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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
LJD
Community Member

this is not ok. Completely negates why  I bought into Google speakers for the house. I believe a rebate is in order, your devices no longer work as advertised and as sold. I shall have to look elsewhere.

Artago
Community Member

So you got sued by Sonos and we pay the price?

 

Either get some better lawyers and win the suit or pay Sonos a royalty or start issuing refunds to customers.

Heavensword
Community Member

Thanks Sonos. 
To make this more bearable, can we have more distinct levels, like integers from 1-20 instead of 1-100?

UnhappyUser
Community Member

How does this affect stereo paired speakers? The home app doesn't show them as separate speakers so how do we control their volume?

 

mwndl
Community Member

one of the functionalities that makes me choose Google instead other options is going out and we pay the price… 

rocketwidget
Community Member

I have two Chromecast Audios. One reports Cast firmware: 1.23.85114. The other reports Cast firmware: 1.56.281627. How do I update the firmware on Chromecast Audio?

ScottUK
Community Member

If you have a stereo pair set up how are you able to control each individual speaker with your voice to adjust each volume? When you request a new volume only one speaker will respond, surely?

 

This is extremely annoying as I had just bought two new speakers for the bedroom - if I’d known this was going to happen I wouldn’t have bothered and I may yet return them.

FixSpkrPairVol
Community Member

After 3 weeks of broken devices, I expected more from Google.

 

I agree that this is not ok, and that the devices I purchased no longer work as advertised or as described in Google's own help pages.

 

I am physically disabled and purchased devices specifically so I could control them by voice. I purchased additional devices in order to stereo pair them for the advertised functionality that no longer works. Not ok

 

If I understand correctly, in order to control my speaker volume by voice I need to separate my stereo pair. Not Ok

 

Assuming the functionality advertised at my time of purchase is not going to be fixed, I would like a refund. 

 

Updated thoughts, info & links to help proactive folks

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Google-Sonos-v-End-Users/m-p/79509/high...

Suzique
Community Member

@GoogleNestTeam 
You talk about speaker GROUPS....does this apply to speaker PAIRS...eg I have 2 x Nest minis as a stereo pair. 

And I don't understand your point #2..."Most Speaker Groups should continue functioning as expected"...what is this expectation?  Most of us would expect them to work as they have been prior to this fiasco?  
I'm completely confused and really questioning why I went out and upgraded my 1 x Gen 1 Mini, for 2 x gen 2 minis.   
Are you updating your sales pitch on the Google Stores??

And what is this Device Utility App you speak of?  Is there a link? 

Foilcard
Community Member

Unbelievable.  This is a huge downgrade.  

Whatever1
Community Member

My speaker volumes are all over the place and routines to change individual speaker volumes no longer work regardless if part of a group or groups deleted.

Not much more to say apart from if you would forward the memo of a simple F UCK YOU to whoever applicable.

BringGWifiBack
Community Member

This really highlights the absurdity of these patents claims. 

It's ridic that just the idea of controlling your home speaker volume with your phone's physical volumes buttons is so novel it's worthy of a patent.  Yet somehow adjusting the same volume with an on-screen interface isn't covered by the patent. These patents should be struck down.

Bnsherer
Community Member

Where do i apply for a refund?  Have four google home max's, one google home, two chromecast with gtv, three Chromecast audios and two jbl speakers which don't work as advertised any longer....

clarkcant
Community Member

Class action time baby. Not only did your groups never function properly, to begin with, but you also do this to your clunky and stagnating service? I'm going to actually start using my Alexa devices.

neweiss
Community Member

This “update” breaks all purpose and functionality of using your devices to

listen to music. It also means many of my devices will cease to function in my house for their intended purpose. What complete garbage and another nail in the coffin for Alexa’s dominance over you in the device game. 

VessGann
Community Member

A typical Google answer to a self-induced problem. Most of us have invested hundreds, often thousands of dollars and tied ourselves in an ecosystem, which came with certain promised features. I have 12 connected devices from JBL, Lenovo, Sony, Insignia, Vizio and Google/Nest, which I've taken time to carefully select based on my needs and organize in a way that makes sense.

Your post has no apology, no remediation, no offer of making things better or promise for users to look forward to resolution of some sort. It's just "oopsie, we got caught, we're gonna have to undo a few things and you guys will have to deal with it". 

