It seems like Google’s getting into the Halloween spirit. A recent update for its Google Nest app — where users can control the company’s recently rebranded line of smart home products — hints at upcoming festive themes, the first of which appears to be some frightening new ringtones for the Nest Hello Doorbell.
Editor’s Note: Whether this feature is also coming to Australian Nest users is currently unconfirmed.
First spotted by 9to5 Google, an app update this week lays the groundwork for a “Seasonal themes” section in the Nest Hello Doorbell settings. In that section, it seems users will eventually be able to choose an option to change their device’s default ring for when visitors come-a-knocking to a new “Spooky sounds” theme. Google hasn’t announced when this option will become available to customers, but chances are it’ll be sooner rather than later. I mean, Halloween is less than two weeks away. Hurry up, guys.
According to 9to5 Google, it looks like this spooky, scary skeletons theme can also be applied to other Google Assistant-enabled devices you may have lying around the house, like the Nest Hub Max or Nest Mini, provided they have visitor announcements enabled.
There’s also no word from Google yet concerning what exactly these “Spooky sounds” will be. We’ve reached out to Google to see if they can let us in on the details, but in the meantime, I also have a few suggestions for some truly terrifying tones they may want to consider:
-
Your morning alarm.
-
The default “ding” of a new Slack notification when you’re trying to enjoy your weekend.
-
A recording of your local congressperson just wanting to remind you about the election coming up in your district soon and how you can show your support by — (I’ve usually hung up by this point, so I’m not actually sure how they wrap up these incessant “get out to vote” pitches).
-
Or better yet, a recording of that annoying robocall voice saying literally anything.
-
That little techno-y jingle from Fortnite’s “Dance Moves” emote. On loop. And it only stops when you answer the door.
Honestly, though, I’m not sure why Google’s bothering with a Halloween theme for the Nest Hello at all. Hearing my doorbell ring in the first place is enough to shoot my anxiety through the roof.