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Can't change my device name

JohnF
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Disclaimer: This thread was migrated from our previous version of the Google Nest Community. You can continue to receive updates on your thread issue here or simply ask, browse or more in the new Google Nest Community.

 

Original poster: Ian Leworthy-Coleman 

 

Hi, 

 
I can't change my device name. It won't let me click the device name or edit it in anyway, I can move rooms and cast to it as normal, just desperate to change the name. I'm connected to the same WiFi and am the only account connected to Google home. Tried reinstalling the app, removing the device, and remaking the household. No luck. Help!
160 REPLIES 160

Yes, that reset, but it doesn't fix the issue, it just allows you to choose a room that it goes in. 

It doesn't ask me for a custom device name during setup either, I just said you could make a custom _room_ name that the home mini will then assign it's name to copy during setup.

It's not a resolution, just a workaround, but only if you assign it to the room you want it named like during setup.

Enginerd
Community Member

[reposting in main thread instead of sub-thread]
One workaround I found with Google support is a factory reset, and selecting the room it belongs in during device setup will automatically rename it to "[room name] speaker". So you could make a custom room name before that factory reset to something like "Really Difficult", so that after setup it would be called "Really Difficult speaker".

effenst
Community Member

Yeah, that is basically what I meant. My issue was that I was moving a speaker from on room to another and I couldn't get it to take a new name and didn't want it named after a room it wasn't in. 

Of note it would also let me do a name change and for some reason after the reset and adding it to a room it would work, not sure why. 

Following your example, after adding it back to a room and it was called "really difficult speaker", I changed the name to " really difficult mini" and for some reason now it let me change it. 

JeffersonGER
Community Member

Have the problem.

 

Did set up my new (second) Nest Hub, everything works fine, but i cant change the name in the home app.

It got the name "livingroom" from the setup. i go to device information and change the name there. Then i see the changed name in the device information, but when i go back it says
settings for "livingroom"
on top of the settings screen. I go back in the device settings, it still shows my newly choosen name, but not anywhere else.

 

Hope google can fix that soon, have a few nest speakers and hubs now, wanna give then all a specific name to make it easier to choose the right one 🙂

ok, i will try that factory reset tip later, and if that didnt work i try the older version of the home app

Prem
Community Member

Same issue. Can't rename. Can't believe a factory reset is needed for something so simple. Good workaround tips shared here. Will try. Thanks. 

No it is definitely bug. Strange thing is that after the factory reset it suggests the new name that couldn't be saved before 🙂

w00tazn
Community Member

Also ran into this issue with trying to rename some devices and move them between rooms.  Seems like this functionality is currently broken within the home app on Android.  The factory reset workaround gets you to the point where it's now [ROOM NAME] speaker but that's it. 

Boogieman
Community Member

Google Home v 2.50.1.7 on Android (galaxy s9+)

1. Cant change name or rather the name in the "name change" page does change, but when i back out its not saved. There its still the name i first gave it. And on some places its just called Nest Hub 🙂

 

2. Cant change room 

Same page you can set a new room. While it seems to work ot also wants me to give the device a new name...perfect i thought maybe this will solve both issues. NOPE NEITHER ROOM OR NAME IS CHANGED.

3. Speaker group volume doesn't adjust like a pair. My two nest hubs in the bedroom (one each was my idea) was linked as a group but when i set volume by voice the adjuat to sifferent values. Tried setting by volume rocker on phone in google home app, but that juat changes audio of one speaker 😕

 

4. Bought 2 nest hubs, 2 nest audio and 4 mini on a sale. First thing i noticed when starting setup was that they all spoke SPANISH with me (odd as i live in Sweden) and when i said hey google change to English...it said it didn't understand....in SPANISH.....LMFAO.

I thought this had evolved a bit by now, but obviously still as stupid as a numnut. Sending the **bleep** back and will probably try Alexa that i saw had a built in zigbee hub 🙂 

 

Sleep tracking on hub aounded interesting...till i saw they will charge 80$ a year 2023...thats .ore than the cost of the hub...i see where this is going

TheTruth
Community Member

I am having the same issue but I found a solution - if you try renaming the device using Google Home on an ipad or iphone it will work fine. However in saying this you can also change the name on some older device like Google Nest Gen 1 but Gen 2 you wouldn't be able to change the name of the device on an Android device. So the issue is the app and also Gen 2 devices (it's a combination of both). Google need to fix this issue but it appears to be more than a year and they still haven't fix the issue yet.

