Google Nest Mini review: Google's smallest smart speaker keeps getting better

Table of Content

• Design
• What is HomeKit?
• Amazon Echo ( review
• Google's Home Mini outsmarts but doesn't outperform Amazon's Echo Dot
• Design and Set Up

The soundstage – despite being pitched as 360-degrees – falls a little flat. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Goes from here forward, the Dot has an important hardware feature that the Mini surprisingly lacks -- a line-out jack. You can plug the Dot into your own speakers to make up for its own lack of sound quality. One other point worth mentioning is the Google Home Mini's array of far-field microphones.

I compared the same songs across both devices, and the Dot consistently came up short, without even a hint of a bass. Your milage may vary, of course -- if you listen to a lot of audio through your phone's speaker, the Mini will be an improvement. The Home Mini can stream audio, video or images from Google Photos to any Chromecast-enabled device . Controlling audio and video was one of my favorite features with the original Google Home, and that's still the case here.

Design

I prefer the Echo Dot's light ring, which encircles the top of the device, is much more visible and changes color when it hears your voice. So kudos to Google for making the Home Mini something that looks and feels friendlier. It's small and round like the Echo Dot, but its curved sides give it a softer look. Like with the larger Google Home, the top of the Mini is swathed in a gray fabric, which only adds to its homeyness.

Google made changes to the Mini only where needed, maintaining the affordable price, without compromising on design quality. The Mini is powered by a 15-watt power adapter connected to a DC power jack, a change from the former’s standard Micro USB connection. Even though it would’ve been ideal to get USB-C, given that it’s unlikely for the Nest Mini to be moved frequently, it’s perfectly alright for Google deciding to go with a proprietary connection. There’s no 3.5mm audio jack to connect an external speaker, but there is Bluetooth support. Where the Google Home Mini really impresses is with its range of uses, offering everything the larger Google smart speakers do taking up a fraction of the space.

What is HomeKit?

The team at Google spent hours testing the audio transparency of dozens of fabrics to create a more eco-friendly cover for the Nest Mini. The speaker's top fabric is made from 100% recycled plastic, and the external enclosure is made from 35% recycled plastic. Google told me that one half-liter plastic bottle makes enough fabric to cover a little bit more than two speakers.

Nick Pino is Managing Editor, TV and AV for TechRadar's sister site, Tom's Guide. Previously, he was the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar, covering TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. He's also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he's not using if anyone wants it. While music isn’t exactly the speaker’s strong suit, it really does nail the mid-range.

Amazon Echo ( review

The soft look of the light gray fabric and the Mini's rounded corners make this a much friendlier gadget than the Echo Dot, and one that I'd be happy to put just about anywhere in my house. My soundbar happens to be Cast enabled, so I set the Home Mini to default music playback to the soundbar whenever I requested it. This largely worked well, with a little bit of a lag to wake the soundbar up and connect it to the stream. Standard voice commands and replies still came out of the Mini’s speaker instead of punting to the soundbar every time.

Google sells these wall mount kits, and we’d wager that the speaker is so lightweight that strong 3m tape could work just as well should you not want to drill into the wall. Except for an additional color option of Sky blue, the designs are pretty much identical. The Nest Mini is more eco-friendly, however, now using recycled plastic to create the fabric top. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.

Google knows that the vast majority of smart speaker users rely on them to play music, and competition has become fierce. A handful of audio gear companies have begun to sell their own Google Assistant-powered speakers — most of which trounce Google’s in terms of audio quality. The speaker doesn't have a 3.5mm output jack or a standard Bluetooth connection. You can play music from your phone by using the Google Home app, and can connect the speaker to a larger, Chromecast-enabled speaker for better sound quality.

