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GoogleNestTeam
Community Manager (Admin)
Community Manager (Admin)

Hey everyone, 

Due to a recent legal ruling we’re making some changes to how you set up your devices and the Speaker Group functionality will work moving forward. If you’re using the Speaker Group feature to control the volume in the Google Home app, by voice with the Google Assistant, or directly on your Nest Hub display, you’ll notice a few changes: 

  • To adjust volume on your speaker groups, you will need to adjust each speaker individually instead of using the group volume controller. You’ll also no longer be able to change your Speaker Group volume using your phone’s physical volume button. 
  • Most Speaker Groups should continue functioning as expected unless you have a speaker group containing other brands of Cast-based devices, like JBL or Lenovo, they need to be on 1.52.272222 or higher Cast firmware version. Check out this article on how to find your device’s firmware version or contact your device maker. 
  • A small set of users will need to use the ‘Device Utility app’ (DUA) to complete product installation and updates. You may receive a prompt to download and run DUA, and it will ensure that your device is connected to Wi-Fi and receives the most updated software version. 

We will continue to support our users and work to minimize any additional changes.

Thanks, 

Google Nest team

993 Comments
tommykat1
Community Member

They did it again!  Even with "auto-update" disabled in all the areas we've discussed, Google climbed on my phone last night and reinstalled the dreaded useless December 2021 version of Home. 

Note, I Googled (irony intended) the question of why my phone updates even with the switches off, and the results, from Google itself, say it can't be disabled. Ironic there is even a switch. I assume it's a default Android/Samsung Galaxy setting, and not part of the Play Store.

Thankfully, the November 2021 version is an easy reinstall, and it still works.

fpatou
Community Member

does anyone know anyone who is close to someone who may have a relationship with someone from google who knows what is going to happen next?

Secret seem to be kept as this was a life or death matter....

Come on this is just speaker!!! Please communicate!!!!

tommykat1
Community Member

@HBZ I have not tried these possible solutions you mentioned:

4. Enforce power save on Home, Chrome and Play store so they don't wake up

5. Force shutdown and clear data on play store

Item 4, I can't figure out how to do.

Another observation: in tracking all the possible areas where an update could be being performed, I came across a screen that showed the newer version of Home to be a scheduled installation. There was no way to remove it.

tommykat1
Community Member

@fpatou, I do, but it's a last resort. I will contact the resource at the appropriat time. I'm just being patient at the moment. He's not someone I choose to bother, as I have to conserve my favors...

HBZ
Community Member

@tommykat1  I'm sorry uts being such a pain.

 

Do u reckon its possible to schedule a daily install of the old apk? Using IFTT or some other Robotic Process tool?

 

Probably overkill but could be fun.

 

I'm also assuming Goigle will get their act together soon on this. Or, at least I'm hoping they will.

tommykat1
Community Member

@HBZ , you're way ahead of me. One thing I will try next time, however, is an installation of the old version over the new version without doing an uninstall first.

fpatou
Community Member

@tommykat1 you already said too much. Do not be surprised if tomorrow you can't even ask the time to your nest ! 😄

HBZ
Community Member

@tommykat1 

 

I found an interesting menu option in Android which might limit things...

Settings > Battery > Battery Usage > select app > Restricted.

Maybe helpful?

tommykat1
Community Member

@HBZ , this option in Settings/Battery is not available on my phone. 

c0sm0naught
Community Member

@tommykat1 you could use tasker to reinstall the older version on a regular basis.

I'm considering dusting off an old phone, installing older versions of the working apps and using this phone with no SIM and blocking the IP from my router so it cant see the outside world then just use this as a media player/remote for local music (I don't stream any music).

Not ideal having to use another device, but better than Google's no-solution to the problem they created

HBZ
Community Member

@c0sm0naught  I love that idea!

SamInPgh
Community Member

@fpatou  I have no inside info. However, the import ban imposed on Google by the court ruling goes into effect on or about March 7. If Google feels that their attempts to circumvent the Sonos patents by duplicating their functionality (i.e. "reinventing the wheel") are not going well when that time arrives, I would expect them to go back to Sonos with a new licensing proposal (or a buyout offer). An alternative would be to simply abandon their whole Home infrastructure and customers, which is what they are virtually doing right now, take a huge tax write-off, shrug it off and continue on their merry way. So circle March 7 on your calendar and we'll all see what, if anything, happens.

 

#PAYSONOS

fpatou
Community Member

Hey!!!