I have had the same issues on changing a device name and locations on 1 device.

The problem was resolved by uninstalling Google Home App after clearing the cache and data and installing the older version from 2.32.1.5.

So I am 100% sure this is caused by the latest version of Google Home App.

Yes, installing the 2.32.1.5 APK works!  (You have to uninstall the current version of Google Home first).

Then, you can rename 2nd gen Nest Hubs.  By the way, the old version of the Google Home app has better graphics as well.  The new version has tiny, hard-to-read icons.

It is really inexcusable that this problem has persisted so long.  I was a software developer for over 40 years before retiring, & I tested my software thoroughly before releasing it.  The modern programmer hopes that the testing staff will find the bugs.  In my opinion, the real purpose of the testing staff is to report such programmers to management.

Hi Dean,

Thanks for the workaround you've shared!

Honestly, I am refusing to go down this lane ... I'll wait and see if and when our friends @ Google will fix this eventually.

I totally agree with your view. I have worked as a project manager for some major software solution providers myself and would have kicked some buds if a buggy (not fully tested) release would have left our development department ... 😉

Enginerd
Community Member

Have you considered my workaround of creating a custom room name and factory resetting speaker, placing in room so that the name is "[Room name] speaker"? You can then put it in the actual room it belongs in and it keeps the name.

Why would someone do that? That's even more of a pain than just installing an older version of the Home App (or using the iOS version).

Someone would do that if they care more about cyber security than simplicity/convenience. Not everyone has that preference. The person I replied to appeared to be very against loading outdated software, so my workaround would likely make sense for them. If it's not important to you, that's fine too. Go with what works for you.

I had the older software on my tablet for literally 3 minutes while I changed the name, and then I went right back to the latest version. But yes, do what works for you.


@DC_Knight wrote:

I had the older software on my tablet for literally 3 minutes while I changed the name, and then I went right back to the latest version. But yes, do what works for you.


Yes, that's what I had to do too, because the older software won't let you change the Wi-Fi settings on the new Hub 2nd gen.  Then I bought another Hub 2nd gen, & had bounce back & forth with the older firmware again. 

 

Remember, Google is a marketing company.  I get the impression that they don't like to revisit old software (except Chrome, where they are battling with Microsoft for market share).

It doesn't make any sense to recreate a room name or full resets of the devices. I even tried that method but it didn't work. 

 

What I meant was to install an older version of Google home and change the name you desired then reinstalling the latest version will work. Full reset takes a lot more time than installing older versions.

Arch, I agree. I was replying to Enginerd.

jroder
Community Member

Same issue ... Nest hub won't display the name given in the properties but the name of the room, chosen during setup!

Factory reset, reinstall, reboot ... none of them makes a difference!

archstar1982
Community Member

I have had the same issues on changing a device name and locations on 1 device.

Here is what I did.

  1. Uninstalling the latest version of the Google Home App.
  2. Install an older version from 2.32.1.5 and change the device name or locations you desired.
  3. Go to Google play from your android device and update Google Home App.

In my case and other users are still not able to change the name of the device or relocation.

Full resetting the device will not resolve the issue.

 

NightAoX
Community Member

I think everyone is missing the point here. All my dad growing up was a stick. Times were simpler back then, but they were also boring as hell.

philsward
Community Member

2.32.15 would "finally" let me move to a different home, but the rename option wouldn't do anything. I think this is on a 1st gen speaker, but I'm having problems on a different 2nd gen for sure.

Unfortunately there aren't any firmware updates coming down the pipe in the preview release either, so hopefully they can get the app figured out.

 

Wish Google's stuff "just worked"...

KE6IRJ
Community Member

I have the same issue. I can't rename anything. I have first generation speakers, displays, and even lights. The app won't let items rename

Madsens
Community Member

Yet another person with the same problem, waiting for an app update to fix this. Only 1 mini does this. My others ones works just fine.

Pwtechr8
Community Member

I have this issue, but it's only with my older device. I can change my newer device name just fine, so I think it has something to do with older models not working for some reason.

Stuart24
Community Member

I'm having exactly the same problem. I can rename the device as the app intends and it saves it on the first screen but as soon as I come out of that screen back to the home page, the device has the old name. I've tried several times. I had to hold down the button underneath the device to carry out a factory reset and then the device wouldn't connect to the internet. The home app is so full of bugs in these more recent releases.

