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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
RobinT
Community Member

So sick of Google...have been with you since the beginning but now I will be leaving for a better company...that includes you search bar, nest products, everything owned and operated by your sorry company! This is one of a few final nails in this dumb woke ass companies coffin!

ShazLea
Community Member

What an awful decision. I already have two Google Nests and I just went out and bought a Nest Audio. I joined all 3 to a Speaker Group. I've been fiddling around trying to find a way to sync the volume. I am so utterly disappointed. It's absolutely ridiculous and I really wish I didn't just spent $149 on something for a reason which I thought was quite basic. Surely for Google products an exception can be made. Seriously absolutely terrible. I was thinking how fantastic it all was but I don't anymore.

SamInPgh
Community Member

Another Google Nest patent infringement case lost in court, this one for the thermostat. Of course, Google disagrees and will appeal the $20 million judgement against them.

https://www.androidpolice.com/nest-thermostats-energy-saving-feature-costs-google-dollar20-million-i...

#PAYSONOS

SamInPgh
Community Member

@ShazLea  Return it while you still can and wait until the Sonos issue is completely resolved, which could still take awhile. On the other hand, the import ban on all Google Nest audio products imposed by the ITC goes into effect tomorrow (March 7) so something major could happen any day now. 

ShazLea
Community Member

Google need to PAY for their mistake. Not us the consumers who in all good faith paid for their products. Below is from this article: https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-chromecast-and-smart-speakers-may-be-banned-from-us-sale-... 

Sonos provided us with the following statement on today's decision:

“We appreciate that the ITC has definitively validated the five Sonos patents at issue in this case and ruled unequivocally that Google infringes all five. That is an across the board win that is surpassingly rare in patent cases and underscores the strength of Sonos’s extensive patent portfolio and the hollowness of Google’s denials of copying. These Sonos patents cover Sonos’ groundbreaking invention of extremely popular home audio features, including the set up for controlling home audio systems, the synchronization of multiple speakers, the independent volume control of different speakers, and the stereo pairing of speakers.

It is a possibility that Google will be able to degrade or eliminate product features in a way that circumvents the importation ban that the ITC has imposed. But while Google may sacrifice consumer experience in an attempt to circumvent this importation ban, its products will still infringe many dozens of Sonos patents, its wrongdoing will persist, and the damages owed Sonos will continue to accrue. Alternatively, Google can —as other companies have already done —pay a fair royalty for the technologies it has misappropriated.”

Meanwhile, Google had this to offer us about today's ruling:

“While we disagree with today’s decision, we will ensure our shared customers have the best experience using our products and do not experience any disruption. We will seek further review and continue to defend ourselves against Sonos’ frivolous claims about our partnership and intellectual property.”

 

 It seems simple to me and goodness me I think Google can afford it!!

Not to mention that we the customers are definitely not having the "best" experience. The products are supposed to be quick, easy and ASSIST. We're having to do everything to do with volume manually. It's a joke.

monkey1aj
Community Member

Google made $79 BILLION in Operating Income during 2021. They bought Nest for $3.2 billion. They can't pay Sonos $1bn or $2bn to do right by their customers?   

iabbity
Community Member

It seems like my speakers are getting worse by the day. Now half the time they just don't respond, or if I run a routine it'll stop midway. If I am listening to music or a podcast, it'll abruptly stop and if you ask it to continue it won't know what you're talking about. Basically, they completely suck now.

Ripper365
Community Member

Ugh. Come on, Google. We're effing tired of being **bleep** on by you. Pay the effing royalties, get the egg off your face, and let's move on. I'm not spending another dime on this garbage ecosystem until you do something that doesn't involve dragging loyal customers through the mud. Stop acting like you hate your customers... Unless you do, in which case you can continue to F off. 

Halo69
Community Member

Google has once again proven to be nothing more than a frustrated toddler. 

I'd managed to override the loss of multiroom volume control by using an old Google Home APK and by setting up routines to adjust volume simultaneously. This worked very well for a long time.

But... even with auto update unchecked on all Google apps, they somehow killed this workaround too. Non of my volume routines work any longer; each time a different speaker responds (randomly) and the volumes are never synced.

