cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
GoogleNestTeam
Community Manager (Admin)
Community Manager (Admin)

Hey everyone, 

 

As members of our community, we know that many of you use several products to build your smart home, and even the smallest change can impact how things work. Unfortunately, because of an interruption caused by Sonos, a small number of you using Pixel phones in the US may be unable to set up devices at this time. We are hopeful that this is a temporary decision that only impacts a small number of you.

 

In the meantime, if you’re attempting to set up a device that hasn’t been connected to Wifi for some time (or ever), you may encounter the message “Device needs to be activated before setup” in the Google Home app. When this happens, please follow the appropriate steps below:

 

  • If your device has Google TV or Android TV, use the setup flow on your TV to activate your device.
  • If prompted, follow these steps to activate your device using the Device Utility app

 

We will continue to loop in our community on updates on this situation. For any questions and concerns, please contact us so we can assist you further. 

 

Thanks, 

Google Nest Team

80 Comments
Eanderson753
Community Member

@Keegandhue Thank you for the link to the old Device Utility . I was able to install that to a super old android device that doesn't support Google Home app and it was able to activate my Nest Audio

Timshe
Community Member

My post is about a message I keep receiving on my klispch "the threes" which has Google assist build in. Every time I ask my klispch play Pandora, etc. I received the message "I can't help with that why you're in a call". I tried several ways to cancel This message with no success.

Any suggestions would be helpful,

thanks, Tim

 

Amaximov1
Community Member

I have a Chrome Cast Ultra that I never turned on that I bought last Christmas. I am going to take it with me when I travel overseas here shortly to use with my stadia controller...

Should I activate it stateside using any other device besides Googles Flag Shi* phone that I own, or wait and activate it overseas following the broken device utility link outlined in the in the steps above? I would love to avoid dealing with their "support" chat

Tazalanche
Community Member

My family has two Pixel 6 phones & three Pixel 6 Pro phones, with a Google Home ecosystem, including four hubs, two hub max, multiple cameras and doorbells, two Sony TVs running Google TV, two thermostats, countless speakers of both sizes, etc., all connected via Google Nest Wifi. I discovered this fiasco because I am trying to add two more Nest access points to my mesh network.

This is totally unacceptable.

ScottyV
Community Member

I think unacceptable is the proper term for this fiasco. Another perfect word for this.

DianaDiaz1982
Community Member

No puedo instalar la app de Google home por que no es compatible con mi android que puedo hacer?

Khaledmhabdou
Community Member

I bought an pixel 6 to make the whole system work together but sadly I regret it now 

RSMuirhead
Community Member

Based on my experience trying to activate a brand new Nest Mini speake using my Pixel 6, the only real solution is to put the Pixel back in the box and go buy a Motorola smartphone. What a foolish mess this is...

jwall
Community Member

This is absolute BS. I've been getting the same message for months and finally have found that there is an answer but why did it take so long to get here?! Why does the message keep saying you need to activate your device instead of saying straight up that y'all made a mistake? Guess what? I'm using a Google pixel 6. The back up phone I have is the Google 2. Great. I tried to use an old tablet but it does not support Google Home. How about you send me an IPAD so I can actually use my Google product I purchased?! There needs to be follow up with this! 

Scottb1
Community Member

I have a Pixel 6 Pro, I own 4 home Minis, 1 Home Max, 5 Chromecast Audio, 3 other pixel phones, a nest doorbell, a Nest Thermostat, 3 Nest Cameras, 3 Chromecast with Google TV, 3 Google Wifi, and 1 Nest Wifi Hub. 

That is 26 Google products. 

I am also on Google Fi, with the Pixel Pass.

I had to factory reset my entire network per your support to switch my wifi to a new provider.

I now have 10 devices I cannot set up using my Pixel.

When I called support as suggested they told me I could use an IPHONE!!! 

What is the matter with you? You are punishing me for being loyal to your ecosystem. I have never had a company tell me to use a competitors product because their own won't work with their other products.

Get your act together Google and please contact me when you have a fix. 

This is hands down the worst experience I have had with a company, including my cable provider. 

