topic Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works in Speakers and Displays

Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

brekelbende — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 16:50:53 GMT

Hi all,

Since the last firmware upgrade of my Nest Hub v1 playing sound over bluetooth devices no longer works. It's vary flacky with connecting but never actually plays sound through my BT devices; UA Wonderboom 2 and Fosi BT220A (BT reciever/amp to rca) . I'm currently on firmware 9.20221010.3.176 (11 jan 2023 i guess)

Nest hub says it's connected and the Wonderboom plays a confirmation sound, but it will not send sound to it with youtube/spotfiy/tunein/whatever.

I say "hi, google connect to bluetooth" for reconnecting to previous connected BT then it says that the device doesn't support bluetooth. It's pretty weird behaviour and since it's failing on 2 BT devices since the update i suspect that this update has something to do with it. I also tried a other Nest Hub v1 and there it also fails to connect. The plot thickens...

Does anyone have similar behaviour or a fix?

Thanks for thinking along with me!

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

blivingstone — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 15:04:19 GMT

I definitely agree with this original post. I also have a Nest Hub v1 running 9.20221010.3.176 and use a Fosi Audio Fosi BT20A which was originally very reliable for a home stereo bluetooth setup connected to the google nest hardware. The Fosi Audio device will connect with other devices as before, but the google nest will not reconnect successfully. The google nest has been able to connect to other bluetooth devices, but even a relatively new set of google pixel buds A-Series is playing several seconds of audio then there is a noticeable cut-out and disconnection of audio until the nest reconnects a moment later.

I unenrolled in the preview program for the nest to restore a public firmware version, and also performed a factory reset on the google nest. This did not resolve the problem.

Unpairing and repairing the device to the google nest did not change the behavior. It announces verbally and on screen via a banner that it has connected to the speaker, but the speaker itself never triggers to an on state nor plays any of the audio that should be piped through the bluetooth device (default speaker choice for music and audio in the google home app).

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

Hans4 — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 10:17:08 GMT

Het zelfde probleem audio fosi bt 20A werkt na 12-01-2023 niet meer(update Google nest)

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

arkimedes711 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:09:10 GMT

Having a similar issue that just started in the last 24 hours. External Bluetooth receiver (Fosi Audio BT10A) has been working perfectly for months as the default speaker, and it suddenly stopped working in the last 24 hours. I can pair the Fosi with my Google Hub and set it as the default speaker, but my Hub refuses to connect.

The problem persists after a soft reboot and a hard factory reset.

The Fosi receiver connects with other devices, like my phone and a Bluetooth vinyl player. I've had problems like this in the past with the Hub, and removing the Bluetooth speaker and re-adding it would solve the problem, but that is no longer working.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

texasdorque — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:17:35 GMT

"Same here"

BT speakers working fine for 3years, literally no change in the hardware. All working fine until yesterday-ish

-- shows a connection to the speakers, but plays on the hub at a very low volume

-- doesn't remember speaker selection across reboots, always defaults back to the device

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

AaronJMyers — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 23:06:42 GMT

Same issue with a Samsung Soundbar M550.

When it stopped working on my Google Nest Hub V1 after the update I tried removing and pairing the speaker again without any change in behavior.

When asked, the hub responds that it is connected to the Samsung soundbar, but it doesn't actually use it, despite the soundbar being set as the preferred audio device.

Tried soft reboots and hard power cycling the hub with no change.

This is as bad as smart switch firmwares causing a requirement to remove and reinstall the switches despite the switches keeping their MAC Address, IP Address, and device IDs the same... Smart assistants are supposed to make things easier, not harder...

Very disappointed.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

arkimedes711 — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:55:28 GMT

I found a workaround that let my Hub pair with and send out to my Fosi Audio BT10A speaker receiver. I couldn't get it to pair/connect to my Bluetooth speakers from the Home app, but if I click on the settings gear icon on the Hub screen itself, I can navigate to "Bluetooth" and connect to the speakers from there. The song I was playing on Spotify immediately started playing out of the speakers. This solution didn't work for someone with a similar problem on Reddit, so your mileage may vary. I also did a factory reset of the Hub yesterday, and also force-quit and deleted the cache from the Google Home app on my phone.

