Meaning of Google Home Mini LED lights and Google Home Max LED lights

Like Google Home, Google Home Mini and Google Home Max use LED lights on the top to indicate its status or operations. You need to understand the meaning of Google Home Mini LED lights to use the device properly.

Due to its form factor and design, Google Home Mini (including Google Nest Mini, aka 2nd gen of Google Home Mini) uses up to 4 LED lights on the top part of Google Home Mini.

The meaning and colour combinations of Google Home Mini LED lights are also different from those in Google Home.  But there are similar to LED lights in Google Home Max.

So, in this guide, although Google Home Mini is used in most situations, the guide applies to Google Home Max as well.

Please note, Google Home Mini and 2nd gen Google Home Mini (aka Google Nest Mini) share the identical LED lights.  So in this guide, Google Home Mini refers to both the 1st gen and 2nd gen of Google Home Minis.

Where are LED lights in Google Home Mini and Google Home Max?

There are 4 LED lights on the top of Google Home Mini as shown below.

For Google Home Max, the 4 LED lights are located in the front regardless you place Google Home Max horizontally or vertically.

When one or more of them lights up, it indicates some ongoing actions or operations, or some special status of your Google Home Mini or Google Hoem Max.

When does Google Home Mini LED light up?

During the setup process, Google Home Mini LED lights indicate the operations or status of the device.

Also, when you power up or reboot Google Home Mini, the LED lights also give you information on the status of the booting up process.

Under normal usage, Google Home Mini LED lights light up only when there are some sorts of interactions.

For example, Google Assistant is hearing or processing your request.

When you use touch control for Google Home Mini, the LED lights should also light up.

When Google Home Mini idles, all LED lights should be off except for disabled microphone.

If the microphone is turned off in Google Home Mini, the 4 solid orange LED lights should always light up.

The meaning of Google Home Mini LED lights and Google Home Max LED lights

Under the different stage,  or under different interactions, the meaning of the same Google Home Mini LED lights could be different.

So, the meaning of Google Home Mini LED lights and Google Home Max LED lights is organized under different scenarios.

LED lights when powering or setting up Google Home Mini (or Google Home Max)

You need to set up Google Home Mini before you can use it.

When you power up Google Home Mini, the  4-color LED lights up from left to right: blue-red-yellow-green as shown below,

At this stage, Google Home Mini is not ready for use. You have to wait for a while,

When Google Home mini is trying to connect to WiFi,  the white LED lights will bounce back and forth as shown below.

If Google Home Mini is downloading or installing updates,  the white LED lights will light up from left to right as shown below.

If you use Google Home Mini or Max first time, or you just factory data reset Google Home Mini (or reset Google Nest Mini), you need to set up this Google Home Mini as a new device before you can use it.

In this case, you will find the white LED lights pulse slowly as shown below.

You should start the Google Home app in your mobile device and start to set it up.

During the setup process, you need to verify the device once so that your phone can connect to Google Home Mini or Google Home Max to finish the setup.

At this time, you should see 4 slid blue led lights as shown below.

LED lights in Google Home Mini when using Google Assistant

When you interact with Google Home Mini or Google Home Max through Google Assistant, the LED lights will indicate the status of the interaction.

Because the middle part of touch control in Google Home Mini has been disabled, you have to use hotwords to access Google Assistant in Google Home Mini.

After hearing OK Google or Hey Google, Google Home Mini will turn on the 4 white LEDs as shown below.

Now, Google Assistant is ready and waiting for your voice commands.

If there are no voice commands heard within a few seconds, the LED lights will turn off.  Google Assistant will not be available anymore. You have to use the hotwords again to  wake up Google Assistant.

Once Google Assistant understands your commands, it will try to deliver you the answer.

Before the answer is fetched, the white LEDs will run from left to right  as shown below.

This stage is often referred to as thinking for Google Assistant.

When Google Assistant is responding, the white LED lights will pulse continuously as shown below.

LED lights when adjusting the volume for Google Home Mini

When you adjust the volume via voice or touch control, the current volume level will be indicated by the LED Lights.

Each of the four LED lights can be off, half-illuminated, fully illuminated as shown below.

LED lights when alarm or timer rings in Google Home Mini

You can adjust the volume of alarm and timer in Google Home Mini and Google Home Max through Google Home app only.

When alarm rings, white LED lights pulse slowly as shown below.

You can tap either side of the Google Home Mini to silence it. Of course, you can use voice to silence or snooze it.

When a timer rings, the 4 white LED lights will run slowly as shown below.

LED lights for reminders in Google Home Mini

When there are one or more reminders, 1 solid white LED  light in the right side (the last one) will stay on for about 10 minutes as shown below.

You can say “Hey Google, what’s up?” to hear the notification.

Once the notification was heard, the LED light will disappear automatically.

LED lights indicating system error of Google Home Mini

If something goes wrong with Google Home Mini, 2 solid red LED lights will appear as shown below.

You cannot use your Google Home Mini when you see the 2 red LED lights.

If this happens, you may try to unplug the power cable, wait a few mins, then plug it back.

Occasionally, if the power adapter is not powerful enough (i.e., the output current is less than 1,5A), you may also get this issue.  You may try to use other power adapters with a 2A output current.

LED lights indicating microphone is off in Google Home Mini

If you turn off microphone listening in Google Home Mini, 4 solid orange LED lights will appear as shown below.

In Google Home Mini, you need to use the microphone switch to turn on or turn off the microphone.

LED lights when Google Home Mini is being reset

Sometimes, you may have to reset (factory data reset) Google Home Mini or Google Home Max.

During the resetting, the LED colors also change, one solid orange LED light lights up after you hold the reset button.

When the confirmation stage is over, 4 solid orange LED lights light up. Factory data reset actually starts now.

Do you know the meaning of Google Home Mini LED lights and Google Home Max LED lights? Can you understand LED lights in Google Home Mini and Google Home Max?

If you have any questions or encounter any problems with the meaning of Google Home Mini LED lights and Google Home Max LED lights, 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 specific guides, please check here.