Sue_sd
Community Member

And that is exactly why I am no longer buying Google products. Until they DO get their act together, they've lost me as a customer. I'm even thinking of switching off of Android completely (gasp!) because of this entirely disgusting user experience. The fact that they cannot come clean with their users about the what and the why is part of the problem, and then being unable to resolve the issue and continue to lie to longtime customers. I plan to move away from anything Google within a year if this isn't resolved soon.

The way things are going and the useless responses we've been getting from the company, I'm already looking at alternatives.

alexhawker
Community Member

Okay, good luck/have fun paying the Apple tax and being trapped in their walled garden.

 

Google IS cheeks, but the alternatives are probably worse.

ScottyV
Community Member

"we are hopeful that this is a temporary decision that only affects a small number of you" is the most ludicrous thing you could have said!! Seriously? It affects EVERYONE that is currently using your pixel phones to set up their hubs and more!! 

So not only are you screwing over your loyal customers and giving sub-par support, now you are insulting our intelligence as well. 

I am DONE with Google!

CC12
Community Member

Will this continue to be an issue with the upcoming Pixel 7 phones?

Scottb1
Community Member

@CC12 

The isn't any indication that anything will change with the new Pixel. It's not a hardware or system issue it's a lawsuit issue where Google hardware isn't allowed to use certain functions. You can still set this stuff up with other Android phones and IPhones. 

CC12
Community Member

Thanks @Scottb1 , that's what I was afraid of. Not a good look for the Google ecosystem as they're trying to roll out a new 'flagship'.

suemccartin
Community Member

Google needs to grab this one by the short hairs before they get a lot of pissed off customers, not that they don't already have those because they do.  I just bought an open box mini off ebay and it's got the activation issue.  Now I find part of my problem might be my way over priced pixel six phone.  And then apparently they have an app that addresses this but you bozos in the USA can't have it?  WTF?  I've got an idea why not put whatever is needed to fix the issue at some of those brick and mortar stores out there that can repair the phones and tell everyone for a small fee like a dollar we can go there and they can hook up our speaker and do the firmware update for us.  I'm sure they'd like the extra traffic in the store maybe buying other stuff and it's just the right thing to do.  So I think I can find my old motorola phone I'm not understanding what I have to do there, is it just a matter of loading up home and running the installation from there instead of my pixel 6...are there some half decent step by step instructions or a you tube someplace? Here we are still at a time when lots of folks are home with the pandemic crap and you're breaking stuff, that's just stupid guys.  The lawsuit was a bad pothole for you guys but you should be more gracefully reacting to this instead of leaving everyone feeling like they've got no choice but to throw out all their hardware and buy new because you won't do anything to take care of it for us.  

suemccartin
Community Member

Ok, I dug in my old hardware box and found my old Samsung S5e table (with LTE) and installed Home on it, then I shut off my pixel phone just for giggles (and to avoid possible conflicts).  Then set the tablet to the wifi I use for my home network stuff and tried to install the new mini I just bought off ebay.  PRESTO the home from the tablet sniffed it out and installed it no gripes no grumbles no baloney and I also dug out the three lenovo smart clocks that I own and they also properly updated no baloney like I got when trying the same process using my pixel 6.  So please someone tell me why they can't just say, oh sorry you have to do the ones with the firmware issue from a non pixel device and be done with it?  I guess they'd rather have people tossing stuff out the window than getting it back into service or better yet hope everyone just gives up and goes out and buys all new ones.  I got news Google until we get rid of the current morronage in Washington people don't have the money to replace their whole home network you need to get in here and fix this stuff you should have just licensed all the stuff from sonos that you were found to have improperly borrowed.  Sounds to me like despite Googles current poor mouthing to their employees they've got plenty of cash flow and reserves maybe they should just purchase sonos since from some stuff I've read they may not be as on firm financial ground as you are.  https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/08/google-hits-back-at-sonos-with-voice-command-patent-lawsuit/ there's actually two articles about the lawsuits on that page if you scroll down farther, sounds like AMD vs. Intel from the little I've read maybe you guys should try being adults for once.

slimjim334
Community Member

Well, now I know what the problem is. 

ÀlterJumo
Community Member

Hey Google,

I've just bought Nest Mini to control smart lights in the house assuming it would seamlessly work with my Pixel 6 Pro as they're part of one ecosystem, but this didn't happen!!! The Nest said it required activation!!!