EDIT: Well that didn't last long. Whatever the issue is, my Bluetooth connection is no longer functional today, and I'm having no luck trying to repeat the steps I took yesterday.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

AaronJMyers — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 23:27:24 GMT

This didn't work for me.

The Google Nest Hub V1 pairs and connects to a Samsung soundbar it previously used perfectly for 2 years... but it NEVER sends any sounds to it, despite having set the speaker as the preferred audio device.

Additionally, requesting that something be specifically played ON THAT DEVICE, it will still play only on the hub's speaker.

Super unhappy they pushed an update to all versions of their assistants without testing to make sure basic functionality wasn't broken by the update on any of the versions.

For the record, if I plug in an Alexa speaker they pair and use the soundbar or other speakers perfectly. It's obviously a recent firmware bug we were pushed.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

brekelbende — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 08:14:00 GMT

I've chatted almost 2 hours with Google and fixed it in the end for my UE Wonderboom 2.

These steps were taken (how stupid they may seem...)

DIsconnect all devices with Google Home App from the internet
Flush storage/cache of play store app and home app.
Deleted Google Home App
Factory reset Nest Hub.
Turn off Nest Hub more than 10 seconds
Moved Nest Hub closer to AP
Reinstalled Home app ("house" settings remain attached to account)
Installed Nest Hub from Home App
(no networks shows up for like an hour)
then the wifi networks showed up and the thing installed
BT audio working as hoped.

Google said: "It's the home app; not the device firmware" #doubt

Good luck!

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

texasdorque — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:37:45 GMT

I think you forgot the step for a raindance in there.

That's a no go, I've already done what should need to be done. (reset hub, re-paired hub and speakers, verified speakers work with other bt devices). What you went through is akin to destroying and rebuilding a house to fix a leaky sink. And then there's no guarantee it will actually fix the problem at that point.

We all have the same problem that surfaced at the same time with the same firmware. Not sure how it's "the home app" when everything else continues/continued to function.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

Juni — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 18:39:57 GMT

Hi folks,

Thanks for reaching out and for providing detailed information on your issue and the steps that you've done — these are of great help!

Is the issue happening on Nest Hub only? For us to further isolate the issue, If you have another Nest speaker or display, try to link it to your Bluetooth speakers then observe if this will show the same behavior. Also, if you have a laptop or computer, try connecting them to your Nest Hub and observe if it's the same. Check the steps below on how to connect your devices to your Nest speakers/displays.

Play music on Bluetooth speakers or headphones

Note: All media playback will play on the external speaker that’s paired with the Google Nest or Home device. Alarms, timers and Google Assistant's responses will play on your Google Nest or Home device.

Pair and connect a Bluetooth speaker and Google Nest or Home device

Turn on your Bluetooth speaker and make sure it’s in pairing mode. Press the pairing button on your Bluetooth speaker, if possible.
Open the Google Home app .
Make sure you're in the right home. The name of the home is at the top of the screen. To change homes, tap the arrow next to the home name.
Touch and hold your device's tile.
At the top right, tap Settings Audio.
- If this is your first time to use Bluetooth on this device, tap Paired Bluetooth devices Enable pairing mode go back to Audio.
Tap Default music speaker Pair Bluetooth speaker. Your Google Nest or Home device will then scan for Bluetooth devices.
Tap the Bluetooth device once it appears on the screen Done.
Your Bluetooth device will now pair with your Google Nest or Home device.

Check this link for more information.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Juni

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

AaronJMyers — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:02:15 GMT

What part of the speaker worked fine until you sent an update to my V1 Nest Hub makes you think it's the bluetooth speaker? Seriously? After years paired and working fine, you send a firmware update that breaks it. I already mentioned that I re-paired my bluetooth speaker, and the problen persists.

My speaker doesn't ever get firmware updates, so the only thing that changed is the Nest Hub firmware ... multiples of us have figured that out.

How about instead, Nest Hub Devs examine the differences in the previous firmware and the broken one they pushed us?

I see some people specify they have a V1 Nest Hub, and the others just don't specify, but I bet they all probably have V1 units as well.

I would bet if we could roll back a version that our speakers would work again.

Several of us already have done what you suggested, well before it was suggested, because many of us have had devices with issues before. We said as much, providing results that didn't fix the issue, because it's a firmware bug that appears to affect users with V1 hardware.

