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Google is rolling out the Fuchsia OS 16 update to Nest Hub devices. The update brings a bunch of improvements to Bluetooth, Matter, and Thread support. All three models—Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Hub (2nd Gen)—are picking up these improvements.
Nest Hub devices get a new Fuchsia update
Google’s Nest Hub devices shipped with Linux-based Cast OS out of the box. In 2022, the company started updating them to Fuchsia OS. The first-gen model (originally Google Home Hub) picked up the update first, followed by the Max. The Nest Hub (2nd Gen) joined the party last year.
The devices subsequently received a couple more Fuchsia updates with bug fixes and improvements. Fuchsia OS 12 rolled out in August 2023, followed by Fuchsia OS 14 in November. Google is now pushing version 16 to the trio. It comes with the firmware build number 16.20231130.3.59.
The latest update should bring all the changes found in the Fuchsia F15 and F16 builds. While the majority of changes pertain to the internal developer experience, Nest Hub users have a few takeaways. Firstly, this update fixed the Bluetooth issues that blocked some speakers from connecting audio. Google also fixed the issue of media information not appearing when paired with select phones.
Additionally, Fuchsia F16 contains a patch for a volume control issue that cropped up when using a device as a speaker. Another Bluetooth problem that prevented some headphones from showing up while scanning for new devices has also been fixed. Google fixed a Bluetooth audio issue for “Duo call” too. Yes, Duo has already merged with Meet but Fuchsia developers still referred to the video calling service by its old name.
This Fuchsia OS update for Nest Hub devices also improves the built-in support for Matter and Thread smart home standards. Google has added support for air quality sensors, subscribing to all device fabrics, the Matter update group, and transition time handling for commands related to color to Matter. The addition of TREL will “reduce Thread partition and reduce Thread network usage when possible.”
Fuchsia OS might soon support native Linux apps
The official release notes for Fuchsia F15 and F16 have a lot of developer changes related to the Starnix system. It is a system that acts as a translator to allow native Linux apps to run directly on Fuchsia. Google says it has “enabled RISC-V support in Starnix with basic tests running.” It may not be long before it publicly announces native support for Linux apps on Fuchsia, opening up the new OS to more device categories.