I don't think the Sonos situation is over, but I need you to understand that you are sitting on a very thin ice and being weighed down more by crumbling userbase goodwill, potential class action suit (i am absolutely getting in on one, if my experience is as suboptimal as it sounds it's going to be). Personally, decent multiroom sound is one of the reasons why I keep into Google ecosystem in the 1st.place, so don't be surprised if that hurts Android sharez too 

Timelydf
Community Member

Would like a full refund and don't you dare try to put me through your pathetic product return process involving the completion of multiple forms and waiting around for a courier driver to check my ID and confirm that the speakers have been boxed up.

Timelydf
Community Member

Exactly, where is the simple apology? That's step 1 Google.

jamal01
Community Member

This is ridiculous. I stream to my groups I need to control them all together this is a huge hinderence. Google needs to pay the royalties and return their product back to original operation 

 

SquallDA
Community Member

I would like to know what is being done to bring this functionality back? The patent should only cover the method not the idea and if it covers they idea it should be fairly easy to get it invalidated. In fact I believe squeezebox and Logitech media server had implemented this before Sonos. 

Timelydf
Community Member

“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, said Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesman." 

This is far from the truth Google.

NickLucchesi
Community Member

I have 9 devices all over my place and now I cannot say "Hey Google, play my tasty licks rock playlist [everywhere]" and and turn them all up simultaneously -- or quickly turn them all down when I'm immediately told to. I love tedium as much as the next Google Home owner; we are gluttons for never-ending menu settings screens. But turning the volume down on 9 different speakers individually as "Unskinny Bop" by Poison plays at volume 80 is going maybe a bridge too far. Can you cut us a check? Alternatively, I'll take nick at gmail dot com from whoever has it.

Purplekero
Community Member

Incredible I’ve been using google echo system since the first chrome cast and now all of my 10 google devices will stop working NOT AS ADVERTISED those where the only thing that made them worthy I just had bought two more for Black Friday and now they won’t work. 
this is incredible stupid I hope google does something to this. 
not even an apology not even a mail I had to look a lot of forums just to know the result of this lawsuit how distrust of google of keeping us their customers on the dark. 

Purplekero
Community Member

U will start to sell my google products I’m done with this.  
google won’t even try to pay the license fee for the patent so they prefer to screw us. 

fzlatan
Community Member

So if I understand this correctly we cannot have a pair any more. We can only use one speaker per room otherwise it is to cumbersome to control the speakers through given device. 

We are all frustrated and would be nice if google gives us more direction on how to handle this. I don't want to change system but I don't know how to work with what I have. 

nickp001
Community Member

Anybody want to purchase my Google Home devices?  I have 3 Nest Audio, 1 Google Home Max, 1 Google Hub, 1 Nest Hub, 3 Nest Mini's and 1 of the original Google Home Speakers.  I've invested quite a bit of time and money into Nest products.  I'm also selling my Nest WiFi setup, which also has a known issue that Google has been "looking into" for the past several weeks.  4 Nest routers and 2 Nest Access Points with Google Home.

crazyascarl
Community Member

Adding to the list of unhappy customers... I have spent a significant money our my interwoven network of Google Casting devices to now have this feature taken away, leaves me regretting my decision to go this route instead of a competitor.  I expect this feature to make a return (pay the royalties or figure out a work around) or a hefty refund. 

ndaven021
Community Member

Do these changes affect routines?

have routines setup that automatically change my 14 google speakers back to 50% every day at 5:00PM.  The last few weeks I’ve noticed it hasn’t been working properly.  I call each speaker out individually (i.e. “set living room speaker to 50% volume”,“set bedroom speaker to 50% volume”, etc).  I really hope Google finds a solution for this problem.  I’ve invested thousands of dollars in their ecosystem and this feels like a punch to the gut.  

Timelydf
Community Member

A lot of questions here. As usual, no answers from Google.

nickp001
Community Member

I'm having all kinds of volume issues now when trying to use volume control in a routine.  This has really screwed up my routines.

Coppertop
Community Member

Uh, cool I guess? Can you just pay them royalties for the stuff of theirs you were using? You would rather cripple your products than make slightly less profit. Well you already got a bunch of people's money already so what're they gonna do, right?

SamInPgh
Community Member

#PAYSONOS !!!

Purplekero
Community Member

#PAYSONOS

Bnsherer
Community Member

Bull**bleep** - pay sonos or refund 

Bnsherer
Community Member

Google: Do do evil

MHoff
Community Member

I've spent about two thousand USD all over my home on speakers, Google Home Speakers, Google Mini's, Google Audio Dongles, Google Lenovo Display - plus countless hours over the last years to set it up, to create groups, create rules combined with other actions in Google Home. And now you kill the feature just like that? Epic disaster. You got richer by robbing me, and apparently also by robbing Sonos. What happened to "Don't be evil"???