Thank you @SamInPgh !!!!

hope to hear more from you here. 

Very interesting comment. 

 

 

SamInPgh
Community Member

Just a heads-up...  If any of you have heard from a Google "Community Specialist" calling himself @Jake , offering to help with your problem, don't get your hopes up. Jake's sole job seems to be to close out all of the thousands of open issues that support has been unable or unwilling to resolve. I have accused him of being an AI bot, which he denies. 😉

Here are screen shots of his profile, some of his identically worded recent posts, and the last response I sent to him/it.

Screenshot_2022-02-16-11-12-47.jpg

Screenshot_2022-02-16-11-12-25.jpg

Screenshot_2022-02-16-11-14-36.jpg

 

Timelydf
Community Member

Sending a desperate cry for help to the @GoogleNestTeam. There so many valid and sensible questions in this thread and there has been no response from Google. Please provide an update on the current situation and start addressing questions one by one. Remember, this is your community page where we are directed for assistance.

Jamesch
Community Member

This wouldn't be a big issue for me, but I don't even have this problem. I can still adjust my group volume together and with the volume buttons of my phone.

Or is this problem only relevant in the US?

JohnBartlett
Community Member

I think the majority (maybe only "many") of the messages on here are from bots, as I have not had one problem with my many devices. And, no, I'm no bot (or in proper English, I am not a bot) ... 😉

I am able to control the volume from the volume up and down on my iPhone, on a single speaker or dual-tied (whatever the "stereo" setting is called), my TV (if I'm casting to it,) or all sorts of other devices, and I'm able to control them from my Youtube, Youtube Music, or any other app, as well as being able to tell Google Assistant to raise or lower the volume to individual device(s) or multiple ones. Even if there was a problem with the devices and their control, it seems that it would be a minor inconvenience.

In any case, I think that the complaints here are to make Google pay (to replace devices, or just for a minor inconvenience), or make them look bad, or Induce them to change their contract with Sonos.

In any case, looking at all the "complaints" here, I ask myself, who profits from all of them? Hence my thought that there are probably a lot of bots here... I could be wrong.

In any case, cheers.

JohnBartlett
Community Member

Also... Have a wonderful President's Day!!

 

Cheers again

fpatou
Community Member

@JohnBartlett   : colla...bot ?😁

 

Bnsherer
Community Member

@JohnBartlett 

You are a bootlicking shill, that is all

 

Cheers

Suzique
Community Member

@JohnBartlett 

You're very fortunate that you've had no issues, but it does pose the question why you would bother exploring these posts if you have no reason to?  Your generic type reply could be written about any complaint. 

For those of us who have had issues, the points you raised don't assist anyone and I really don't understand why you would bother contributing?

My speaker issue is spasmodic, and I spent hours trying to fix it, before finally asking the question in the Google community and requesting input from others....that in itself, has proven a great timesaver for me and I'm sure, many others on here. 

 

 

tcarey
Community Member

@JohnBartlett 

 

Try to cast ('mirror') all audio from your phone to a speaker group, i.e. to play sound from apps that don't natively support casting. Then get back to us and tell us how well it went.

 

That's a very important feature that was removed by Google without warning and without any official communication. You may not have that use case, but rather than being selfish, you might want to empathize with those who do have this use case and whose numerous purchased devices have been eviscerated by this feature removal. Some day it may happen to you that a valued feature in one of your devices is removed, and you'll hope others won't be callous enough to discount your dissatisfaction with generic comments about "everything being okay" when you know otherwise.

SamInPgh
Community Member

@JohnBartlett 

No. You're much worse than a bot, and more dangerous. You have free will.

Screenshot_2022-02-17-17-43-22.jpg

tommykat1
Community Member

More interesting news. My auto-updates to the current stripped (December) version of Google Home began happening in late morning on Tuesday, in lieu of late at night. Incredibly, Im unaware I've been invaded, as the program continues to cast to speaker groups.  When I go to the app to adjust volume or stop casting, the functions are gone,  i.e., I'm directed to the groups page, as many are aware. Attempting to reinstall the November app over the top doesn't work--I get an error message saying the "app is not valid." Then, after uninstalling, I'm still casting! When I reinstall the good November version I'm back in action with volume, cast and group controls again. Crazy stuff. Sure wish Google would quit ignoring us and address these important, vanished features.

And no, I'm not a bot, thank you very much. Just another discontent user.