Two LEDs on the side of the Nest Mini show you where to tap for volume control. If you work from home every day, the Google Nest Mini is a solid coworker. It knows your schedule front-to-back, has answers to most any question you can come up with and sounds especially good in smaller spaces like a home office. Find a song on YouTube you want to listen to on your phone and then connect via Bluetooth to hear that song on the Nest Mini. Sony, B&O, Philips and Polk are on board with selected hardware, however. In terms of services, you can get news and sport updates from the BBC, Sky, Reuters, CNN and more, and you can control YouTube, Netflix and Spotify among others.

Set-up

Since there's no AUX port, the only way to connect the Mini to a better speaker is through Chromecast, which certainly doesn't work as well as a 3.5mm cable. You can't even Bluetooth out to another speaker, which is odd given you can use the Home Mini as a Bluetooth speaker for your phone or laptop. For $49, that's totally excusable, but it's something worth being aware of. For what it's worth,, the Mini absolutely outclasses the Echo Dot in audio quality. The Dot sounds tinny and hollow when Alexa speaks to you, and music playback is even worse.

And, because it was an issue with the touch controls, turning off the microphone did not alleviate the problem. If you want a powerful, fast, and attractive smart speaker for an affordable price, you won’t be disappointed with the Nest Mini. But as of right now, the Nest Mini brings a faster and smarter assistant. It’s $49 online, which surprisingly is the same current selling price of the Google Home Mini ($39). We were a bit surprised that Google waited so long to update its Mini speaker, yet it didn’t make any drastic changes to the device’s overall appearance.

Apple’s terrific M1 iPad Air is matching its best price to date right now

Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence. Google Assistant’s abilities will be familiar to anyone with an Android phone or tablet and are largely impressive. It’s every bit as good at hearing you as Echo devices, and for the typical sort of questions, it understands you more often than not, and also tends to have an answer. Google has just launched hands-free calling in the UK, following an initial US launch. For convenience, you can set your Home’s caller ID to be your regular phone number using the Home app.

Google Home Mini is a great alternative to the Amazon Echo Dot

Table of Content

• User reviews
• Amazon Kindle Scribe review: absolutely adequate
• Set-up
• Amazon Tap
• Google Home Mini Review: The First Great Echo Dot Rival
• Google Home Mini review: Taking aim at the Echo Dot

AptX is a codec used for transmitting audio wirelessly with Bluetooth. It is developed by Qualcomm, and supports 16-bit audio at a bit rate of 384kbps. Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data transfers between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves. Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology that allows sounds to be interpreted as three-dimensional objects. If you have a second speaker of the same type, you can pair them together to create a stereo sound setup. Inside Google's anechoic chamber, one of the testing facilities the company uses to gather speaker data.

The Google Mini seems a bit more intuitive than previous home assistants in that it was able to understand less specific instructions. So rather than having to tell Google to play Netflix on Chromecast, it worked when we simply told it to play Orange is The New Black. And when we asked it to show us pictures of Italy, it didn’t need us to tell it that we were hoping to view pictures from our 2010 Italy trip in Google Photos. Furthermore, the Google Assistant seemed to need less time to “think” about the responses she was giving. With basic setup now complete, you can begin to use the Home Mini, but to expand its capabilities, you will first want to decide how much you want the device to do for you.

User reviews

In a head-to-head audio test, the Home Mini simply blew the Echo Dot out of the water. Once connected, I said, "Hey, Google, turn on my dining room lights," and they responded instantly. Although the LEDs on the top of the Home Mini light up when they detect your voice, they're hard to see, especially if the Mini is across the room from you.

If you want to adjust the sensitivity whenever the wake phrase “Hey Google” is spoken, you can now do it through the Google Home app. It quickly answers specific questions like, “How much will it cost to remodel my kitchen? ” and then it listens for and immediately responds to follow up questions like, “How long will it take to remodel my kitchen? ” The answers it provides are becoming more and more useful, and also, more detailed. This particular review is based on her experience using the Google Home Mini over a period of three years, after purchasing when she moved into her current home.

