Google Home app
2. Tap the settings gear in the top-right corner
3. Select Device information
4. Choose Preview program

Because the option is reached from a speaker's device page, the process appears to be device-specific. Once enrolled, the update installs overnight on its own, with no manual download required.

9to5Google describes 3.79 as a Preview-stage build rather than a production release, with general availability expected in the production channel within a few weeks.

Why this isn't the Gemini for Home rollout

Neither 9to5Google's reporting on 3.79 nor Google's own Gemini for Home announcement identifies this firmware build as a Gemini-enabling update (9to5Google; Google Blog, 2025).

The two programs use separate enrollment paths. Firmware Preview is reached from an individual speaker's device page, as described above. Gemini early access is managed through Home settings instead: in Google Home app version 4.0 or later, users go to their profile icon, select Home settings, then Early access, according to Google's launch post from 2025.

That post describes Gemini as a broader replacement for Google Assistant on speakers and displays, with upgrades extending to cameras, doorbells, and the Home app itself. Google said it intended to eventually bring Gemini to every speaker, display, camera, and doorbell it has made in the past decade, though that's a longer-term rollout with its own invite process. The supplied research does not establish the rollout's current status.

Enrolling in the firmware Preview program does not enable Gemini features, based on the separate enrollment paths described above. The firmware test concerns device stability, while Gemini early access concerns the voice-assistant experience.

Current status of firmware 3.79

Four Google speakers from 2016 through 2020 are currently in Preview testing for firmware 3.79.550760, and 9to5Google expects the build to reach the production channel for all users within a few weeks. The changelog spans five broad categories without naming specific fixes, and no source in the supplied research ties version 3.79 to the Gemini for Home rollout.

Google Home Max and Google Home Speaker owners are not part of this particular test, according to 9to5Google.