SamInPgh
Community Member

Fyi, @JohnBartlett joined the Google Nest community on January 7, the day after this thread was begun by Google Admin. He/it has a total of 5 posts in the whole community, all of them replies to this thread and all downplaying the problems everyone is reporting. Make your own conclusions.

Timelydf
Community Member

@JohnBartlett that is a wild and unsubstantiated accusation. I'll rotate a deer so that it's standing on all fours anyday.

FixSpkrPairVol
Community Member

@JohnBartlett Your trolling is not appreciated or appropriate. 

 

Please find a healthy, productive outlet for your juvenile tendencies.

 

If you've noting adult and productive to contribute, kindly go away.

 

Thank you 

(not a bot, or childish troll)

 

 

lequyen
Community Member
Jimmy_J
Community Member

rediculous.  so much false advertising!  here is my latest experience:

 

BEWARE OF GOOGLE CAMERAS/NEST

Unable to stream my live camera feeds (battery doorbell and wired nest cam floodlight) to my TV as outlined in the google article here: https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7529598?hl=en

I contacted google today and spoke with Helen.  She said nest cams only work with smart hub displays (even though it is advertised right on the box that it works with chromecast). She gave me some BS story about how the OLD cameras work with chromecast, but the NEW ones don't.  How would a customer even know if they are getting a NEW or OLD version of the camera?? Further, the setup process in google home even advertises you can stream to chromecast devices.  Google even emailed me after setup (automated) about 'what your nest can do' and it included streaming to chromecast!!  Helen's only advice - submit feedback on the website, so here I am.

The NEST app on your phone is worthless.  You can't add new nest devices to it.  If you try, you are routed to google home to add it. The NEST app you can add via chromecast is also worthless.  There is absolutely NO way to even sign into your account.

I'm so frustrated and will likely never buy another google product.  Of course I'm out of the return window.  Seriously considering filing a warranty claim since the product does not work as advertised.

False advertising and doing nothing for service recovery is a very bad look, google.

If anyone is considering a NEST cam, I would absolutely NOT get one.  Zero stars.

SamInPgh
Community Member

Here's an interesting video discussing the patent issues in depth:

https://youtu.be/TlsXggg1Kzg

SamInPgh
Community Member

Google loses another PI (patent infringement) court case against Sonos in Europe...

https://www.juve-patent.com/news-and-stories/cases/dutch-judges-deny-google-injunction-request-again...

c0sm0naught
Community Member

@SamInPgh perhaps another loss in court will mean Google take the hint and start paying Sonos and give us back the 'smart' in our speakers?!

SamInPgh
Community Member

@c0sm0naught  One can only hope...

Caduser
Community Member

So noted, but when are you going to fix it? The whole point of having 30 Google speaker products in my home is that I can control them centrally.

How are you going to compensate your customer base? We paid for this fundamental feature, so either refund us, or fix it.... or face the consequences of a class action.

SamInPgh
Community Member

Just a heads up. I have two Nest Mini Gen2's, one of them set up with the firmware preview program option set to "On" and the other to "Off". Today the one set to "On" received an update from 1.54.277099 to 1.54.279716. Of course, the Google firmware page makes no mention of the new release at all, let alone a description of what changes were made. So here we are, left to speculate on whether our devices are being further crippled or, however unlikely it may be, improved in some way. If anyone can figure out what might have changed, please share.

RS_SW
Community Member

@SamInPgh

My paired Nest Minis have been updated overnight as well.

The first thing I've noticed is that I could previously say "hey Google, volume 55" for 55% but now Ms Google responds by saying that the maximum volume is 10 so I have to say "hey Google, volume 5 and a half" instead.

This is made more annoying as the app has the volume as a percentage! Where's the logic?

I could say either before the 'upgrade' (?)!

Tamugridge
Community Member

This is just the beginning. With the loss of functionality, all volume related tasks and voice commands will be affected. Google is just trying to stagger the issues so it seems like they are working to resolve them. 

Next it will be voice level commands. Removing the ability to change volume using percentages and only able to do so using the volume control numbering specific to Google Home. 

They will no doubt have the speakers request repeat actions even though it’s for the same thing ie:  you command the lounge speaker to play music and the speaker repeats back to you “you can play that on lounger speaker or lounge speaker. Do you want to do that now?”  
 This is their attempt at circumventing the stolen patent - with that we will see a whole raft of workarounds in the near future.

Time to move on before we’re back to manually flicking on switches and turning volume knobs up and down. 

RIP Google Home!

