Google finally begins rolling out Fuchsia OS for Nest Hub

Back in 2016, Google shared its plans to unify the operating systems of different types of devices with the launch of a new OS. This operating system, called Fuchsia OS, was designed by the Mountain View giant to work on all kinds of devices, from smartphones to smart IoT devices. Today, Google finally began rolling out the OS starting with first-generation Nest Hub devices.

Petr Hosek, technical director of the Fuchsia OS project, shared a tweet indirectly announcing this development. Check out his tweet below.

It’s not every day that a new operating system ships, but today is that day.

— Petr Josek (@petrh) May 25, 2021

Fuchsia OS will initially be available in a preview program for Nest Hub (initially released as Google Home Hub). Google was reportedly testing Fuchsia OS on smart displays earlier this month. Previously, it was reported that a Bluetooth SIG listing showing Nest Hub devices running Fuchsia OS 1.0 was actually discovered.

So, starting today, Google Nest Hub users will begin receiving the Fuchsia OS update, which replaces the existing Linux-based “Cast OS.” However, Google says the entire rollout process will take several months as the company is taking its time.

Meanwhile, Nest Hub owners participating in the preview program will start receiving the update today. Google further adds that the interface and product experience will not change . Therefore, users are likely not even aware that their device’s operating system has switched.

This is one of the biggest milestones as Google begins rolling out its new operating system. However, future plans for Fachsia OS are still unclear. We don’t know if Google plans to port this OS to other Nest devices in the coming days.

“It’s not just phones and PCs. In the IoT world, we’re seeing an increasing number of devices that require operating systems, new runtimes, etc. There’s a lot of room to deploy multiple operating systems with different strengths and specializations. Fuchsia is one of them, so stay tuned,” said Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s senior vice president of Android, Chrome OS, Play, and Photos.

The company plans to run Fuchsia OS on all Made by Google devices, as it is a module-based operating system that runs independently of the device’s hardware. As a result, manufacturers will be able to choose fuchsia elements based on their devices. Meanwhile, developers will be able to push out smaller updates to add new features to the device.