Google Home’s Nest Mini is the second generation of its Home Mini product, a little round speaker you can put around your house and connect to a larger Nest Hub or use for your own little personal assistant/radio. You can check out why we liked this improved model here, but we also want to go over some of the most common issues people are reporting for their Nest Mini — and what you should do if they happen to you.
See our troubleshooting tips for the larger Google Home, and our general tips for getting the most out of Google Home this year.
My Nest Mini won’t connect
If you have trouble connecting with Wi-Fi, start with the basics first. Are you trying to connect to the right Wi-Fi network? Are you absolutely sure your password is correct? If this checks out, try moving your Mini closer to your router to see if maybe there’s a blind spot or interference issue.
If everything seems to be working well, the best solution is to reboot your Nest Mini. A basic reboot is very easy: Just unplug the power cord from the Nest Mini itself (not the outlet), and leave it unplugged for about two minutes. Then plug it back in, and start the connection process over in your Google Home app.
Note: With simpler smart speakers like the Nest Mini, rebooting is always a good option for addressing minor problems. If you haven’t tried rebooting, no matter your issue, give it a shot. There’s also an alternative reboot option in the Home app that may be easier for you: Go to Settings, choose More, and then select Reboot to begin.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
My Nest Mini has problems playing music
In a perfect world, your Nest device would effortlessly connect to all your music accounts and play whatever you want with a simple command. Since we don’t live in that world, you may find that your Nest Mini runs into problems playing or finding music.
First, if you can’t hear music but it seems like it’s playing, check your volume. You can always say, “OK, Google, turn volume up,” or a similar command to see if the volume was accidentally turned down. On this note, you can also try different phrasing when asking for a specific music playlist just in case Google Assistant is having trouble understanding you.
If this isn’t a problem, make sure your music accounts are linked to your Google Home app. Google can’t automatically connect to things like Spotify or Pandora, so you need to go in and provide your account information first. If your accounts are connected and active, open up the apps themselves and go their individual settings sections. Look for any options to clear the cache or history, and then restart your phone to see if this helps the problem.
Also, when in doubt, don’t be afraid to reboot.
My Nest Mini tells me other Nest devices aren’t set up (when they really are)
Sometimes, Google Assistant needs to be reminded that all your Nest devices are present, especially if you introduce a new device in your home. Try saying, “OK Google, sync my devices,” and see if this helps get everything in order.
When I talk to my Nest Mini, it doesn’t respond
Many different problems can cause an unresponsive Nest Mini. Try the classics like rebooting the Nest Mini and checking the volume levels to make sure nothing obvious is wrong. If this isn’t working, double-check that you haven’t disabled the mic itself. There’s a mic switch on the Nest Mini that will completely shut off the mic for privacy reasons, and if it has been turned off accidentally, this is the cause of your problem.
If everything seems fine, take a look at where the Nest Mini is positioned. Airflow from nearby vents, sounds from other speakers, signals from appliances like microwaves, and many other environmental factors could be causing interference. Try moving it to a more quiet area and see if this helps as well.
If none of the above works, you may want to do a factory reset and start over.
My Nest Mini speaker only produces static
The best option for a Mini that’s only putting out static and doesn’t seem to respond well is a full factory reset. Note that a factory data reset is not a reboot: It will erase all data on the Mini, and you’ll have to go through the full setup process again when it’s done.
To reset, first find the mic button on the side of your Nest Mini and turn it off. The LED lights on the top of the Mini should turn orange when this happens. Now, press the very top of the Nest Mini, like it’s a big button you are pressing down. Hold it for about 15 seconds. While you are holding, the Mini will enter its reset phase, and it will chime when that phase is completed — don’t stop pressing until you hear the chime sound.
Now, start your device back up, and see if the Mini responds correctly.
My Nest Mini keeps responding even when it’s quiet
Sometimes the Mini can be activated by conversations throughout the house or entertainment systems, but some people find they have problems even when the room is quiet. In this case, sometimes vibrations from nearby appliances — or even HVAC systems and traffic ––may be activating your Mini unintentionally. This tends to happen most often if your Mini is an on an uneven surface. Make sure the device is positioned firmly on an even surface and not subject to any small vibrations.
Some LEDs on my Nest Mini stay on constantly
This is an ongoing issue that Google hasn’t seemed to fully patch out yet. Try rebooting via the unplugging method cited above — unplugging the power cord from the Mini itself and waiting for around two minutes before plugging it back in again. If this doesn’t fix the problem, you may want to try a factory data reset and start over to see if this solves the issue.
My Nest Mini keeps unlinking from my Google Home account
This was a serious issue in early 2020, with Nest Mini unlinking from Google accounts up to several times a day. It appeared to be a bug in the software because Google created a patch to address the issue. If it has been a while since you tried this fix, reboot and re-connect your Nest Mini to make sure any recent updates have taken effect. If the problem continues, you may need to wait for another bug fix from Google.
I can’t pair my Nest Mini with my 1st Gen Home Mini
Unfortunately, this isn’t a mistake. The updates from the Home Mini to the Nest Mini makes it impossible to pair the two. You need two Nest Minis or two Home Minis to pair. If you do have two units of the same model, make sure they are close — in the same room — to pair successfully.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
The ultrasound sensor on my Nest Mini isn’t working
The Nest Mini has a setting which allows you to enable ultrasound sensing. This detects when you come near the speaker, turning on the music controls when you draw closer while showing alternative LED information when you are farther away. However, people sometimes find the ultrasound sensors just aren’t responding to their presence, no matter how they approach.
First, Google warns that other appliances throughout your home can emit ultrasound vibrations that interfere with the Mini’s sensors. Try to move the Mini to an isolated spot, and see if the sensors seem to work better there — it could just be a location issue.
Second, this feature currently seems very buggy. There are many complaints about it not working at all. It looks like one of those situations where waiting for a patch update may be necessary to fully resolve the issue.