Google’s new Assistant feature is an incognito mode for smart speakers

Last January, Google quietly removed the existing feature of Guest mode, which allows people not connected to your Wi-Fi network to connect to a Chromecast or smart speaker by entering a four-digit PIN code, at from its Home and Nest devices, as some people and pets could hear the ultrasonic frequencies the two devices use to pair. Today, following the completion of online privacy efforts the company first announced in October, users will be able to turn off voice recording features on their smart displays and speakers like the Nest Audio or the Nest Hub Max just by telling them.

This new Guest Mode looks essentially like Chrome’s private browsing tabs. When enabled, it prevents your interactions with the Google Assistant from being saved to your account. This can be useful even when you don’t feel verbally awkward with your assistant. On the one hand, it prevents your friends and family’s interactions with your smart devices from influencing the personalized Assistant experience that you have gradually curated.