If I ask speaker A to change the volume, speaker D's volume changes. Try it again and other speakers respond. Also, two speakers never respond at all. It's total chaos. Naturally, restarts, resets and other time consuming efforts don't pay off. That's Google for you these days. 

I honestly think it's preposterous and shamefully childish to even mess with people's routines:

- They removed the psychical button in the app

- They removed the multiroom voice volume control

- They removed the option to adjust the sound with the phone volume button

- Google Assistant has become unbelievably sloppy, slow, deaf and basically useless

- And let's not forget "The volume only goes to 10%" nonsense 

Isn't that enough? No, you have to inflict more pain and agony. You completely and willingly have to ruin ALL the little things that can still be helpful.

Try to say once more that you'll do anything to ensure customers are not being affected by your selfish decision. You keep digging and taking things away till there's nothing left. You are doing this DELIBERATELY.

Are you grinning over there at your big desk of your billion dollar company? Is it fun to do this to your once faithful customers?

What a horrible company you are, Google. Shame on you! 

ShazLea
Community Member

Here I am again. I am SO angry and totally agree with what everyone is saying. The volume of my 3 devices is "all over the place". I'm spending more time trying to get everything right than actually enjoying the **bleep** system. Google, you have used someone else's idea/technology ... whatever, you have to pay for it. I really wish I knew all this before I embarked on what I thought was something new and exciting by turning my place into a Smart Home, but in this day and age you wouldn't think to "do your homework" on something like this. It's "Google", right? ... a billion dollar company - what they say and how they advertise their products and what they're capable of has to be genuine ... doesn't it ???? Seems not.

 

Seriously, this is really really BAD.

SamInPgh
Community Member

 

@monkey1aj 

Google made $79 BILLION in Operating Income during 2021. They bought Nest for $3.2 billion. They can't pay Sonos $1bn or $2bn to do right by their customers?   

At $3.2B, Google paid over 10 times the trailing 12-month revenue (<$300M) for Nest, another hardware company with a good patent portfolio. By that standard, they would be looking at a pricetag over $15B for Sonos, which reported $1.7B in revenue for 2021. I don't know how to translate those numbers into a reasonable licensing fee but I'm sure their lawyers can figure it out. 🤔

#PAYSONOS

monkey1aj
Community Member

@SamInPgh lol i meant $1-2bn in royalties... ($2bn obviously a little crazy) as it would still be nothing for them. Understood that (I) Sonos would need to be acquired for at least 2-3x revenues / 15x EBITDA and (ii) there's very little chance that acquisition clears regulatory hurdles with the antitrust scrutiny 

fpatou
Community Member

Stereo Paire focus :

Today on my side  :

-i can Set volume via voice/routines on Google max paired 

-I cannot set volume via voice/routine on Google mini 2nd gen paired. I found this workaround to do it : create a groupe containing only the mini paired. Setting the groupe volume via voice/routine is doing the job.

 

 

barrymilliken
Community Member

All of a sudden my "workday" routine cannot adjust volume on speaker pairs. The error message erroneously says "I can't adjust volume on groups..." even though a pair is not a group in Nest terminology.

The workaround is simple: adjust volume on one of the speakers in the pair and the pair is adjusted in tandem.

What a farce!

Meanwhile, if I cast music to a group in YouTube music, I can still adjust volume for the entire group on one slider.  Instructions: in YTM:

1. Click on the album cover of the music already casting to a group.

2. Click on cast icon. This displays a volume control slider for the group.

3. Click on drop down arrow just to display the volume slider of each speaker in the group.

4. Adjust the top group volume slider.  Note that this seems to affect only one of the speakers (random).  However, if you go back to the HOME app you see that all speakers in the group are adjusted.

All of the above is of course ridiculous.  But the problem is easily to overcome.

For routines just refer to individual speakers one action at a time.  It's a one time fix.

For YouTube music at least there is no limitation.

So I'm good until the idiots at Google start messing some more. 