Amazon Kindle Scribe review: absolutely adequate

Its knowledge graph is unrivaled, and Google is very good at answering any query you might have. As for the hardware itself, the Home Mini has a better speaker, a more attractive appearance and superior voice-calling features -- it's just too bad that the microphones don't offer better call quality. Google has done a strong job closing the gap between the Assistant and Alexa over the past 12 months -- as long as the Home Mini works with devices and services you use, it's well worth a look. Sound quality isn’t great, but that’s to be expected from a device this small. These mini smart speakers aren’t really meant for music, although performance is fine for listening to the weather report.

The Mini is louder, sounds smoother with music and has decent bottom end for a device the size of a hockey puck. Of course, we wouldn't use either of these if we had a choice -- the Oontz is the better of all three and makes music sound like music, plus it's portable and will accept a line-in. If you’re looking for something that’s a bit more functional than a stand-alone speaker, you have options such as the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 ($39).

Set-up

Until a few days ago, you could also tap and hold on the center of the Home Mini to activate the Google Assistant, but something went awry with that feature. I’ve had a Google Home since its early days, and have found it to be more sophisticated than the Echo. It’s better at understanding my requests, and it’s much more helpful when I’m seeking general information. But the Echo series is compatible with more devices, and it’s vastly superior at controlling my smart home system of choice.

This mini speaker can get fairly loud, but there’s no bass in the delivery. That means that the Home Mini is exactly like the larger, more expensive Google Home and even the much more powerful Google Home Max in that it can control your smart home devices. While the others make for very solid standalone speakers from a performance standpoint, the Home Mini can’t hold its own as the sole sound-maker in your house. We threw each speaker some rock tracks and some folk and found that the Home Mini is the undeniable victor of the two smart speakers. The Echo Dot can be used to listen to music but we wouldn't advise it.

This product features a fair-sized display that shows the clock, weather, and other data in addition to all the standard smart speaker tools. The Google Assistant hears me just fine, but voice calling is another story. When I called a few friends with the Mini, they all said that I sounded terrible. This isn't just a problem with the WiFi calling protocol that Google is using, either. I called the same people on the full-size Google Home and everyone said things sounded significantly better. That fabric-covered top is also the main physical interface for the Mini, when you don’t want to use your voice to control it.

Isn’t it annoying when you’ve misplaced your keys somewhere at home while running late to an appointment? Your Google Nest Mini can help you track them down, if you’re using one of Tile’s Bluetooth trackers. In order to track them down, you simply just say, “Hey Google, where are my keys? Google recently brought out the Google Nest Mini, which is incredibly similar to the original compact model but with a few key differences.

I wasn't a huge fan of the touch controls — they aren't quite responsive enough when you want to use them, and yet it's hard not to activate them by mistake whenever you pick the thing up. HomeKit is Apple’s very own smart home platform, and it enables smart home tech from central heating controllers to cameras, smart lights and smart appliances to communicate with your Home app. You can use it with Siri to control your entire home with your voice, and it’s easy to set up schedules and other automations to make your life easier.

The microphones are also making use of a new feature Google calls ultrasound sensing. The speaker emits tiny inaudible chirps, which bounce off objects in the environment, reflect back to the microphones and tell the device if someone is near. This is turned on when music is playing, but you can opt out of it if you like in the Home app. There's also the option to call your home speakers from the Home app if your mobile device has Google Duo installed. Google added several new features and improved sound quality to its second-generation smart speaker. Regardless of which color you go for, the Nest Mini has a fabric mesh on top that covers three touch-capacitive buttons for raising and lowering the volume, and play/pause.

Google Home Mini Review: The First Great Echo Dot Rival

Its next trick is more hardware in the form of the Google Home Max, so stay tuned for that. We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry. A lower weight is also an advantage for home appliances, as it makes transportation easier, and for many other types of products. There is a control panel on the device body, so you can easily access the volume control or remote without having to interact with a cable or another device it's connected to. I tested this out with a hairdryer, and the Nest Mini automatically upped the volume as soon as I added that extra noise. The feature doesn't work with music, but it's one of those tiny updates that makes it feel like Google is really trying to solve those mundane, annoying moments in everyday life.