 

SamInPgh
Community Member

@Tamugridge  I agree with your analysis. Keep in mind that, as a result of the January 6 "60-day" court ruling, Google now has only a few days left to remove any features that infringe on the Sonos patents. Otherwise, they are banned from importing all of the offending devices. It should be a busy week...

Amaximov1
Community Member

@Jimmy_J  I got lucky and stumbled upon this thread of how the screwed nest users over, within my 14 day return window.

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Blog/Message-from-our-GM-Updates-for-our-Nest-customers/ba-p/...

 

I have tons of older Nest cameras, that work great with the nest app. The new ones are not nest cameras, they dont work with the nest app,  and the quality sucks anyway. You can also note that the older/prev generation nest cameras have gone up in price on ebay/marketplace. Between the speakers, the nest cameras, and the pixel phone issues, I am done with Google hardware. 

SamInPgh
Community Member

Here is a reply I just posted to a new community member trying get help with a technical problem. It sums up my experience with Google product support over the past year and a half and I only wish someone had warned me when I first purchased my Nest Minis.

Screenshot_2022-02-28-19-40-41.jpg

tommykat1
Community Member

Well done, @SamInPgh

Here and in other Google Home/Nest Community Forums, buyers have posted left and right with complaints about faulty Nest cameras, doorbells, speakers, and the software app, etc., with only double-speak from the "Google Team," who promise they will "continue to support our users, and thanks for your valuable feedback." Suckers, all of us.

Alas, we are but sheep, bah-ing in the wind. It is becoming quite clear that Google has no intention of supporting its purchasers of hardware, nor support of software, now or in the future.

It looks like they will attempt to sell their existing stock of buggy Home/Nest products, and then dump the whole shebang. The legal department and accountants have likely weighed in and said, "If we can sell all of our bricked components, and sunset the entire enterprise,  we can pay for the class action suit that's sure to come. We win. Who cares about the consumer losing?"

I repeat: Suckers, all of us.

Tamugridge
Community Member

Now it seems on top of the issues with the stolen patents from Sonos google home is now asking “sorry the max volume is only ten so what level do you want to set it too?”  In order to circumvent the patents they stole from Sonos.  This happens when you setup volume changes in Routines. 

RIP Google Home

tommykat1
Community Member

Here's a typical review from the Google Play Store Home app. Note how Google ironically suggests you join the community forums for assistance. It's crystal clear that solution doesn't work! Endless loop of, "We're always trying to improve our products, and we support our customers." They must laugh heartily every time they read our complaints and choose to do nothing.

Screenshot_20220301-074619_Google Play Store.jpg

 

 

SamInPgh
Community Member

Countdown to the beginning of the import ban on all Google products infringing on the Sonos patents:

6️⃣Days

#PAYSONOS

c0sm0naught
Community Member
c0sm0naught
Community Member

Excerpt from the article above-

Q: Software patents are contentious in our industry. These are all fundamentally software patents. They’re already screaming in their cars, “You should not be able to patent controlling the volume on multiple speakers at once. You should not be able to patent a setup flow.” I realize the actual patents are much more detailed and specific about how those things work, but conceptually, you should not be able to monopolize that kind of idea in the way the patent system currently allows. How would you respond to that?

A: EL: I think that’s just wrong. I think these are fundamental inventions that solved problems that nobody else had been able to solve before...

...They ought to pay you royalty for it. That’s all we’ve ever sought: Give us fair value for this.

Google markets its speakers every day on things that Sonos actually invented and that they took from us. That’s just wrong. For one of the largest companies in the history of the world to do that is wrong. So we’re going to hold them to account in court until they’re willing to come to the table and give us a fair royalty."

tommykat1
Community Member

Great article, thanks for sharing,  @c0sm0naught.

It seems pretty clear that Google has two choices: pay Sonos, or dump the whole Home/Nest shebang, both hardware and software. By their inaction to this community's complaints, I believe it will be the latter. And we'll be left holding the bag.

Next, a long, drawn out class action suit will follow, and in a few years, after the lawyers are paid, we'll each get a check for 10 bucks. Finally, we'll toss our worthless plastic bricks in a landfill, and wash our hands of Google for good.

Sure wish they'd show some humility and pay Sonos...

SamInPgh
Community Member

Thanks for the link, @c0sm0naught .  Very enlightening.

#PAYSONOS

BlueDay
Community Member

Could Google please refund or provide a rebate for every Google home speaker product we purchased?

Sybergato
Community Member

This is horrible.  I'll no longer back any of your products.  Thanks for jerking your loyal base around for ages.