 

SamInPgh
Community Member

Well, the 60-day presidential review period for the ITC ruling has now passed without the decision being overturned. This means that, theoretically at least, the import ban on Google's audio devices should officially be in effect. I expected to see some sort of announcement marking the occasion from at least one of the companies but can find none. However, I will be tuning in to tomorrow's Morgan Stanley "fireside chat" episode at 4:15 pm EST featuring the CEO and CFO of Sonos to see if the subject comes up there. For anyone else who may be interested, here is the link:

https://investors.sonos.com/news-and-events/default.aspx#section=events-and-presentations

SamInPgh
Community Member

I just listened to the live webcast of the Morgan Stanley symposium featuring Patrick Spence, the CEO of Sonos. The subject of the ITC decision against Google came up around 20 minutes in and the news was not promising. Spence confirmed that the ITC injunction against Google went into effect yesterday with no further action being taken and stated that Google's response has been to remove the product features that infringe on Sonos' patents, directing the audience to go to Google's website (here) to see how that decision is going over with their customers. I tried to submit a question asking if there were any ongoing negotiations happening but it was too late in the session to have it presented. He also stated that the next event on the horizon regarding Google is a hearing in the Northern California district of federal court regarding another batch of patent infringement claims that is scheduled for early May. You can listen to a rebroadcast of the presentation here.

Bottom line: Not looking good for us. However, I was very impressed with Sonos' vision for the future of their company and will be looking into purchasing one or two of their speakers as an alternative to my Google Nest hockey pucks.

ShazLea
Community Member

@SamInPgh So disappointing and unfortunate, but thank you so much for the information. I too am thinking of buying a Sonos speaker. The Nest Audio has great surround sound but the continual volume adjustment is so utterly annoying and is turning the whole listening experience into a frustrating debacle!

blockarchitech
Community Member

So hold up if I'm getting this correctly - Changing the volume of multiple speakers is such a novelty that Sonos needs a patent? Using your phones volume buttons to adjust volume on a speaker is so novel? Spotify is going to burn to the ground then. Mark my words.

SamInPgh
Community Member

Congratulations on your very first post on the Google Nest Community board, @blockarchitech !

So what department do you work for at Google? Just curious...

#PAYSONOS

PMWiggi
Community Member

A nice apology of would have definitely been the professional thing to do. I found this conversation by mistake and was totally unaware of this issue. All I knew was my devices weren't working and it was driving me crazy! I am disabled and only chose because the building I live in defaulted to Google devices. To be honest, they NEVER worked as intuitively as Alexa did! Now, they don't work at all!!! I'm so angry that I don't know what to say or think. I believe some remediation is in order! I use these devices to improve my safety features but I guess it's time to reconsider and migrate to something else -- SONOS maybe? At least, they can win lawsuits! Shame on you Google. I will definitely take the device I bought yesterday back to the store! 

Y0gi1kin0bi
Community Member

This totally sucks, that functionality made it worth it. Speaker groups won't be the same. I guess i will have to adapt

POTUDavidAuthor
Community Member

Dumb I expect better from Google:

Suggestions @GoogleNestTeam 

Rather than disempowering functionality, empower the end-user with controls and security options.

This devalues the entire Speaker Product Line's practical functionality. It is so significant that,  I, like others will explore other options in the future.

I understand compliance requirements but I can't believe this was your only option. Instead of evolving your system with more capabilities you've done the opposite.

I'm not happy about this.  You are all charged to revisit this and turn this lemon into a lemonade or face issues and demands for refunds or worse. 

Are you folks really unable to have anticipated how crappy this solution is to your products? You folks couldn't have created a compliance solution rooted in empowerment rather rather than this foolishness?

You need to hire me to help you strategicly think before making blunders like this. 

You need to revisit and fix this before millions learn how to say "Google Feedback" and tell you why this sucks,  but will think they are reporting a glitch.

Anticipatory Intelligence please.

You know how to reach me about that job offer. You owe me 3 million USD for this post.

geesh, Your Google,  you can be better than this. 

POTU David, Author (and Anti-Blunder Consultant)

ShazLea
Community Member

Well said @POTUDavidAuthor 👏👏👏

As for you @GoogleNestTeam as I’ve said in other posts if I had any idea about this (keeping in mind that as well as setting up my smart home, having several speakers throughout my Home and operating them seamlessly as a group with the help of Google Assistant was my main reason) I would not have done it. I’m right now taking my two Google Nests and Audio Nest back for a refund as all were only purchased 2 weeks ago, and will investigate my other options thoroughly before buying again. Goodbye. 