The Echo Dot with Clock will cost $10 more than the Nest Mini and you won't be able to mount it on your wall . However, you will get a practical LED display and the tactile joy of whacking the top of a smart speaker to snooze the alarm. The Google team also redesigned the speaker inside the Nest Mini, making it larger and just a bit heavier with more space around the components to create a fuller bass sound. In 2016, Google showed off its first smart speaker, the Google Home. Small but mighty, this speaker came with all the smarts of Google Home but at an affordable $49.

The Nest Mini is slightly heavier than the Home Mini , and you can feel the quality of the craftsmanship when you hold the Nest Mini in your hand. This much larger speaker pushes out way more sound and has advanced features such as the ability to adjust its audio output for the room it’s in. There’s also the Google Nest Hub ($99) if you want all of Google’s smarts in a smart display form factor. For example, you can create speaker groups and have them play the same song.

Reboot Google Nest or Home speaker or display Android Google Nest Help

Table of Content

• How To Hard Reset Google Home Mini?
• How do I reset Google Home Mini with the reset button?
• Unplug your speaker or display
• How to reset a Google Mini speaker in 2 ways to fix internet issues, sound glitches, and more
• Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen)
• Could not communicate with my Google Home Mini during the setup
• Remove and link the device again

A reset is typically performed to address a persistent issue that refuses to be resolved by a restart or another, simpler fix. Resetting the Home Mini will erase all of the speaker’s settings and data, just like it would with any other device. To reset the second-gen Nest Mini, first mute the microphone using the built-in switch.

The device can communicate with your phone and recognize you thanks to your Google account. As said before that doing a reset should be your last resort, We’ll discuss some other options you can explore instead. Make sure your phone or tablet is linked to the same Wi-Fi network as the Home Mini before continuing, though. The process to reset each of the two versions of the Home Mini units differs slightly.

How To Hard Reset Google Home Mini?

You can trade your Home Mini with an interested buyer on many different websites such as Swappa, eBay, or LetGo. Swappa’s standard rate is around $20, so you’re sure to earn bigger bucks than you would if you tried to sell it at Target or Walmart. You’ll need to invest some time and effort if you want to see that payoff come full circle.

Besides, a device should not undergo a reset if the user has not created a backup. If there is an issue with a Google Nest Hub device, the best bet is to fix it by resetting it when other alternatives prove to be ineffective. Once you know the Home Mini model, you can then reset the device accordingly. As a result, it is necessary to save a reset for the very last step of a troubleshooting process.

How do I reset Google Home Mini with the reset button?

The factory reset button is located on the bottom of the device below the power cord for the first-gen Mini. However, a factory reset cannot be performed using the Google Home app. For the first-gen Mini, the reset button is located below the power cord on the bottom of your device.

Open Google Home Mini from the list of devices. Also, ensure that the router firewall isn’t blocking Google Home Mini and that the network is stable. Your internet connection doesn’t have to be super speedy but it needs to be stable for Google Home Mini to work without hiccups. Either way, we have a few solutions to recommend before you toss a small gadget in the bin. Let me give you a simple trick by which you can identify both the generations easily. Switch off the Mic using the button provided on the back of the device.

Unplug your speaker or display

Eventually, the Google Home Mini will confirm its reset. After the announcement, you can release the microphone mute button. To begin the factory reset procedure, hold it down for at least 5 seconds. If your Google Mini is having problems connecting to Wi-Fi or playing music, or you plan on giving it away, then you may need to reset the device.

If both of these diagnoses are positive, the Mini might be too far from the router. It might be that there is an interference or blind spot issue. If you’re doing things right, the reset option should kick in, but don’t remove your fingers — you’re in a fail-safe period giving you the chance to back out.

