If your Google Home or Nest Mini stops talking to you or stops listening to your commands, it might be time for a factory reset. The process only takes a couple of minutes to complete and should make your device work as if it was out of the box.
Here’s how to factory reset your Google Home or Nest Mini to fix issues and make them work like new.
How to factory reset your Google Home Mini
The Google Home Mini was introduced in 2019 and it provides a home with a plethora of different features such as controlling smart home devices and weather updates, to name a few.
None of these features are good if the device stops working. You can restart your Mini, as detailed at the bottom of the page, but it doesn’t always solve the problem. Factory reset is your best solution when all else fails.
When you reset your Google Home Mini, all your settings and personal data will be erased from the device. Factory resets are usually only used before you sell your Mini or if you have consistent issues.
The reset is really easy to complete, but you’ll want to select which generation model you have first. There are some differences between Google Home Mini and Google Nest Mini but they look very similar. One of the most important differences between them is the method used to perform a factory reset.
Reset your Google Home Mini
The first-generation model is easier to factory reset than the second-generation, although both only take a couple of minutes.
- Turn the device over to reach the rubber-coated base
- Press and hold the small circular button for at least 15 seconds
- You should hear a chime alerting you that the Home Mini has been reset
After the reset, you will be able to set up your Google Home Mini as if it just came out of the box. Once done, you can start using the full list of commands again.
Reset your Google Nest Mini
The second generation model doesn’t come with a factory reset button on the bottom of the device so you’ll use a slightly different method.
- Turn off the microphone. The LED lights will flash orange
- Press and hold the Google Nest Mini hub for 10-15 seconds
- Wait until you hear the chime
The process after the reset will be the same as for the first generation model. Go through the initial setup to start issuing commands.
Occasionally, this Nest Mini reset method will not work. If you don’t hear the chime after tapping and holding the center of the Nest speakerphone, you can try this alternative reset method.
- Disconnect the power cable from the Nest speaker and wait 10 seconds
- Plug the cable back in and wait until all four lights on top come on.
- Repeat the previous two steps in total 10 times
- After plugging in for the 10th time, wait a few minutes, and you’ll hear “Welcome to Google Home”
Restart your Google Home Mini
Before you factory reset your device and lose all your personal data and settings, you should try to restart your Mini first.
Go through the power cycle to restart by unplugging the device for about a minute and plugging it back in. You can also restart with the Google Home app to iOS or Android.
- Open the Google Home app and select the Mini or Nest speaker.
- Tap the Settings button (the gear icon) and then tap the More button (three dots).
- Tap Restart in the menu, and confirm the action to restart.
Get your home or mini Nest speaker working
Although this means having to setup the speaker from scratch, sometimes doing a factory reset can be your only option. The above methods are guaranteed to factory reset your Google Home or Nest Mini. And in most cases, it will help make it work like new again.