Minime46
Community Member

What the hell is going google?

I bought these for all round my house, have 3 in my kitchen, 2 in my lounge and then 1 in each bedroom.

I have to now manually turn up EACH speaker evertime I want to turn the group volume up or down.

This is ridiculous, sort it out asap or give me a refund. This is THE ONLY reason I purchased these. Google has enough money to pay to sonos for their **bleep** up... pay it and leave the speakers as they were advertised.

fpatou
Community Member

@GoogleNestTeam 

Despite reaching the  milestone of March 7, there is still nothing in terms of communication on the changes made.
Volume management on Paire devices, bug on the answers mentioning the groups several times, how to update cast version on non Nest speakers....
For all that: well we have to manage by our own, by empirical test methods, knowing that what works this morning can very well malfunction in the evening.
the nest audio products have never reached this level of Geek. Thank you Google for giving us the opportunity to tweak badly designed things, because it worked way too well before and it was really boring!

SwampFox75
Community Member

So when a product fails to perform as advertised let's say a Ford Truck (cause they always have something wrong) they issue a thing called a recall. The company pays for the lack of functionality or repairs it in a way that keeps the functionality. Why should we suffer if you stole technology from Sonos?

Don't even get me started on your old Google Nest cameras vs your New Google "nest" cameras that only work in the Home App.... 

I really expect more from Google than this but since Rachel abandon the chat and anyone is interested on the Camera side of things here you go: https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Blog/New-Cameras-and-Google-Home-app/bc-p/113965

Forgot to mention the smoke detectors I just bought only work in Google Nest App not Google Home. I really have no further words.

 

 

SamInPgh
Community Member
fpatou
Community Member

@GoogleNestTeam 

Some rumors/videos about the fact that the device app utility would be the way to upgrade cast version on non google/nest speakers.

Any comments ?

Myster_Anderson
Community Member

How can you remove features that were a very important feature that influenced purchase decisions. This is very disappointing and deserves to be reinstated without legal action. At the very minimum restitution should be given.

Cindy1
Community Member

Wow you guys keep messing with the settings of our smart displays. The reason we bought then was for what they said they were for. Lenovo displays can't even search the web anylonger thanks to you guys. Why in the world would I want to send the link to my phone? It defeats the purpose of a what I but the lenovo smart display for. This irritates me so bad. Also lenovo smart display when you cast a movie or play a movie it doesn't show it in full screen anylonger. Not even youtube plays in full screen anylonger. Also the displays don't even listen to hey Google commands anylonger it's so hard and annoying to get them to respond. You guys try to fix what isn't broken. Glad I didn't buy my mother a Google hub and instead I bought her an alexa. Just waiting for black Friday so I can switch my devices to alexa. 

User00
Community Member

Soooo we should have got Sonos speakers instead!

JackWack
Community Member

Considering that I bought all google devices specifically for the function you have just removed, I'll be switching. I'm also contacting my legal representation regarding further class legal action.

chrisaawalker
Community Member

I seem to have found a workaround, when on an Android. When my music is playing in a speaker group via Spotify, if I use my device volume controls it changes the volume of all speakers at the same time.

thegoatmilkguy
Community Member

Not ok.  You've broken a major feature I depended upon daily.  Settle with Sonos for your stolen tech instead of crippling the functionality you've been selling users for years.

rachmiel
Community Member

Functionality of Casting to a Group is also lost by this change! Severely cripples usability of Google Home. 

NSPTO
Community Member

You broke the law and got caught. Couldn't happen to a bigger group of assholes.

Beachbum01
Community Member

My Google and Lenovo products no longer work as advertised at the time of purchase.  Why can Google get away with this? Losing loyal long- term customers obviously is of no concern.  Hate to say it but probably heading over to Alexa. Never thought I'd say it but they are progressing not breaking. 

Pharmer
Community Member

Honestly, not a huge deal. I prefer to change the volume of individual speakers individually, anyway. For example, if I want to increase the volume on the speaker in the room I'm in, but not all the other rooms, that feature isn't very helpful. The volume adjustment screen on the app or on a display hub is really simple to use and doesn't increase the difficulty for changing speaker volume much overall.

c0sm0naught
Community Member

@Pharmer you sound like a paid Google employee -  account created yesterday just to say bricking everyones speaker set up is no problem? 

you might not be bothered, but a LOT of people are. Google may not care but most people here do - as do our wallets as we've paid for these features.

