Google forgets to tell people it installed a microphone in Nest Secure

Google’s Nest Secure hub had a microphone installed ever since its launch in November 2017. Users are now finding it out.

Nest Secure alarm system and security hub. (Nest)

In a bizarre blunder Google forgot to mention a hidden microphone installed in the Nest Secure alarm and security hub. Google acknowledged that it was an error on their part.

The microphone was discovered with Google's announcement of updating Nest Secure with Google Assistant. Nest Secure users could start using Google Assistant on the Nest Guard component which is the hub's alarm, keypad and motion-sensor component. Nest Guard users could now ask questions like "Hey Google, do I need an umbrella today?".

Using Google Assistant required a built-in mic on the Nest Guard, which did not exist, on paper at least. There was no mention of a microphone in the specifications list of the Nest Guard.

Business Insider quoted a Google spokesperson as saying, "The on-device microphone was never intended to be a secret and should have been listed in the tech specs. That was an error on our part."

Google also clarified that the microphone was not intended to be a secret. The tech giant also said a microphone was added to integrate new security features in the future. Google said that the microphone was never turned on and can be activated only with the user's permission.

However leaving out an important component like microphone does raise data security questions. Also, the Nest Secure hub has been in the market for over a year now since its launch in November 2017.