The Google Home Mini was introduced in 2019 and provides a home with a plethora of different features like controlling smart home devices and weather updates, just to name a few. When your Google smart speaker is acting up, we’ll show you how to reset it and get back to normal. Unplug the power cord from your speaker or display. The next thing you should try in case you still get the Could not communicate with Google Home Mini error is to remove the device and link it again. The problem with this solution is that, again, it won’t work if you can’t access Google Home Mini from the app and the error occurs every time you try to do so. Therefore, the process should not be initiated when the battery of the device is low.

Continue for ten seconds more until the voice prompt confirms the success of the process. The device will have to be set up after the process to have it working as before again. Keep holding to the button for around ten seconds more. Despite its positive reviews, Google home might be malfunctioning due to various reasons. The good news is that these issues can be fixed. We can also help you with resetting the original Home Mini.

Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen)

However, keep in mind resetting your device will erase all previous settings, and you will have to set up the device all over again. This backup method is quite time-consuming and complicated. However, once you get the hang of it, you can conveniently use it to reset your Google Mini. Read on to discover an unusual yet effective method to reset the Google Mini! Firstly, unplug your Google Mini and wait for ten seconds before plugging it back in. Wait until all four LED lights placed at the top of the device light up.

Ensure that other troubleshooting options have been used before considering resetting the device. The loss of data can be avoided by checking other likely reasons the device is not working. For Google Home speaker, please check this guide on how to factory data reset it.

Could not communicate with my Google Home Mini during the setup

If you don't hear the chime after tapping and holding the center of the Nest speaker, you can try this alternative reset method. Actually completing the reset is fairly easy to do, but you'll want to determine what generation model you have first. Google Home Mini and Google Nest Mini have some differences but look very similar. One of the most significant differences between them is the method used to perform a factory reset. Both google Nest Hub and Max have the same factory reset process and therefore I have combined it in a single sub-topic. Since now you know how easy it is to factory reset Google Home Mini, let’s get through the reset procedure of other Google devices too.

The base should have a circle engraved into it. Your device’s factory reset procedure will start after 5 seconds. Hold on for another 10 seconds or more until you hear a sound indicating that the device is resetting.

How do I reset my Google Home Mini green light?

The process only takes a couple of minutes to complete and should make your device function like it's right out of the box. If you’re trying to reboot your Home Mini instead of performing a full-on factory reset, you can try a simple power cycle. The current-generation speaker, the Google Nest Mini, costs around $50. But you can often get a deal and purchase the device for around $30.

Resetting the Google Nest & Home Mini Complete Guide

Table of Content

• How to reset Google Home Mini?
• Clear data from the Google Home app
• Effective Tips to Factory Reset Google Nest Audio
• Reinstall the Google Home app
• How do I reset Google Home Mini with the reset button?

Press and hold the top center of your Google Nest Mini. This is the same area where the lights are.You should hear a warning that you're about to wipe the device. Continue holding your finger down on top of the speaker to progress the factory reset. Every time you reset your Google Home Mini device, your data, including account information, is deleted. Before factory resetting your device and losing all of your personal data and settings, you should try to reboot your Mini first. One more thing to note is that you cannot make use of voice commands or Google Home App to reset your Google Nest Mini.

If you own a lot of smart devices dependent on stable network connection and experience problems, consider upgrading your Wi-Fi router or getting Google Wi-Fi Mesh. Press and hold the center of the Google Nest mini for 5 seconds to start the reset process. After powering on the device, the voice prompt will instruct the user to download a new Google Home app. After setting it up, it should be working again. In the absence of that, the issue might be something more than what a reset can fix.

How to reset Google Home Mini?

