Google’s Home and Nest Community gets a redesign next month

Google offers dedicated support communities for users to provide feedback and ask questions about the company’s products and services. These include the Fitbit Community and the Google Home and Nest Community, which are being significantly overhauled next month, the company announced today. Google says the upgrades aren’t “just a fresh coat of paint” and instead mark “a foundational shift.” The highlights include a fresh design, intuitive categories, and streamlined discussions.

The goal of the transition is to make things “smoother, faster, and more intuitive,” according to the blog post. The new categories are intended to help users find the topic they need with fewer clicks, while the new discussion layout reorganizes content. Additionally, the Google Home and Nest Community adds a dedicated discussion space for Gemini for Home.

Notably, Google says that “your post history won’t be available anymore in the new community.” It’s unclear whether this refers to individual user post histories, or if older posts will become unavailable for everyone to search and view on the new platform. This applies to both the new Fitbit Community and Home and Nest Community. We reached out to Google for clarification, but have yet to receive a response.

The current Fitbit Community predates the Google acquisition, and as part of the shift, the old platform and all user data will be removed. Google explains the following in its Fitbit Community blog post:

We can’t wait for you to see the updated community! To join us, you’ll need to create a fresh account. Please note that once we launch, the current platform will be retired along with all existing profile data as we make way for this new chapter.

The similar announcement on the Google Home and Nest Community forums doesn’t mention anything about needing a new account. It appears that the Fitbit Community could see more drastic changes as the forums are recreated under Google for the first time. Google says it’ll be “sharing more details soon,” so we’ll presumably learn more ahead of the May changes.

“We’re integrating into a broader, more robust ecosystem,” Google explains. “By moving to this new platform, we’re making sure that your experience remains world-class for years to come.”

What do you think about new community forums for Nest, Home, and Fitbit products? Let us know in the comments below.