And the only way to activate it was to use Goggle Home app at Samsung phone!!!!!

It is UNIMAGINABLE SHAME that: 1/ such situation happened at all, 2/ that since 4 months (after creation of this thread) you still haven't fixed it, and  3/ that the only way to connect is through other brand's product!

As a very loyal Google / Pixel user, I can say it is the biggest disappointment in Google ecosystem ever!

suemccartin
Community Member

Well I can only "hope" that google is still adjusting and releasing new firmwares and that's the reason my network is constantly disconnecting from my router these days.  I have two of the small screen hubs, two mini's and a couple of lenovo clocks and wyze switches and a wall switch for my kitchen ceiling lights.  I have to reboot my router on average once a day because the mini's start saying they can't find the network and then soon after they drag my hubs off line as well but it's all still working because I can control devices from my phone just not from voice controls.  Once I not only had to reboot the router I also had to unplug the hub because it did not reconnect.  Cmon google get your stuff together fix your firmware, I hope soon I'm about to dump it and buy alexa I should not have to reboot my router all the time because of your unstable firmware updates.

EricS1
Community Member

Well this is extremely frustrating. I had to use an iPhone to setup my Google Nest because my Google Pixel couldn't do it...

suemccartin
Community Member

Well maybe it's good news, not sure, gave up on the mini's they were just constantly falling off the network  and now that I've taken them out my hubs are behaving a little better.  Bestbuy had the basic bw lenovo clock on sale for 20 bucks so got a new one of those half expecting it to have the update issue.  Surprisingly enough no issue, the home running on the pixel 6 sniffed it out and installed it BUT after it was done putting it on the network there was about a five minute update it had to suck down but the good part is that it didn't require installing it from somebody else's hardware in order for it to go get that update.  I take this as a good sign but what's mysterious to me is existing devices act differently from new devices so they're tweaking and not telling anybody for stuff that's not on the shelf yet I guess.  Google my advice to you is transparency admit you f*d it all up and just take your lumps and hopefully learn a lesson about hardware, firmware etc.

Tazalanche
Community Member

@GoogleNestTeam, we're nearing SIX months since you admitted this issue was real & "promised" a fix "SoonTM". Where's the fix, or a monthly status announcement about why it's not fixed?

Because of this lack of concern for your LOYAL end users that have spent hundreds, if not thousands on your ecosystem, I held off on MANY more Google Home device purchases over Black Friday & Cyber Monday. I'm sure I'm not alone.

Do you NOT want my family's money anymore?

Sue_sd
Community Member

I agree with this. I have not upgraded my Pixel 5 to a Pixel 7, I did not take advantage of any of the recent holiday specials, and I have deleted all emails about the specials. I am furious. I would like to add a Nest thermostat, security cameras, switches, etc. But I am not going to do a thing until YOU RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.

Please provide an update. Or, advise your plans to remediate this issue.

NoRealGenius
Community Member

Inspired by all the frustrated posts I read here but under the heading "fluke/lucky" perhaps, I happened to have an ipad on my desk with google home app on it, and figured what the heck - opened it, followed the prompts and setup the google home mini (which had been in a drawer for literally years) in less than a minute.  Just to be sure, yes, I had tried and failed to set it up from my 6A. 

Porsche1947
Community Member

Merry Christmas 

I received a Nest Hub Max - at present I am in Switzerland - can I use an adapter to plug in to 220 as the plug is for 110>? 

Mic6
Community Member

This is piss poor service, honestly, nothing works anymore. Cannot believe how rubbish your service is.

NeiderColombia
Community Member

Followed those steps, but it is telling me the device utility app, is not available in my country, so what do I do now?? I live in Colombia south America.

EmptyNester
Gold Product Expert
Gold Product Expert

@NeiderColombia ,  Hello,  I'm an end user here in the U.S.   Honestly I think you are out of luck as google has such different licensing rules in different countries.   They tell people to only buy they products in the country they plant on using them in.

This is just a user forum and Google will not respond here.  However you can open an official support ticket and get a reply from Google on this...

Here is the link if you want to give it a try....

https://support.google.com/googlenest/gethelp