Google Home FAQ

webpal · 03-03-2021 12:11PM

jogdish wrote: »

Routines should be in the app somewhere too.
"ok google, set a radio alarm" and let her ask the follow up questions.

When I search routines it says it should be on my home page in the app. Also set a radio alarm doesn’t work, Google just says it can’t be done on this device.

TaurenDruid · 03-03-2021 12:14PM

jogdish wrote: »

does anyone know if you can associate a routine to a button the screen ? i.e want to play radio at night but hate having to speak, just want a button press.

That used to be possible, until they removed it in an "improvement" a few weeks before Christmas, IIRC, to much annoyance. I heard it had been added back but haven't investigated.

killbillvol2 · 03-03-2021 12:16PM

You set up routines in the app on your phone. They'll work on other devices afterwards (until they randomly stop working).

To adjust what shows on your photo frame you need to speak to it. It tells you what to say on screen.

wait4me · 03-03-2021 07:55PM

webpal wrote: »

When I search routines it says it should be on my home page in the app. Also set a radio alarm doesn’t work, Google just says it can’t be done on this device.

A bit obvious a question so sorry for asking (and you may already have said this further back this thread)! Have you linked it to your Google Home app?

webpal · 03-03-2021 09:02PM

wait4me wrote: »

A bit obvious a question so sorry for asking (and you may already have said this further back this thread)! Have you linked it to your Google Home app?

Yes, the routines on the hub screen is unresponsive nor does it appear in the home app

Irish_peppa · 04-03-2021 03:17PM

Hi Guys, When setting up your preferences on your google home speaker or hubs have you a preference to Spotify or Youtube when you dont have a paid account with either? As far as I can see the only difference is spotify have ability to play podcasts and youtube cant offer that function

Bluefoam · 04-03-2021 03:30PM

I have a YouTube account, so can't answer that one directly... but worth noting that I used to use Deezer and was able to manually select that as a source.

jogdish · 05-03-2021 02:57PM

SOLVED - had it added to the wrong account, no idea why it caused the issue but resetting and adding the the account with the other devices seems to have fixed it

side point: Google need to make these Apple level friendly in terms of just works, its a nightmare to diagnose issues.

ok google play rte radio 1 - I looked but either not avilible or cannot be played right now

yes, that command works fine on the three other GH devices in the house! Any ideas? I also notice the GH app has 'forgotten' the room assignment of the other devices or maybe they just changed the look of the app screen - I hate that app.

jogdish · 06-03-2021 10:09PM

My google nest hub, in the settings I have selected min brightness to bright - yet it never saves, if I go back into the app everything is back where it used to me, ambient EQ slider and min brightness, nothing saves.

JimmyVik · 08-03-2021 11:53AM

jogdish wrote: »

SOLVED - had it added to the wrong account, no idea why it caused the issue but resetting and adding the the account with the other devices seems to have fixed it

side point: Google need to make these Apple level friendly in terms of just works, its a nightmare to diagnose issues.

ok google play rte radio 1 - I looked but either not avilible or cannot be played right now

yes, that command works fine on the three other GH devices in the house! Any ideas? I also notice the GH app has 'forgotten' the room assignment of the other devices or maybe they just changed the look of the app screen - I hate that app.

Everything in google home randomly works.
example - Ok google turn on the kitchen lights.

Responds with Power control is not available - 3 times.
On the fourth utterance of the exact same sentence. Power control is available and it works.
Or it might just say, "It is 10 degrees outside now", instead of turning on what you asked it to.

jogdish · 08-03-2021 12:07PM

JimmyVik wrote: »

Everything in google home randomly works.
example - Ok google turn on the kitchen lights.

Responds with Power control is not available - 3 times.
On the fourth utterance of the exact same sentence. Power control is available and it works.
Or it might just say, "It is 10 degrees outside now", instead of turning on what you asked it to.

totally agree, I often ask for the temperature, sorry what are you asking, second time works.
I have passed from anger to curiosity, I would love to sit down with someone on the dev team to understand how it can fail at things it can accomplish without issues or is advertised to do at other times.
I also own an Alexa, she is border line useless for speech, unless you know the exact phrase, but she plays RTE radio 1 fast and snappy compared to the weird 5sec Tune in lag with GH.

FastFullBack · 09-03-2021 12:52PM

Any one having issues playing RTE 2FM? Not working for me or parents on Nest Hub.

Fishy1 · 09-03-2021 01:35PM

Fishy1 wrote: »

Saneman posted this a few weeks ago & it seems to still be working.

saneman wrote: »

I've had the same issue for some time myself, very frustrating. It worked once for me so I'd try it every now and again - I'm a glutton for frustration it seems.

So tonight, after another failed attempt, I asked "Is 2fm on Tunein?". The answer was "...RTE 2fm/90.7fm Dublin, Ireland, free internet radio, TuneIn".

Then I asked "Stream 90.7fm Dublin"... the response "Okay, here's RTE 2fm from Tunein". \o/

Granted I then heard what passes for rap/R&B these days and promptly turned it off, but hey, it worked.

Just tried this & it still works! Just say “Stream 90.7fm Dublin.”

JazzyJ · 09-03-2021 03:25PM

Fishy1 wrote: »

Just tried this & it still works! Just say “Stream 90.7fm Dublin.”

Or "Play Dublin RTE 2FM".

Asking it to "play 2fm" stopped working about 2 or 3 months ago for me.

jogdish · 09-03-2021 03:30PM

Why are the radio commands so hit and miss ? surely it' can't be a major technical hurdle ?

