The larger smart displays’ capacity to function as a bridge/extender like the Nest Connect will be removed in the most recent Preview version for the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.
The Nest Hub Max’s ability to increase the operational range of specific Nest devices, such as the Nest Detect and Nest x Yale smart lock, is one of its lesser-known functions. These devices rely on a conventional bridge device like a Nest Connect, Nest Guard, or the Nest Hub Max in place of connecting through Wi-Fi.
Back in June, we warned that a future patch known as the Thread-Matter update will remove the Nest Hub Max’s extender functionality. The Matter upgrade, which was initially planned to arrive in late July, will be labeled F7, according to an related support page , while the most recent stable version is F6. The F in F7, as you may guess, stands for fuchsia.
Google issued an support page this evening with information on the most recent stable and Preview Program firmware for Nest and Google Home devices. The updated listings indicate that the F7 updates 7.20220419.2.166 for the smaller hub and 7.20220419.2.164 for the bigger will soon be available for the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max devices in the Preview Program.
It should be noted that Matter/Thread devices may not automatically become available for your Google Home network with the launch of this update. This is but one of many ways Google is prepping its products and applications for the new smart home standard before the feature is formally launched later this year.
We don’t currently anticipate that the F7 update for Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max will bring very many changes save the loss of the Nest bridge/extender functionalities. Google advises people who are impacted by that removal to move their devices to maintain connectivity, but if that is impractical for your house, Google is providing some customers with a free Nest Connect to act as an extender.
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