Google Home Guides

After 4 years, Google finally updated the iconical cylindrical Google Home with a bigger and lounder Nest Audio in 2020.  So, the question for many existing users of Google Home is the comparison of Nest Audio vs Google Home

This Google Home guide explains the new features and improvements of Nest Audio vs Google Home to help you understand whether you should “upgrade” your Google Home, or whether Nest Audio is the right smart speaker for you.

The comparison of Nest Audio and Google Nest Mini (Google Home Mini 2nd Gen) is covered in this post (coming soon).

Before we explore the new features and improvements of Nest Audio (vs Google Home), let’s check what has not been changed (i.e., the shared features).

Nest Audio vs Google Home: what are NOT changed?

As a successor to Google Home, Nest Audio share some identical or similar features with its predecessor. This part highlights the common features of these two smart speakers.

Similar software

Both Google Home and Nest Audio share a similar software package. Google Assistant works in an identical way.

The setup and customization are also almost identical. This means existing owners of Google Home will have nothing … Read the rest

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You can reset Google Home Mini by holding the reset button in the bottom of Google Home Mini.

After factory data resetting of Google Home Mini, you can then set it up as a new Google Home device with Google Home App.

The way to reset Google Home Mini is different from that for Google Home.

In Google Home, you can hold the microphone button to reset Google Home. But in Google Home Mini,  microphone button was replaced with a microphone switch, and a reset button was added.

This Google Home Mini guide explains to you when you may need to reset Google Home Mini, how to reset Google Home Mini and how to check whether you reset Google Home Mini successfully.

For Google Home owners, please check this guide on how to reset it.

Please note, the 2nd gen of Google Home Mini (Google Nest Mini) does NOT have a reset button. You have to hold the touch panel to reset Google Nest Mini (Google Home Mini 2nd Gen) as explained in detail in this guide.

So, this guide only applies to the 1st Gen Google Home Mini. It is not applicable to … Read the rest

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What is factory data reset Google Home?

Factory data reset Google Home means you let Google Home roll back to a state that is identical to a new Google Home.

This state is usually referred to factory state (a state when Google Home leaves factory)

This means when you factory data reset Google Home, all settings, including linked account and connected devices are unlinked and disconnected.

In addition, your Google account associated with the Google Home device will also be disassociated.

Once the data are removed, you cannot undo it to recover any of them. You have to set up Google Home as a new device after a factory data reset (FDR).

When you need to factory data reset Google Home?

Of course, you should not consider to reset Google Home if it works normally.

However, you may have to factory data reset Google Home in following scenarios:

• the initial Google Home setup ends prematurely and it seems you cannot finish the setup process.
• you want to use Google Home in a new WiFi network.
• Google Home does not work. You may check the color of LEDs in the top touch panel.
• you plan to give away your Google

… Read the rest

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Google Home is a smart and connected  speaker powered by Google Assistant, which is a new version of Google Now.

Or, you can see Google Home is a voice-activated personal assistant. You can dictate it just using your voice.

Some owners may consider Google Home as a Chromecast Audio with a built-in speaker.

The direct competitor of Google Home is Amazon Echo.  If you are an Echo user, you can just imagine Google Home is a similar device with a smarter brain.

Anyway, Google Home can be a quite different device if you look at it with different perspectives.

This page will try to explain to you what is Google Home from 3 perspectives.

Google Home as a connected speaker

On the surface, Google Home is a speaker that always connects to internet.

So, in this sense, Google Home is similar to Chromecast audio + speaker. Actually, Google Home can be used as Chromecast audio: whenever you want to cast to Chromecast audio, you can cast to Google Home.

The difference between Google Home and Chromecast audio is obvious: Chromecast audio requires a speaker. And you can use 3 types of audio cables to connect Chromecast to … Read the rest

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Google Home Guides community welcomes your feedback.

Of course, the fastest way to contact us is through comment box in related Google Home Guides pages if your question or problem is on using Google Home.

Another way to contact us is through our Facebook page. You can post any questions, problems or thoughts in the Facebook page.

Email reply is always slower than the other two methods mentioned above.

Please note, we are NOT affiliated to Google or any sellers of Google Home. We are NOT able to answer any warranty or sales inquiries.  You may check with Google or the seller directly.

In addition, based on our experiences, our reply cannot reach following email providers:

• Microsoft (Outlook, Hotmail).
• AOL.
• Many other free email service providers.
• Some cooperate email providers.

Please try to use Google Mail (GMail).   We do not have issues with GMail up to now.

Please try to provide details of your questions so that we can help you.

