Google Home App displays a connection error and my devices have disappeared

[jamesmills]

I've been using the Google Home app for several years now with no major issues.  Today, for no apparent reason, the Google Home app has started showing this error...

Oops, we're having trouble loading this screen. Please ensure that you are connected to the Internet, and we'll try again.

... and my Nest hub and speakers have all disappeared from the app.

I've opened the app on multiple Android devices, and I get the same error every time.

My internet connection is fine.

I share my Google Home with my wife, so I got her to remove all of the Nest devices and then delete the Google Home, thinking it had somehow become corrupt, but the error prevails.

I've also deleted the Google Home app and reinstalled it, done the same with the Google app, but no joy.

If I browse to https://home.google.com/ and sign in to my Google Account, I just get a blank grey screen, no error.

Its as if the link between my Google Account and Google Home has completely broken.

Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[MplsCustomer]

@jamesmills 

You could try contacting Support (see below) to walk through the issue.

I don't know why you got the original error, but if your wife removed all of your Google Nest devices and then deleted your "home", I think that would explain why you get a blank screen on home.google.com (since all devices and the "home" have been deleted).  Ask Support, but you may need to do a factory reset on your devices and reinstall them.

1. Go to https://support.google.com/googlenest/gethelp.
2. Select a category/product family, and type in a brief description of the issue, then click "Next".
3. Click "Other", then click "Next step".
4. Under "Resources", just click "Next step". (Clicking one of the listed links will bring up a Help page page.)
5. Under "Contact options", choose to get a phone call or chat with the team, depending on availability in your country.

[RedHatRigger]

Same is happening to me as of this afternoon. Please post if you have found any solutions.

[JuanD]

@jamesmills I'm having the EXACT same issue. I was getting blank screen on Google Home for web yesterday. This morning my android app is displaying connection problem. It occurred before updating my UI and still afterwards. I uninstalled and reinstalled the app. No joy. Strangely, my cameras will load on my old Galaxy S8!

[PJ13]

This exact issue started happening to me last night! I could not access Google Home via the app or web, both on and off of my wifi network and across devices. This is only happening with my primary Google account, not my other accounts. I tried factory resetting my Nest Hub Max, speakers, and signing out of all my home devices in my account security section, but no luck. My Nest app works, but it no longer says I have a Home set up. This is maddening.

I spoke with support last night, and they said something in my account specifically was being updated for Home, and to try back in the morning. This morning it still didn't work, but support only walked me through the same troubleshooting steps I already tried with no luck. 

It's worth mentioning that the primary account that won't access Google Home is also enrolled in Gemini Advanced along with being the primary account for all of our family account management (Family link, Goole One, Drive, YouTube, etc). I'm not sure if that has any connection, but it's strange that accounts for my wife, children, and my secondary accounts all work fine with Google Home. I also read there were some recent updates for Google Home and Assistant on Reddit.

[JuanD]

@PJ13 Yes, my wife can access the cameras through the Google Home app on her phone. We both have Samsung Galaxy S24. Brand new, top of the line! The two remaining cameras I have on my Nest app show up, just nothing on the Google Home app. I really wish I hadn't migrated all my cameras to Home. I don't want to shop for a whole new camera system, but I depend on them and these failures aren't acceptable.

[JuanD]

@jamesmills So I managed, through my Galaxy S8, to send myself an invite to another gmail account to join my home, since @PJ13 mentioned he could access his through secondary accounts. It worked! Unfortunately, this doesn't solve the problem of why my primary account no longer has access.

[PJ13]

I just tried this as well. I setup a new home and my Hub Max on a separate account. Then I invited my primary account, but unfortunately I still can't access Home from my primary account.

So there is nothing wrong with my home network or Home devices. It's completely account related. 

[JuanD]

That's so weird! What's the issue with our primary accounts? Are we isolated cases or is this happening to a lot more people?

[JuanD]

I'm also able to access my cameras and other home devices with my primary account through my old Google Nest Hub Max. Which puts a crack in my theory that it's an account problem. It's definitely not a device problem:

Google Home works through my primary account on a 10-year-old Samsung Galaxy S8+. It doesn't work through my primary account on my brand new S24 Ultra, but it works through a secondary account. Google Home on the web works through my secondary account, but not through my primary account on either Chrome or Edge. The 2 Google Nest Hub Max cameras that couldn't be migrated to Google Home still work on the old Nest app through my primary account. My wife is still able to access the cameras and devices on her Galaxy S24+. I think that's everything!

So, it's not a device issue. It's not a cookies or cache issue (done that). It's not a firmware or software update issue (done that). It's possible it's an account issue, but only my primary account and only on certain devices. Why would that be?