BT speaker pairs, Nest Hub confirms BT speaker is connected, but BT speaker is never used despite being set as the perferred audio device.

Looking forward to the fixed firmware.

Really tired of companies that mess up firmware and then have the gall to suggest maybe it's a customer problem for a device that worked fine before the update, and for which no other changes were made. Not singling out Google. Others do it, too.

Does Google not have sample hardware from each version to test firmware on, before pushing that firmware onto incompatible hardware? (maybe they need a small sampling from each version, like more than one unit each?)

Good luck.

Getting really close to going back to Alexa, which I only moved away from due to inability to chain multiple commands except by scenes....

This should have been fixed by now.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

texasdorque — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:32:46 GMT

Maybe your team, with all the gadgets and versions at their disposal, could try reproducing it easier than your customers trying to reconfigure everything that had been working prior.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

texasdorque — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:36:32 GMT

Agreed. We've done a lot of the legwork already, and the commonality isn't just coincidental. They have all the toys and versions - time to put some effort in instead of asking me to jump on one foot and check for signal impedance and and and.

*equally frustrated with tech companies following broken scripts*

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

brekelbende — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 06:05:07 GMT

No, sorry. It doesn't help.

To get things straight for this Nest Hub issue (so yes: Nest Hub v1 only): things worked fine until 11 january 2023. Tested with 2 different speakers, which are working fine (tested them with CCwGTV + different phones ios + android). And tested it with 2 different Nest Hub v1. (I've tested them separately, not both connected or something).

We know how to connect to an external bluetooth device, since we've done it before but it stopped working with the new firmware 9.20221010.3.176. Not all bluetooth devices btw, but some (my jabra 75t elite works fine).

That's the issue.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

Hans4 — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 13:20:48 GMT

Dear June,

Thank you for the answer, but as you write this worked very well with the Fosi audio after 18 months until 12 01-2023. The problem is not pairing, but switching from RCA input to the Bluetooth input. There is no blue signal to be seen. See also manual Fosi audio BT20A the version is with Bluetooth 5.0. Google nest hub indicates to be linked and nothing else is linked. The problems are only with Google nest other connections go well.

Please urgently find a solution

Greeting

Hans4

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

Jasongroce — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 13:51:29 GMT

Same boat hear, I use a hub and Samsung sound bar for night music. They have both been connected and working for years. Now they are connected but the sound only comes from the hub

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

Jasongroce — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 13:57:13 GMT

If I have to disconnect all of my devices and “reset” the hub and app… I’m going to leave them uninstalled and buy a different brand. That’s inexcusable from a real company. Boiler plate “did you turn it on and off again?” Revert the change or fix it please

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

blivingstone — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 17:07:00 GMT

Hi Juni,

Those steps are some of the very first steps I (and probably the majority of the other users on this thread tried). There is definitely something wrong with the bluetooth detection/activation coding for the google hub. it may be rolled out by the google home app, but none of those standard processes have resolved the issue. To be clear, the device will pair, but sound is never routed to the Fosi audio device (in my case). Other (non google) devices pair totally fine with the fosi audio stereo bluetooth receiver. It is very much isolated to an incorrect behavior coming from the google hub hardware/software.

Re: Since latest Nest Hub v1 FW update bluetooth no longer works

blivingstone — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 23:22:05 GMT

A surprising turn of events, my google pixel 6a phone received the February security update, so I was tempted to retry some of the connectivity troubleshooting thinking that other google devices may have also been updated. I deleted the existing Fosi audio bluetooth entry from the google nest hub's device list and attempted to re-pair the bluetooth receiver. It worked first try. Now it connects and activates the audio plays once more.

The unusual thing is that the google nest hub still reports it's on firmware 9.20221010.3.176. It is possible that the fuchsia version, software version or Chromecast firmware version of the device was updated (I didn't write those version numbers down previously)

The version of the google home app on my phone has also remained on the jan 5, 2023 release, so I don't think that it was automatically updated recently.

UPDATE: after 8 hours of listening to music using fosi audio device during the workday, I disconnected it from bluetooth mode and now google nest hub will no longer toggle it into bluetooth audio connection mode again (despite saying "connected" boldly on the nest hub's screen)