How-to guides

3 methods to change Google Home volume and how to silence Google Home

If you want to change the volume for your Google Home, you may not know actually there are 3 different methods to change Google Home volume: use the touch panel, use your voice, and use the Google Home app.

The result is identical, regardless of the method you choose.

In addition to adjusting Google Home volume, this guide also shows you 4 methods to silence Google Home and how to resume the media playing.

Please note, the 3 methods introduced in this guide apply to media sound and Google assistant. If you want to adjust the volume for alarms and timers, you have to use the Google Home app, as explained in this guide.

These three methods apply to all Google Home speakers, including Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Home Max,  Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen of Google Home Mini), and Nest Audio.

If you paired two Google Home speakers and are using the speaker pair, the volume settings will be applied to both speakers automatically.

Method 1: use touch panel to change Google Home volume

As explained in Google Home layout and buttons page, you can control Google Home with the top touch panel, including adjusting Google Home volume.

In addition, Google Home volume status can also be read from the LED light colour (white), and the number of LED lights as explained in the meaning of Google Home LED lights (and colors) page.

Remember, Google Home use 0-10 levels (representing 0% to 100% of the maximum volume). Level 0 means silent. The current volume level for Google Home is indicated by the number of white LED lights/dots in the touch panel.  You can also use voice command of “Hey Google, what’s the volume?” to get the current volume level of Google Home.

You can swipe clockwise on the touch panel to increase Google Home volume (turn up) as shown below.

To decrease or turn down Google Home volume, you can swipe in the opposite direction (counterclockwise) on the touch panel.

For Google Home Mini, touch control is different. Please follow this guide on how to use touch control in Google Home Mini.

For Google Nest Mini, you may follow this guide to use the touch panel to adjust the volume.

For Nest Audio, you can follow this guide to adjust the volume with the touch control panel.

Method 2: use your voice to change Google Home volume

As a smart device with Google Assistant built-in, Google Home can be controlled with your voice.

Google Home actually is smart enough to understand similar terms as well.

Please note, you can use “Hey Google“, instead of “OK Google” so that your phone will not pick up the command.

To increase Google Home volume, you can use any of  the following voice commands:

  • Hey Google, volume up“. This will increase Google Home volume to the next level (which is about 10% louder).
  • Hey Google, louder“. Same as the first one.
  • Hey Google, turn up“. Same as the first one.
  • Hey Google, turn it up“. Same as the first one.
  • Hey Google, set volume at 4“.  This will change Google Home volume to 4 irrespective of the current volume level. Of course, you can change 4 to any number from 0 to 10. If you set the volume at 0, it will simply silence Google Home. “At” in the command is optional in the command.
  • Hey Google, set volume level at 4“. Same as the previous one(with additional optional word “level”).
  • Hey Google, volume at 4“. Same as the previous one.
  • Hey Google, volume level at 4“. Same as the previous one.
  • Hey Google, set volume at 40%“. Same as the previous one.
  • Hey Google, volume 40%“. Same as the previous one.
  • Hey Google, maximum volume“.  This will set Google Home volume to the maximum (level 10) regardless of the current volume level. You can also add other words in the command, for example, set.

To decrease Google Home volume, similar (opposite meaning) voice commands can be used. For example:

  • Hey Google, volume down“. This will decrease (lower)  Google Home volume to a lower level (which is about 10% quieter).
  • Hey Google, quieter“. Same as the first one.
  • Hey Google, turn down“. Same as the first one.
  • Hey Google, turn it down“. Same as the first one.
  • Hey Google, set volume at 4“.  This will change Google Home volume to 4 irrespective of the current volume level. Of course, you can change 4 to any number from 0 to 10. If you set the volume at 0, it will simply silence Google Home. “At” in the command is optional in the command.
  • Hey Google, set volume level at 4“. Same as the previous one(with additional optional word “level”).
  • Hey Google, volume at 4“. Same as the previous one.
  • Hey Google, volume level at 4“. Same as the previous one.
  • Hey Google, set volume at 40%“. Same as the previous one.
  • Hey Google, volume 40%“. Same as the previous one.
  • Hey Google, minimum volume“.  This will set Google Home volume to level 0 regardless of the current volume level. So, Google Home will be silenced, but the playing is NOT paused. You can use “Hey Google, continue” to raise the volume to level 1.

