As of today, Google speakers like the Nest Hub and Nest Mini have a new option called ‘Guest Mode’. If enabled by saying “Hey Google, turn on gas mode”, the speaker will act a little more like a public Google Assistant terminal and a little less like your own personal assistant.
If gas mode is turned on, queries will no longer be stored in your Google Account, and some personal data such as your calendar will not be displayed. However, the speaker will still be able to do the basics, such as set timer, answer questions and play music.
However, do not think this works as a way to secure your personal data: turning off guest mode is as simple as asking the speaker to do so. The idea is apparently that if your guests visit your home (which at the moment: please do not), they will not accidentally see your calendar.
The feature is not quite as robust as Incognito mode in your Chrome browser. Although interactions are not saved, the speakers still need to be connected to your account so that they can still access all the integrations you have set up with music, smart lights, and so on.
In other words, it’s not a great solution for Airbnb hosts. Google does have a hospitality mode for its speakers, but it is primarily intended for hotels.
If you leave guest mode, your queries will be saved in your Google Account again. But as the company announced last August, it no longer stores audio recordings unless you actually choose to allow them.