[PJ13]

Sadly, trying to access through my 8 year old Pixel 1 did not work. Same issue as my brand new Pixel 9 pro.

Also I just followed up with support for a 3rd time using @MplsCustomer 's instructions. I reached the same agent that I spoke with this morning who said they would escalate my issue to their Engineering team. After being on hold, they said the team would look into it, and to check back in 24-48 hours. They would not allow me to speak with anyone at a higher tier to troubleshoot. I understand that Google needs to look into this issue, but I'm not thrilled by the constant feeling that I'm being pushed aside by the support team 3 times. Especially as someone who is heavily invested into the Google / Nest ecosystem. I've reached out to them with other issues in the past, and they've allowed me to speak with higher tiers of support, then emailed me to stay on top of the resolution. Hoping for the best here.

[jamesmills]

Thanks for the advice @MplsCustomer . I have logged a support ticket and will update this thread when I (hopefully) get a resolution.

I have logged myself out of Google on all devices that have ever been part of our Google Home, and have reset all our Google Nest devices to factory settings.

Before deleting our Google Home my wife removed the link to Hive from the "Works with Google" section.

Even though my wife no longer has a Google Home linked to her Google Account, when she goes to https://home.google.com she gets a web page prompting her to "Use the Google Home App to get started". I on the other hand get literally nothing, just a blank page. So it feels like the link between my Google Account and the Google Home service is broken.

@RedHatRigger , @JuanD , @PJ13  I can't see it being a coincidence that we've all encountered the exact same issue on the exact same day. Google must have made a change that has affected our accounts. I'll share any advice I get from Google support.

[Sinfoman3]

+1. My situation:

Primary Account is mine, N20 Ultra running on Android 13. All items up to date and patched to most current available: Android, Google Home App (3.24.1.4), Play Store (43.1.19-31 [0] [PR] 682411274). Wife's phone (S24, up to date on all, same as mine but different Android version) refuses to connect to her family account. I get a blank screen when I access the Home Web App for her, but not for me. I have cleared the cache and uninstalled the app. It refuses to pull in her data: But here's the kicker: She has my account on her phone. And when she flips accounts, it connects INSTANTLY. This is CLEARLY an accounts issue that broke with one of the last updates. Last update for GH for my device was 10/09 and the "What's New" said "Support for Google TV streamer (4K) with performance upgrades, premium visuals and audio, and the ability to control compatible smart home devices right from your TV."

This may be a red herring, but given we have YTTV and it's based solely on one account, I wonder if this update to allow items "controlled through one's TV" screwed up that SSO? My thought process: 1) Account that is linked to one's "TV" is the "primary for the new functionality (whatever account that may be). 2) Other accounts that AREN'T that account break the Home app, because it can't connect to that functionality. 

[PJ13]

Interesting. I also have YTTV through my primary account shared with my family accounts. This is the same account that no longer can connect to Google Home.

[JuanD]

I don't have YTTV, but I like your thinking. Something in their update broke functionality for primary accounts ONLY. All in the same timeframe. I like to imagine they're scrambling to un**bleep** it.

[JuanD]

Immediately after I sent this, I refreshed my Google Home on the web and my cameras all loaded up.

[jamesmills]

Google must be fixing this behind the scenes.  I thought clearing my You Tube app cache and data had fixed it, but it was probably just a co-incidence LOL

[jamesmills]

@JuanD @PJ13 @Sinfoman3 @RedHatRigger @MplsCustomer  either Google have now fixed this issue (although they haven't responded to my ticket yet), or I have stumbled on a fix.  I simply did a Clear cache and Clear data on the You Tube app, and my Google Home app can now connect with no issues.  Bizzare???

[JuanD]

Lol, I literally just refreshed my Google Home on the web page and it loaded up. I figured they'd fix it in a day or two, but hoped it wouldn't be two. It was just lucky I could get into my cameras on a secondary account. It would have sucked if it broke all down the line. Need my cameras!

[RedHatRigger]

Just went back into my home app and everything is working as it should now. Hopefully everybody else's is working as well.

[JuanD]

It looks like it all came online for all of us at the same time!

[PJ13 · Accepted solution]

I can confirm this is fixed on my end as well. Just wish I didn't log out if all my devices yesterday. 

[JuanD]

Yeah, I restrained myself from going all scorched earth reset, this time, because the last few times it made no difference (or made it worse), and all I had to do was sit on my hands and wait for the developer to fix whatever they just did. Don't feel bad! They all want you to immediately go through this whole checklist, resetting this, uninstalling that, when 9 times out of 10 it's the developer that broke something.

[jamesmills]

I went nuclear and removed EVERY device.  I've learnt my lesson for next time now.