Is voice activation available on the CareHub?

Voice activation on the CareHub is on the way. It's a feature Lumin is actively building, with the goal of making the CareHub usable hands-free — especially for people with reduced vision, dexterity, or mobility. This article gives an honest picture of where things stand. It's not yet available as a general feature.

What voice activation will enable

When released, voice activation will let users make calls ("Call my daughter") without tapping. Send messages ("Send a message to my son saying I'm fine") by speaking. Navigate the CareHub ("Open Photos") without using the touchscreen. Trigger reminders or check-ins ("I've taken my medication"). Get information ("What's on the calendar today?"). The intent is full hands-free use for everyday tasks. Voice will sit alongside the touchscreen, not replace it.

What languages

The CareHub currently supports English as the interface language. Lumin's upcoming AI capabilities — including voice activation and AI-assisted support — are being designed to support a much broader set of languages, reflecting the diverse linguistic communities of older Australians and New Zealanders. There's no published list of specific languages yet — we'll communicate which ones are available as they're ready.

Why voice matters for Lumin's audience

For people who have reduced fine motor control (arthritis, Parkinson's, post-stroke), reduced vision (cataracts, macular degeneration), aren't comfortable with touchscreens but speak fluently, or have cognitive change where tapping the right thing in the right order is difficult — voice is dramatically better than touch. For an older audience, voice can make the difference between a CareHub being a usable tool and being one more thing to learn.

Privacy considerations

Voice activation raises important privacy questions, which Lumin is taking carefully. Wake word vs always-listening — voice activation will require a wake word (the device only listens for instructions after the wake word). It won't be continuously listening or recording. Local vs cloud processing — where possible, voice processing happens on the device. Sensitive audio doesn't leave the home unless necessary for the request. Opt-in — voice activation will be opt-in, not default. Data handling — voice recordings are processed for the purpose of executing the command and aren't retained beyond what's needed for service quality. The privacy article will be updated when voice activation launches.

When voice activation will be available

There isn't a public launch date yet. Voice activation is being developed and tested with a small set of pilot users. We'll announce availability through a Community Message to existing customers, an update to mylumin.org, and an update to this KB. In the meantime, the CareHub's touchscreen and the Supporters App–driven model continue to work well for most users.

If voice activation would be transformative for someone you support

If you're a family member, village, or care professional, and voice activation would make a significant difference for someone you support, contact Lumin Support. Let us know who you'd like to consider for the pilot program when it expands, and what specific challenge voice would address. Note that pilot access isn't guaranteed; we balance need, technical readiness, and pilot capacity.