TaurenDruid · 09-03-2021 04:20PM

jogdish wrote: »

totally agree, I often ask for the temperature, sorry what are you asking, second time works.
I have passed from anger to curiosity, I would love to sit down with someone on the dev team to understand how it can fail at things it can accomplish without issues or is advertised to do at other times.
I also own an Alexa, she is border line useless for speech, unless you know the exact phrase, but she plays RTE radio 1 fast and snappy compared to the weird 5sec Tune in lag with GH.

So - might it just be you?

I'm asking because we have GH for about 14 months now, and my partner and I are both WFH most of the week. GH has no problem understanding me most of the time when I ask it to play Today FM, mute, set the volume to 4, tell me the temperature, set a timer for X minutes, etc. My partner uses the exact same commands, and GH often doesn't hear, or responds with "I don't know how to do that" or plays some random radio station from the US instead of Today FM.

RunDMC · 10-03-2021 08:42PM

Same for me, I have no issues with Google Assistant understanding me but my better half gets frustrated. I find it works best when you speak a little slower and avoid ambient noise. Even rain on the window can throw it off.

R

Steve F · 16-03-2021 11:07PM

My Google Nest gone scatty again ðŸ˜„
"Hey Google,set alarm for 7:30am"
GH "I think you want to set an alarm is that right?"
"Yes"
GH "To set an Alarm ( proceeds to give you the instructions I've been using for years)
"Set an alarm for 7:30am"
GH 'I think you want......."
"Hey Google **** right off"
The 4 Google nests we have are going in the bin pretty soon.
Don't get me started on the Broadcast facility either.
They have now become more trouble than useful.

Sheep Shagger · 16-03-2021 11:30PM

Not avaliable here yet but the 2nd generation nest hub is avaliable for pre order on the US.

Explains the v good deal on thd original a couple of weeks back.

https://9to5google.com/2021/03/16/new-nest-hub-sleep-sensing-soli/

JimmyVik · 18-03-2021 10:56AM

Broadcast is gone to sh!t. It used to be 100% reliable.
Now its not even 10% reliable.

Also I find the best way to get things to work now is to say "Hey google, Turn off the fuc**ng lights".
Always make sure you say fu*cking when you talk to it. It seems to make it work better.

JimmyVik · 22-03-2021 08:41AM

This morning google home has full on dementia

ilovesmybrick · 23-03-2021 01:06PM

In case anyone has the same issue I had with the app, they've moved the alarms and timers section in the speaker settings. Rather than appearing on the first page you now need to go and look under 'audio' to find the running alarms and timers. Really irritating as it's something I use quite regularly when I'm moving around the house to check on how long is left on dinner etc....

JimmyVik · 23-03-2021 01:12PM

ilovesmybrick wrote: »

In case anyone has the same issue I had with the app, they've moved the alarms and timers section in the speaker settings. Rather than appearing on the first page you now need to go and look under 'audio' to find the running alarms and timers. Really irritating as it's something I use quite regularly when I'm moving around the house to check on how long is left on dinner etc....

Mine cant even remember how to set an alarm the last few days.

whatawaster · 26-03-2021 01:58PM

Google home has seriously gone downhill for me. It is clearly worse than it was 3/4 years ago.

I put our daughter to sleep with rain sounds playing. Every night for the last 4 years I have said "Hey Google, play the sound of rain". And it used to just work, all the time. Now there is a 50% chance she is getting "The Sound of Silence, by Simon & Garfunkel"

Very disappointing, and given how good all this worked a few years ago, I thought the ecosystem would be in a much better place by now.

It's got to the stage where I'm actually considering HomePod mini's. If the smart-home stuff is going to be crap, regardless, I might as well have better sound quality, and AirPlay capability (iphone users only in our house)

Mantis Toboggan · 26-03-2021 02:05PM

Why not just use the white noise.

whatawaster · 26-03-2021 02:13PM

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Why not just use the white noise.

I thought that's what I was doing? Ask it to play rain sounds and it just plays all night. As opposed to playing rain sounds on Spotify which doesn't automatically keep playing.

If there's a more reliable way than mine I'd love to hear it!

Mantis Toboggan · 26-03-2021 02:16PM

whatawaster wrote: »

I thought that's what I was doing? Ask it to play rain sounds and it just plays all night. As opposed to playing rain sounds on Spotify which doesn't automatically keep playing.

If there's a more reliable way than mine I'd love to hear it!

Try saying play white noise, should do the trick.

whatawaster · 26-03-2021 02:21PM

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Try saying play white noise, should do the trick.

No doubt I'll get "White Riot by The Clash" or "White Christmas by Bing Crosby"!

Thanks for the suggestion, but too superstitious to change up the type of sounds. She is sleeping through the night!

copacetic · 04-04-2021 03:12PM

Anyone else’s Spotify stopped displaying songs names, artwork etc? We just get Spotify logo now. Artwork got better about 8 weeks ago, now gone altogether.

04-04-2021 03:30PM

whatawaster wrote: »

Google home has seriously gone downhill for me. It is clearly worse than it was 3/4 years ago.

I put our daughter to sleep with rain sounds playing. Every night for the last 4 years I have said "Hey Google, play the sound of rain". And it used to just work, all the time. Now there is a 50% chance she is getting "The Sound of Silence, by Simon & Garfunkel"

Very disappointing, and given how good all this worked a few years ago, I thought the ecosystem would be in a much better place by now.

It's got to the stage where I'm actually considering HomePod mini's. If the smart-home stuff is going to be crap, regardless, I might as well have better sound quality, and AirPlay capability (iphone users only in our house)

Don’t go near anything with Siri on it if you’re frustrated by Google because as bad as it’s getting it’s nowhere near as useless as Siri. They may be going in opposite trajectories but it’ll be a long time before they switch places.

Google Home FAQ

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