Nest has only just added Google Assistant control to the Nest Secure alarm system

You can now control the Nest Secure alarm system using Google Assistant.

As you’d probably imagine the amount of voice control is fairly limited, with the deactivation feature only available in the moments directly after activation. We were thinking about possibilities for how this feature could be abused, but short of a burglar standing at your front door shouting “Okay Google, deactivate alarm” we couldn’t think of many.

You’ll be able to check on the status of your alarm system from anywhere that you’ve got a connected Google Assistant device, which should include Android phones and Android Wear devices.

Some set-up required

What this means is that if you’ve left the house in a rush and forgotten to set your alarm, you should now be able to arm the system by giving a voice command to your smartwatch. You can even toggle between the different security modes that you’ve got set up on your Secure.

It’s worth noting that the Google Assistant feature won’t work if you’ve got your Nest Secure set up to only arm with a PIN, so you may have to fiddle with your settings a little to take advantage of this new feature.

As Nest is a Google company (originally bought by Google, then an Alphabet company, then re-absorbed into Google), it’s surprising that this feature hasn’t already hit the device.

In February 2018 Google Assistant worked its way into the Nest Cam IQ, effectively turning it into a smart speaker. You won’t get the same functionality here as the Secure lacks the two-way audio that the Cam IQ has, but the feature is live now if you’ve got a Google Assistant speaker and a Nest Secure.