Upcoming Speaker Group changes

[GoogleNestTeam]

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

[NairbDub]

So will Google step up and work a deal with Sonos or strip Sonos integration support for Google Home? Or will we the consumers just live with this post-purchase change like we did with "lifetime image storage" with pixel devices?

[jtav1]

Absurd. If this is how Google is going to handle it, I'm going to throw all my speakers away and replace them with Sonos - which must be a superior product if you're stealing features - instead of waiting to see what you remove next. 

[RS_SW]

Has anyone found out / worked out what the "‘Device Utility app’ (DUA)" is yet?

If Google feel it is relevant to some users, why not expand this and tell us which users and where to find the app?

We really aren't getting any help from anywhere at the moment and this Google statement is just adding to the frustration and confusion.

[Lt_Battlefield]

We as a community and a customer should not put up with this patient debacle. We deserve better as humans. No one company deserves rights to patient volume controls as a group on just one companies products. This is a feature that is created on our personal WiFi in our personal home's. So you're telling me that Sonos owns my own WiFi radio band in my own home to control all of my own device's that are connected on the same network.

This is downright illegal and inhumane as a customer and as a music lover like myself. This has to stop and be fixed. We can't let this slide as humans.

[djscotec]

i saw this could affect the importing of pixels, chromecasts and other devices in the US being Sonos is in China  is this a small causality of that entire fiasco over the patents?

[jamal01]

For anyone thinking of "switching", unless you're switching to Sonos, they plan on going other manufacturers such as Apple and Amazon so don't think a switch will help you =(

[monkey1aj]

@djscotec this is probably just the beginning. 5/5 patents at the ITC is rare. Sonos says they have another 160 that they're infringing on. Google Homes could become just a bluetooth speaker in a year

[Ted]

This is abhorrent. Google lost a lawsuit, so pay up! Your customers should not have to suffer downgraded devices as a result of your own unethical behavior. I have 13 Google Home devices in my house that I can no longer control properly. Either pay up so we can get those advertised features back, or pay up and give your customers refunds.

It's also worth recognizing how quickly this software downgrade got pushed out to all users, and meanwhile, there are still bugs that are several years old that your terrible developers are still working on.

[TylerGH]

Buy Sonos out. You will lose so many sales without these features, and probably lose market share to Amazon and Apple.

[JBWellfleet]

The reason I bought your system was to control groups of speakers in this house. First you got rid of the ability to play songs on my library unless I pay a subscription fee, and now this.

I would like a total refund for my 6 Google Minis, 6 Chromecast Audio units, and the Google speaker I have. Now a complete waste of money and setup time. 

i agree a class action suit is in order. I’m in!

[fzlatan]

It makes me wonder if this is a reason why then had super aggressive sales of their devices recently. I was wondering how can a device be so cheap it sounded too good to be true. It looks like they offloaded the infringing product to us. If this is true it's really bad and is turning this long time Google promotor into a detractor. 

[Bnsherer]

Please contact ClassAction.org with details of your claim in this matter

[nickp001]

Has anybody actually looked into a class action lawsuit against Google?  How do we go about get a class action started?

[Bnsherer]

I have reached out to ClassAction.org about the false advertising involved in this matter - please do the same

[Meh]

Looking forward to my refund for the reduced functions.  Massive fail Google.  Playing the poor card and not paying royalties due.

[nickp001]

@Bnsherer, I have also reached out to ClassAction.org.

[JohnBartlett]

@LJD 

Are  you sure that whatever speaker you’ll buy will not have the same issue, unless it’s a Sonos … of course?

Just wondering… 

— john

[Jtmott]

What’s the plan for the refund on products taking a massive hit to functionality?

[papacubed]

@Jtmott I am waiting to hear back from their team right now on what they are doing in terms of reimbursement.  

Of course, only applies to products bought through the Google Store website.  Yet another "eff you" from Google if you bought their products from Costco, Best Buy, etc...

[JohnBartlett]

I think this is a minor inconvenience, really. 

I still use voice commands to change the volume…

— John

[nickp001]

@JohnBartlett Try using a voice command to turn up the volume on speaker 2 but run the command from Speaker 1.

[Manepartus]

I hope there's already a workaround solution plan that is in work at Google concerning the group audio control.

This was one of the main reason's, why most users bought your "smart"speakers. Without the recently lost functions, those speaker's surely don't deserve to be called SMART no more.

Cause it's just a patent issue this shouldn't be such a big problem for a giant company like Google. There's always more than one way of programming a system so that it works like you want it to.

@GoogleNestTeam 

When can we count on a descent solution?

[PerA]

I have also reached out to ClassAction.org

[nickp001]

classaction.org

[Ted]

I just submitted a detailed post to ClassAction.org.

I own several of just about every product Google/Nest offers, including many cameras and security devices. I wouldn't have even bought into Google's smart home ecosystem in the first place if I knew this was how their products would devolve. If/when there's a class action lawsuit against Google for this, I want them to give me a refund for ALL of my Google products, and then I'll switch to an ecosystem that doesn't suck. I have spent thousands of dollars on dozens of products over the past several years. This is unacceptable. This is not what I paid for.

[Mix]

"Most Speaker Groups should continue functioning as expected"

This is very confusing language. I would expect that I would be able to control the volume of all the speakers. If you are referring to the rest of the features, then this should be stated a little more clearly.