How to check Google Home volume level?

You can use voice command of  “Hey Google, what’s the volume?” to get the current volume level of Google Home.

Method 3: use Google Home app to change Google Home volume

You can also use Google Home app on any mobile device to change the volume for Google Home. On PC, you can change the volume in Google Cast extension.

To use Google Home app to change Google Home volume, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Start Google Home app.

Step 2: Tap devices icon (marked as 1) in the top right of Google Home app home screen, as shown below.

Step 3: Tap the volume icon of the corresponding Google Home device, as shown below.

Step 4: Adjust Google Home volume using the slider, as shown below.

Please note, you can also open the device page in Google Home app by tapping the navigation menu in the top left  (marked as 2). Then tap Devices in the menu as shown below.

Please note, you can change the volume of Google Home in the app at any time (when media is playing,  or when media isn’t playing, or when media is paused). If you change Google Home volume when media isn’t playing or when media is paused, you will hear an audible confirmation from Google Home.

How to silence Google Home?

Sometimes, you may want to silence Google Home.

You can silence Google Home in any of the following ways:

  1. Set volume level to 0 with any of the 3 methods of adjusting Google Home volumes mentioned above. Please note although Google Home is muted, the playing is NOT paused.
  2. Use voice command of “Hey Google, silent“.  The play will be paused. You can use voice command of “Hey Google, continue” to resume the playing.
  3. Double tap on the touch panel. The play will be paused. You can resume the playing by double tapping the touch panel again. You can also use voice command of “Hey Google, continue” to resume. On Google Home Mini, Google Home Mini 2nd Gen, and Nest Audio, you can tap the central part of the touch control panel to pause the playing.
  4. Use the silent button in the Google Home notification in any mobile devices in the same network, as shown below. This will silence Google Home, but not pause the playing.  You can use the button in the notification to resume the volume. You can also use the voice command  “Hey Google, continue” to raise the volume to level 1.

Do you know how to change Google Home volume and how to silence Google Home?

If you have any questions on how to adjust the volume for Google Home or how to silence Google Home, please let us know in the comment box below.

The community will help you.

Please check other Google Home guides here.

For Google Home Mini (including Nest Home Mini, aka, Google Home Mini 2nd Gen) specific guides, please check this page.

Nest Audio specific guides are listed in this page.

This post was last modified on January 1, 2021 4:09 am

View Comments

  • Option 3 for silencing Google Home is now obsolete, as they recently disabled this function. So…might wanna edit that one out. Gonna miss it, though…

  • In the Google home app, don't see any volume adjustments unless your casting music. Can you please allow for volume control in the device screen?

    • No, from the app, you can adjust the volume only when it is casting. The volume settings will be remembered.

  • I really want to say, for example, "Turn on the lights" and Google home does it without saying anything... I don't want to hear hear "Turning on two lights" just do it

  • How how do I add another command ?:-) how do I add another command to I want you use your tune on mine home device how do I access it

  • You missed the point... A Snell just wants to say "do this Function to this Device" without the voice saying "OK DOING THIS FUNCTION TO THAT DEVICE!"... Instead just do it, without verbal feedback confirmation.

    For example at Night, I'll play some sort of relaxing sounds to help us sleep. Sometimes the ocean waves are at a loud volume at our preference.... I'll ask " Hey Google, stop playing in 45 minutes"..... Google screams back at me at the high volume "OK! THIS WILL STOP PLAYING IN 45 MINUTES!!!!!!".... as we jolt up from our nearly asleep stage.

    • Hopefully, Google will add the option. Actually the volume of Google assistant voice follows the device settings. But the reference volume may be slightly higher. If you use Google home to listen podcast, you may also notice some podcasts are louder (without changing the device volume).

      Anyway, you can choose one of the eight available voices for Google assistant. Two of them are quite soft.

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