If you did not hear from us within 3 days, you may contact us through our Facebook page.… Read the rest

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In addition to using Google Home, Google Home Max and Google Home Mini as a Bluetooth speaker (for your mobile devices), you can also connect Google Home to a Bluetooth speaker so that you can route the audio output to the Bluetooth speaker.

All Google Home devices (Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Nest Mini, Google Home Max) can now connect to a Bluetooth speaker and send audio output to the Bluetooth speakers. Although only Google Home is used in the text, the guide also applies to Google Home Mini (including the 2nd Gen of Google Home Mini) and Google Home Max.

This Google Home guide shows you how to use, set up and connect Google Home to a Bluetooth speaker.

What’s the difference between using Google Home as a Bluetooth speaker and connecting Google Home to a Bluetooth speaker?

When you use Google Home as a Bluetooth speaker, you can play media from your mobile device and hear the sound from the Google Home speaker.

The audio was transmitted to Google Home (or Google Home Mini, Google Home Max) using the Bluetooth connection between your mobile device and Google Home.

You may need this option when … Read the rest

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Nest Audio (released in 2019) is the successor of Google Home, which was released in 2016. And it is sometimes called the second generation of Google Home. Nest Audio guides are just for it!

Nest Audio and Google Home are substantially different: there are many improvements and a few new features, as explained in this guide.

So, many Nest Audio owners need some guides for the unique features on the device.  Of course, some Google Home guides, and even some Home Mini guides, apply to Nest Audio.

About Nest Audio Guides

Nest Audio guides explain the features and functions of Nest Audio and demonstrate how to use them with detailed step-by-step illustrations.

Some common features among Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Nest Home Mini (Google Home Mini 2nd Gen), and Nest Audio, are also listed so that you can find all guides you need for your Nest Audio.

All generations of Nest Audio are covered in this section. We will highlight the unique feature for each generation when applicable.

How to use Nest Audio guides?

Most of the Nest Audio guides include a very detailed explanation of the feature discussed so that you will not only know how … Read the rest

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You need to factory data reset Nest Hub if you want to hand the device to other users or if you plan to sell or donate the device.

Actually, even if you just plan to retire the smart display (and throw it in the basement), you should also reset Nest Hub.

This Google Home guide explains when and why you need to reset Nest Hub (including Google Home Hub, Nest Hub, and Nest Hub 2nd Gen) and how to factory data reset (FDR) the smart display.  It also explains how to soft reset Nest Hub.

In this guide, Nest Hub refers to Google Home Hub, Google Nest Hub, and the 2nd Gen Nest Hub. The method for resetting these smart displays are identical.

The factory reset method discussed in this guide applies to Nest Hub devices only. To reset other Google Home devices, you may check this guide for Google Home, this guide for Google Home Mini, this guide for the 2nd Gen Google Home Mini (Nest Home Nini), and this guide for Nest Audio.

Why and when do you need to reset Nest Hub?

As a smart display, Nest Hub knows you and saves some of your … Read the rest

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How is Google Home named?

When you set up Google Home, the app asks you to specify the location/room of the Google Home device.

By default, your Google Home will be named as XXX room Home.

Most Google Home owners may be OK with the name. But some owners may want to rename Google Home so that the name of Google Home is more meaningful and personalized.

It is even more useful to rename Google Home devices if you have more than one Google Home device at home.

Anyway, it is easy to change the name of Google Home in Google Home app.

How to rename Google Home?

To rename Google Home (i.e., change name of  Google Home), you can follow these steps.

Step 1:  make sure Google Home is connected to internet

You can change Google Home name (rename Google Home) only when Google Home is connected to internet.

If there are any issues with Google Home, you can check the LED light colors in the top touch panel in Google Home device.

Step 2: Start Google Home app

From any of your mobile devices which are connected to the same WiFi network as the Google Home … Read the rest

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Although Google Home can do so many things after setting up Google Home, it only has one button.  Most of the controls are achieved through voice.

The touch panel and LED colour also play an important role in using Google Home.

This guide will show you Google Home layout, functions of individual parts and how to change the base of Google Home.

Please note, Google Home layout and buttons are different from those of Google Home Mini (including Google Nest Mini), Google Home Max, Nest Audio (2nd Gen Google Home).

For owners of Google Home Mini, please check Google Home Mini layout and buttons page. Google Nest Mini layout was explained in this guide, and Nest Audio layout in this guide.

Google Home layout: front and top view

Front and top view of Google Home is shown below.

In front of Google Home, actually, there is nothing.

In the top of Google Home, you can find:

• A touch panel.
• LED indicators (LED lights).
• Two microphones

A touch panel

The entire top surface of Google Home is a touch panel. You can swipe clockwise to increase the volume and anticlockwise to reduce the volume.

You can … Read the rest

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