[Tinus29]

This is not ok. 

 We are using this functionality almost everyday. Please think about a fix so we can still use it or pay for the patents.

The customer can't suffer under!

We as customers paid for a product Google made and did advertisedment with these functions. 

We as customers believe in Google and did choose for the products.

Now it's your turn Google fix it or refund our money for this.

[Bnsherer]

At issue here is that google/nest knowingly advertised and sold us stolen intellectual property - please submit a report to ClassAction.org - they have forwarded the case to one of the law firms they work with for review, and the more reports they receive, the more attention they will pay to this issue. Thanks

[Marspancake]

This is a disaster. Come on Google, Make love not war. U should buy the whole sonos company and make the problem go away!

[Topshotmx8]

So a refund will be offered??

[eramamma]

So we can no longer cast to a speaker group from our Google Home? This makes the whole reason I purchased the system useless. I hope that Google will look at compensating us and finding a work around. I loved being able to play my audio books from multiple rooms in the house. So Google, what will you do to make your many customers happy?!

[cushtopher]

Maybe just go ahead and pay those royalties so I don't have to sell all my Google/Nest products and rebuild.

[tphi]

the changes to the google home app for android (i assume related to this) are BAD, even for managing individual volumes it's now worse.

[Barlowclan]

This is all resolved nicely by entering into a licensing deal with Sonos. Otherwise, the features we paid for are not useable meaning a while other class action lawsuit is in the horizon.

[gordonakelly]

You lose, you pay the fine, you licence the functionality. You DO NOT pass the hit onto your loyal customer base. 

If nothing changes, it's garage sale time and I'm moving to Sonos. 

#PaySonos #LicenceFromSonos

[srobbinsidsi]

Fire the SOB that decided this was ok to remove the volume group adjustment!!!!

THE dumbest decision ever.

[JSFEcho]

So purchasing three pair of your most expensive Google Home Max products and using them in stereo in three different rooms is now defunct? No more stereo? You need to be clear on this so when I go to my attorney or find someone doing a class action suit I can be sure to join knowing what the heck I'm talking about. Bottom line if you stole the stuff from somebody else pay them the **bleep** royalties don't take it out on me for the rest of us. Do no evil!

[JSFEcho]

• Also if you have a Google pixel people, make sure you go and opt out of the class action suit waiver that they basically made you sign when you activated your pixel. Google it. They say they won't sue you in a class action suit if they don't if you don't sue them. When the hell are they going to sue you in a class action suit. Get yourself out of it in case there's a class action suit against Google in your favor.

[pettipoole]

I recently switched from an Alexa ecosystem to Google Nests because I felt it handled audio better. This removes one of the huge advantages of your products. Is Google willing to buy back my Nest speakers and devices as this is not the product I purchased? Please fix this.

[Barlowclan]

https://lifehacker.com/dont-give-up-your-right-to-sue-google-############5/amp

Let's all be proactive here. If you opted out initially, you can remove that. I would highly suggest everyone does that, and shares with everyone they know. The only way anyone will be listened to is if we have our legal rights back.

[pandersen]

This is beyond the pale Google. Not okay. Don't be evil. #PAYSONOS

[M00s3knuckle]

Not cool. Why do we lose out functionality. I have north of 30 speakers throughout my house and now what? I now have products that I can't use. First you nuke otg ethernet and a few other key features. Now this?

[GTP20]

Casting is no longer available to any of my speaker groups as of today.  I can play random music to the group, but can no longer cast from my phone or other devices.

Its unbelievable how quickly Google is becoming the next Rim/Blackberry.  Not listening to their customers.  Discontinuing Hangouts and jamming **bleep**ty Google Chat down our throats, now this BS.  I have an awful lot of chromecasts that became paperweights today.  I guess this explains why they discontinued the Chromecast Audio which was possibly the best device they ever sold.

[NestNoob]

You guys have way too much faith in Google to do the right thing. Remember they removed their slogan Don't Be Evil? They're never going to make this right. They should pay Sonos royalties but I'm not holding my breath. 

[piyushbajaj0704]

This is not acceptable. Please make a workaround Google, please! I really like google products and don't want to throw away my nice google speakers just because of this stuff! 

[Wushijie]

For Xmas I bought myself four nest audios and they are in two pairs. Now I have to change the volume separately on four speakers. That's crazy! It really does negate much of the Google nest functionality/usage compared to a simple cheaper Bluetooth speaker. 

[Anonymous]

Great, so my living room group of an original GH, Chromecast Audio, and Lenovo Smart Clock is about to become utterly useless because neither the clock nor the CCA have the required firmware? That's outrageous. This was your **bleep**-up for trying to skirt the patent, and now you're so cheap you're just going to screw your customers rather than come to a licensing agreement? Wow. You SUCK.

I've heavily invested in the Google ecosystem, but this is so anti-consumer that I think I'm done. You won't see another penny from me after this. Shameful.

[Spacecookies4]

This is beyond ridiculous for the end consumer. We are losing functionality that we paid for because of some BS dispute between two corporations? This is not ok or acceptable. 

[Bnsherer]

Please file a complaint with ClassAction.org if google/nest sold you stolen intellectual property in the form of google home/nest home speakers and/or Chromecasts. Takes two minutes! 

[JwTawas]

This is totally unacceptable.

I will be requesting my refund through the Google store as soon as possible.