However, if you’re trying to reset your Home Mini without performing a full-on factory reset, try a simple power cycle. A reset is often used to solve a particular problem that doesn’t go away with a restart or another easy solution. Since all data is wiped from the Mini, you can do a reset before selling it to someone else or exchanging it for something else at a retailer. After a few seconds, unplug the Google Home Mini and reconnect it to the wall outlet to reboot. There are two versions of the Google Mini, and the way you reset your speaker depends upon which model you have. If you see a slot for a wall-mounting screw, you have a second-generation Nest Mini.

I have mentioned detailed processes for both rebooting and resetting your device. You can reboot your device by simply plugging it out for one minute and then plugging it back in. You can also reboot your device through the Google Home App. For that, you simply need to enter the app, press settings, then select device settings, and press the three dots that are designated for the reboot. In case your device lacks a specific reset button, you can make use of the microphone button to reset. Simply hold and press the microphone mute button present at the back of the device for seconds.

Clear data from the Google Home app

Ensure that other troubleshooting options have been used before considering resetting the device. The loss of data can be avoided by checking other likely reasons the device is not working. For Google Home speaker, please check this guide on how to factory data reset it.

The action is successful when the LED lights turn orange. Press and hold the center of the Mini where its activity lights are located. Turn off the speaker’s microphone by flipping the side switch. (if you move your finger over the touch panel, does the LED light up?) Please note, you need to power on the Nest Mini and wait for a few mins.

Effective Tips to Factory Reset Google Nest Audio

To reset the Google Nest Mini, firstly, locate the mic button present on the side of your device and switch it off. Next, press and hold the center of the device, where the lights are placed on top. After 5 seconds, your Google Nest Mini will start the restarting process. Continue holding for about 10 more seconds, and your device will announce its factory reset.

If your speaker is misbehaving, it might not respond to the usual reset process. If you can't get the speaker to reset, Google has included a backup method for resetting the Google Mini. Press and hold the very center of the top of the speaker.

If both of these diagnoses are positive, the Mini might be too far from the router. It might be that there is an interference or blind spot issue. If you’re doing things right, the reset option should kick in, but don’t remove your fingers — you’re in a fail-safe period giving you the chance to back out.

Google Home Mini is one of my best partners to enjoy music while working and gaming. But recently I saw it working inadequately with high latency and automatically volume rising and going below. Locate the center where the lights are on the top.

The methods above are guaranteed ways to factory reset your Google Home or Nest Mini. And in most cases, will help to get it working like new again. Occasionally, this method of resetting the Nest Mini won't work.

It's not hard to accomplish, but the method for doing so varies from device to device. It's not something you can do in the Google Home app, either, you'll need to do it using physical button presses. Once the resetting is completed, you will get the voice notification. The volume buttons are available on the back of Nest Hub and Max. Press and hold both volume up and down buttons for 10 seconds.

Reinstall the Google Home app

Additionally, the device will be unplugged from your Wi-Fi router and log out of your Google account. A reset must therefore be reserved to be used at the very end of a problem-solving procedure. Flip it back over and wait for the startup chimes to play. You can now set up the Google Home Mini from scratch.

Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. Press and hold the round circular button for seconds. You can locate the button easily on the backside of your device. Make sure your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Home Mini before verifying the firmware version.

Continue for ten seconds more until the voice prompt confirms the success of the process. The device will have to be set up after the process to have it working as before again. Keep holding to the button for around ten seconds more. Despite its positive reviews, Google home might be malfunctioning due to various reasons. The good news is that these issues can be fixed. We can also help you with resetting the original Home Mini.

You need to hold the touch panel for another 10 seconds to reset the Nest Mini. To reset Google Nest Mini , you MUST switch off the microphone. As explained in the Google Nest Mini layout, there is a microphone switch next to the power port . You'll see the toggle on the side of the speaker, and slide it to the off position.The lights on the top of the speaker will flash orange to indicate the microphone is off. Ensure that both devices are logged into the same Wi-Fi network before attempting to reconnect them.