I've had to discard two minis already as they wouldn't work with the device utility app.

Update - finally managed to get the mini connected but it automatically named it based on the room I selected and I still can't change it's name 

Dittaspank
Community Member

SOLUTION:
(We have tried resetting cache, data, resetting device, basically everything, but nothing except installing an old version works: Developers suck at Google)

Uninstalling the Home app and installing an old, say 2020 version, will allow one to rename a device. Then just update to the newest version.

Install an old version, from 2020 and uninstall your old version first, then just install the old version and all your settings and devices are there. Rename the device and voila! Then just update to the new version.

Easy to google old apk, but this link is safe and good.

https://androidapksfree.com/google-home/com-google-android-apps-chromecast-app/old/

Yep, this is the only thing that works. As noted throughout this thread, it's really disappointing that Google hasn't fixed this yet.

And they make billions... But couldn't pay Sonos for stolen features, cheap bastarrddss, so they remove features. I paid for those features. I want a class action... I hv 10 google speakers and want to throw them away. But I can't. Ifttt seems pretty GD with it.

The Sonos thing is a tough one for me because I don't think a company should be able to patent whole features (especially ones that are generic like adjusting the volume on a group of speakers). But I agree with your general feeling about Google at the moment.

I hear ya brother. If we only ran those companies. Unfortunately money has corrupted google but since we are captive audiences, I'll keep smoking my home grown blunts and wine and doing IT... And get used to the abuse from above. D'oh. Keep in truckin!

DeanGibson
Community Member

Remember when:

  • Google's motto was "do no harm"?
  • Google acquired "DoubleClick", a company with pathetic ethics?

Enough said.

robberthof
Community Member

I managed to rename my devices with the Google Home app on my iPad. The android version did not do the job.

effenst
Community Member

I figured out another way to accomp6the rename. It is admittedly super stupid this has to happen and actually highlights another flaw but it word for me with an updated app.

 

Step 1: remove the device from the room and get it into a place that is not associated with any room. This is called "in your home" in the home app at the end of the list of rooms. Here is the other flaw, you can't just remove devices you have to add one in order to get it to save the new layout. This will involve you juggling some devices around rooms but when you add a device that wasn't previously in the room you can save the room device list. So to do this you: 1.1: open your target room. 1.2: remove any devices you want to rename 1.3: add some other device to that room 1.4: save the new layout.

2. Go to the other "devices in home" at the end of your room list.

2.1: open that group of devices (which should include anything you want to rename).

2.2: select the device you want to rename.

2.3: click gear icon to open up settings 9f that device

2.4: click on the name, rename, save. 

That device should now have the new name persistent.

3. Go back the room you want it in and add it back.

4. Move any devices back to the correct rooms. Remember to remove things then add...

Super annoyed with this, but it worked for me.

Good luck!

 

 

I was able to use an abbreviated version of these workaround steps. All I had to do is act like I'm changing the room, but picked the same room it was already in. That brought up the "give it a unique name" edit box and let me change the name.

TeeShane
Community Member

I find it funny that so many people replying to this say, "I have the same issue..." Even the ones that say something a little different happens but still doesn't work. 

Howdy-howdy folks. You have TWO (2) options that are proven to work for any device you have any problems with (renaming, moving, EVEN DELETING).

ONE: Reset the device - doesn't delete anything, doesn't hurt anything.

TWO: Uninstall the Google Home app on the device you are using to do something to a device (phone or tablet). Go get an older version of the Google Home app's APK file. Install the old version you downloaded on your phone or tablet (tap the APK file). NOTICE: You may (you WILL, unless you do a lot of this sorry of process) need to change a setting to allow you to install apps from unknown sources. Once the old version is installed, make the changes to any devices you need to, uninstall Google Home again, go into r Google Play Store and install Google Home from there. 

I will say, a reset and then name your device and put it in a room is much much faster!

 

 

 

 

jamal01
Community Member

not really, resetting the device deletes all your settings. You have to setup the device all over again AND adjust your settings. So no, not much much faster

TeeShane
Community Member

What settings on a Google nest display? The setup is only connecting up to WiFi, granting access to your Google account, and naming it. 

Ok, maybe the "hey Google" sensitivity, brightness or themes, but hey, I'm thinking that's easier for most users.  I know there area ton of techies out there, way more capable than I, just added my opinion. Sorry about that.