SamInPgh
Community Member

What happened to @Stefanie? It's interesting that this is the first blog post without a user name associated with it -- just @GoogleNestTeam

#PAYSONOS

SamInPgh
Community Member

 

This article contains the actual 4-page court ruling for those who are interested...

https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/6/22871121/sonos-google-patent-itc-ruling-decision-import-ban

#PAYSONOS

HateGoogle2
Community Member

Google you are an absolute bunch of spineless melts.

I am guessing that your lawyers must be of the in-house happy clapper type.

The patent should have been contested and if not you should have paid, what you would rather do (again and again and again) is screw your own customers over.

SamInPgh
Community Member
Nils
Community Member

Google, can you please just pay the royalties like any other fair-playing organisation?

As per all the valid comments above, it makes no sense to degrade the products that people have invested in heavily, based on advertised functionality. The features and workarounds that are being proposed are not equivalent by any stretch of the imagination. 

Cdubpowell
Community Member

I have 6 Google Minis. So, if I’m playing music on all of them and want to lower the volume, I have to walk around to each room and TELL Google to lower the volume or physically turn the volume down on EACH of the SIX devices?

No.

I want my money back. Now. That’s $300!

MWMGL
Community Member

NOT  OKAY

switters1
Community Member

So why can I not even change the volume of individual speakers? 

"Change speaker XX volume to 50 percent" does nothing. Did you degrade more capabilities than just group volume?????

DuMees
Community Member

How is a ruling like this possible?

Are courts forgetting that with these type of rulings they also affect people that had no bad intention?

 

A fair ruling would have been:

 

- Google pays a fine per sold device, allowing the functionality to function for already sold devices.

- Google cannot sell new products with these functionalities anymore.

- Google need to remove marketing material containing references to these functionalities.

 

A shame how this is possible. I'm pretty sure I won't be buying Sonos and Google products any time soon.

Skinz
Community Member

@JillG   Thank you for ensuring we got visibility of this.

@Nils     Basically agree, ‘tho I am surprised at the lack of depth in ‘Plan B’, lets hope thats because its not the plan, just a ‘holding response’ before a more evolved solution is unveiled.

@GoogleNestTeam  I look forward to the detail, screen shots of ‘how to’ and which software versions the work arounds apply to so I can work with my, now, “Special” Speakers.

And for non Brits, “Special” as in differently able after all “Retarded” is offensive, albeit maybe accurate?

 

 

Halo69
Community Member

Really? This is it? Like we all have to roll over and agree? Written like it's just any harmless change that doesn't affect anything major? Worse; like it's a service and we should thank Google?

No! This is NOT okay. I've bought 6 Google Nest Audio speakers solely for the purposes of using them with voice volume control. They are completely useless without it.

You can't expect customers to agree with these changes when they bought a full functioning product and now take out the most important feature because you messed up.

This is completely unacceptable and plainly rude. It's outrageous. I want a refund! 

JamesTravman
Community Member

This is going to be a huge pain, my home ecosystem is going to be thrown out.  Is there anything Google is intending on doing for the user to help with this?! I don't want to switch products, but I may just have to now. 

Truls
Community Member

This is not OK...  
Thats actually what I use my Google devices for, - distributing audio all around my home, in groups.
Thats my reason for getting Nest hubs, Nest hubs max, Nest minis, Chromecasts etc.. more than 15 units...
The ability to control individual levels in groups, AND control the main level is crucial.
You sold me the units with this possibility. It drastically changes the way the units work. It becomes a different product. NOT what I paid for.

 

Dirkules_CGN
Community Member

Das soll wohl ein Witz sein!!1!

Genau dafür habe ich die Lautsprecher doch gekauft!

Man kann sich nicht einfach mit so einer Aussage aus der Verantwortung stehlen!

Ich erwarte das Google gegensteuert oder mir mein Geld zurück erstattet.

Oder glaubt ihr ernsthaft ich werde künftig noch etwas von euch erwerben? -> nie und nimmer!

Leute geht auf Twitter und verbreitet Googles frohe Kunde - mal sehen ob das nicht einen guten **bleep**storm gibt *grrr*

#PAYSONOS

https://twitter.com/DJ_Ganja/status/############3342725120