 

not being able to change the volume of the casted media, while the screen is off, using the volume keys is a massive backwards step, when you're casting to a group.

 

Myster_Anderson
Community Member

@Pharmer you're kidding right?

Pharmer
Community Member
  • Not paid, @c0sm0naught, and I'm not attempting to down-play anyone else's concerns. I just have a different opinion, as nothing in my home has been disrupted to the level which yours was, apparently. Aside from needing to use the DUA for a new Hub Max I bought, all the other features and all the other 20-odd smart devices function very well. However, if you purchased speakers with the sole intent to use them together for audio, I could understand your frustrations. But care or  do not care, this came down to a court decision, not one Google made independently. 
gordonakelly
Community Member

@Pharmer this is just a lazy take. You're celebrating a reduction in options. It has always been easy to control the individual volume of a speaker in a group, there's no difference there. Coming on here to say it's great to do something we've always been able to do while downplaying the removal of a key feature is borderline trolling. And this is why people question your motives/if you're a Google employee. You're adding nothing to the conversation other than "a loss of functionality is fine for me!". 

ShazLea
Community Member

@Pharmer well if Google didn’t steal Sonos’ patented tech and instead did the right thing and paid for it in the first place they wouldn’t have been sued, no independent body would have had to have made a decision and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. 

MrNegative370
Community Member

What the heck??? Why does Google repeatedly shoot itself in the foot? I think your gonna miss and shoot the company through the heart. You want examples of foot shooting? Google play music, Google photos bait n switch scam, Google voice, hangouts, and any service that consumers actually like from Google. I'm sadly not even surprised. This is probably in response to some dumb regulations, I cannot comprehend (not because they are complex but the opposite) but there's a reason the dev community is so important, there will be some genius that will reverse this disaster, at the cost of convenience. I am truly ashamed to be part of the Google ecosystem. I'm doing my best to Degoo myself. Yeah it's difficult, and I need to follow through and get out before there's not an alternative to go to. @GoogleNestTeam #bail

GBJ
Community Member

Hi, unless you plan to immediately work with each manufacturer to release the newer firmware that is now required, then how will you be subsidizing the replacement of the now non-functional speakers?

mikeyo
Community Member

@GBJ I'm with you. This should have never happened. I have cast enabled speakers from 3rd parties running anywhere between 1.36 and 1.44. The ones running 1.36 don't even appear on my nest hubs anymore as part of the groups they are appart of. Can't even control them independently there. No noises from anyone on if any updates are coming at all. 

jpfritz
Community Member

+1 to what @mikeyo said.

I have third-party speakers from different manufacturers that used to run smoothly as part of speaker groups until the recent changes. Needless to say, it's become a pain. The oldest cast firmware on those devices reaches as far back as versions 1.28.102057 and even 1.21.75965 - all on the respective manufacturers' most recent own device firmware.

Former firmware updates introduced by these manufacturers always took delays because of slow cooperation on Google's part (I'm relying on the respective manufacturers' communications on this - LG, Teufel Raumfeld, Lenovo and JBL in my case) - will this change now, as this whole ordeal is on Google to sort out? 

xEVRGRx
Community Member

Wow, I was wondering why the hell it had all disappeared. 

Echoing what others have said, why in the hell would you buy these speakers, spend time adding them, adding them to groups and such for nine to be connected any more? I also bought these be a use I didn't want to have to change the volume on four bloody speakers individually.

Looks like I'll be buying a who new set of speakers that be be controlled together... Oh wait, I'm not made of money and I'll have to put up with it. THANKS GOOGLE! Pathetic

HappyCamperNot
Community Member

Twice now Google has ripped us off. First, forcing us to buy YouTube Music Premium to play content we own through Google Home speakers, now deleting MAJOR functionality without compensation. How about a little goodwill for your CUSTOMERS!

Oh, I forgot, screwing up my Google One credit so I couldn't use it until after your Black Friday sale, then refusing even to honor the sale price on the product I wanted. Past tense. I don't want no Google no more. 

Thank you.