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Photo credit: Tewke
Tewke, the British smart home company, has teamed up with Google to integrate Gemini-powered AI into its clever touchscreen light switch called Tap.
You may recognize Tewke from a recent episode of Great designswhere company co-founder Piers Daniell began building a multi-million pound modern castle. The episode briefly featured his company's Tap light switch replacement, and now Tewke has announced its integration with Google.
The system, called TewkeAI, will come to Tap in the first half of 2026, the company says. This is a voice assistant powered by Google Gemini that allows users to ask questions and give voice commands to control their smart home. Features announced so far include weather forecasts, headlines and answers to general knowledge questions – similar to what is possible with smart speakers.
The news comes shortly after Google announced that it would also introduce Gemini to Nest smart home devices.
Photo credit: Tewke
The difference between a smart speaker like an Amazon Echo or an Apple HomePod is that the Tewke Tap is primarily a light switch and smart home controller and not a portable speaker. It is designed to be installed in place of a standard wall switch and uses the same wiring for constant power. There's also no always-listening system like with smart speakers, which always listen for commands like “Alexa” and “Hey Google.” Instead, TewkeAI only starts listening when you swipe across the OLED display and press and hold an icon on the screen.
The Tap's existing features include real-time energy consumption information and home health reports – including air quality, temperature and humidity – as well as light switch control. Like other smart lighting systems, Tap can also be controlled and presets configured via a smartphone app. It's an approach that differs from Philips Hue's, as Tewke sells a smart switch to control your existing light bulbs, rather than a new set of smart, color-changing light bulbs.
The Tap System also works with compatible smart plugs to control lights and other mains-powered devices.
Photo credit: Tewke
Instead of offering a huge range of features, Tewke emphasizes simplicity. Co-founder Rowan Dixon said: “Because Tap is a device designed for everyone in the home, we designed our first version of TewkeAI to be as intuitive to use as possible.”
CEO Piers Daniell said: “TewkeAI is the next step in bringing the future of home automation and energy saving into homes, achieving our vision of creating the future of a smart grid.”