The free Interview Warmup alternative — that goes further
Google quietly shut down Interview Warmup in 2026. ScreenReady is the closest free replacement — you still answer real questions out loud — but it adds the three things Warmup never had: a real interview timer, an actual score with coaching, and questions tailored to the company you're interviewing with.
Start practising free →Free · No sign-up to start · Webcam + speech-to-text · No download
What happened to Google Interview Warmup?
Interview Warmup was a free, browser-based tool from the Grow with Google program. Launched in 2022, it showed you five interview questions, transcribed your spoken answers with machine learning, and highlighted patterns — your most-used words, job-related terms it detected, and whether you touched on your experience, skills, and goals. Millions of job seekers used it as a first, low-pressure rep.
In 2026 Google retired it. There was no formal announcement — the grow.google/interview-warmup address now simply redirects to a generic "How to prepare for an interview" article, and Google's guidance points people to Gemini for spoken practice instead. The dedicated tool is gone and, per Google's own cleanup notice, is not coming back.
Interview Warmup vs Gemini vs ScreenReady
How the retired tool, Google's suggested replacement, and ScreenReady compare on what actually matters for interview practice.
| Feature | Interview Warmup (retired) |
Gemini (general chatbot) |
ScreenReady |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Was free | Free tier | Free to start |
| Answer out loud | Yes | Yes (voice) | Yes |
| Real interview timer | No | No | Yes |
| Webcam recording | No — audio only | No | Yes |
| Scores your answer | No — only word tags | Inconsistent | Yes — STAR rubric |
| Coaching on what to fix | No | Varies | Yes |
| Company-specific questions | No | No | 100+ employers |
| One-way / HireVue-style format | No | No | Yes |
| Tracks progress over time | No | No | Yes |
The three things Warmup couldn't do — and you need
Warmup was audio-only. But recorded one-way video interviews are now a standard first screen, and how you look — eye contact, pacing, filler words — is judged. ScreenReady records your webcam so you fix delivery, not just wording.
Warmup showed your most-used words but never said whether the answer landed. ScreenReady scores every answer on structure, evidence, clarity, and delivery, with specific tips — so you know exactly what to sharpen.
Warmup's questions were generic. ScreenReady generates questions tuned to the company and role you're actually targeting — from Google and Amazon to Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Deloitte.
Everything Warmup did — plus the rest of the loop
If you liked Warmup's simple "answer a question out loud" flow, ScreenReady keeps it. You pick a role, questions appear one at a time, and you speak your answer — no essay-writing, no set-up. The difference is what happens next: instead of a word-frequency readout, you get a coached score and a video you can watch back.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Interview Warmup still available?
No. Google retired Interview Warmup in 2026. The original grow.google/interview-warmup address now redirects to a generic "how to prepare for an interview" article, and Google points users toward Gemini for spoken practice. The dedicated tool — five questions, speech transcription, and insight tags — no longer exists.
What is the best free alternative to Interview Warmup?
ScreenReady is the closest free replacement and goes further than Warmup did. Like Warmup it is free and needs no sign-up to start, and you answer questions out loud. Unlike Warmup, it records timed answers on your webcam, gives you a real score and structured coaching, and generates questions tailored to a specific company and role.
Does ScreenReady work like Interview Warmup?
Yes, and more. Warmup showed you a question, transcribed your spoken answer, and highlighted patterns like your most-used words — but it never told you if the answer was good. ScreenReady adds the missing half: it scores each answer on structure, evidence, clarity, and delivery, runs to a real interview timer, and records you on camera so you also fix eye contact and pacing.
Is Gemini a good replacement for Interview Warmup?
Gemini can hold a practice conversation, but it is a general chatbot, not an interview simulator. It has no interview timer, no webcam recording, no consistent scoring rubric, and no company-specific question sets. For realistic conditions — timed answers on camera with a repeatable score you can track — a purpose-built tool like ScreenReady is closer to the real thing.
Did Interview Warmup practise video interviews?
No. Interview Warmup was audio and text only — there was no camera. That is a real gap, because many employers now screen candidates with recorded one-way video interviews (HireVue and similar), where your on-camera delivery is judged. ScreenReady practises the full video format: 30 seconds to prepare, a timed recording, and feedback on both what you say and how you come across.
Pick up where Interview Warmup left off
Answer real questions out loud — then get the score, the coaching, and the camera practice Warmup never gave you. Free, no sign-up to start.
Start practising free →Free · No download · 3 full mock interviews included