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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
onethirtyfive
Community Member

I am an owner of:

  • 8 Google Nest Audios,
  • 4 Google Home mini,
  • 1 Google Nest mini,
  • a Sony HT-ST5000,
  • a Vizio Soundbar

All work well together right now, but will be unusably cumbersome minus group-volume functionality. You have rendered my ~$3000 investment in Google *ecosystem* products dumb in hindsight, and you have profited off of an ultimately deceptive sale. (NOT just speakers, who would stick Google Assistant after this--I'm not going to migrate *partially* off an unreliable smarthome platform! This incurs even more cost.)

Unelss I'm refunded for all Google *ecosystem* products I've bought, not only will I never, ever purchase another Google-branded product, I will be the opposite of an evangelist. Everyone I know will hear about this, told as a folksy cautionary tale of why they shouldn't trust you.

If there is a class-action lawsuit, I will join it. Lol strike this, Google's EULA comes with an arbitration agreement. We have no legal recourse. Guess this is where we beg?

Yes, IP law is problematic. (Surely, as an organization, you hold no software patents and lobby against them? I'll wait here. 💅) But this is how it is, and if you infringe, you must either pay royalties *or* screw your customers. You chose the latter.

Fool me once... This is the SINGLE WORST EFFECT you can have on your brand: being untrustworthy and *costing* your customers money.

Appalling, @GoogleNestTeam.

#PAYSONOS (or give me my money back!)

edit: clarity

StardustOne
Community Member

I am also an owner of 2 Nest Hub, 2 Google Nest Audio and 2 Google Nest Mini. The issue with loudness is an absolute disaster and I do not understand why managers of such large companies are not able to get their grip together and find solutions that help us customer to freely choose and use what we thing is okay.

This is a complete Kindergarden and the customers who payed for the hardware now have products that do not work as they were advertised in the first place. Hey google, louder and you get the message sorry I am not able to. Is this the Google Assistant that we all wanted to use our products with? I do not think so.

MikeBB
Community Member

There's enough of us that have been ripped off by this, can someone please set up a class action suit to protect and reimburse us, the customers who were mis-sold and mis-advertised,  on the purpose and abilities of the Google / Nest products. 

 

Wiseman13
Community Member

It was difficult enough to get our half dozen speakers to sync up with the same sone let alone get the volume levels to raise and lower together in a set way. Without that single volume control it will not be possible to play the music across three floors, outside and change the volume level.

MikeBB
Community Member

@Bnsherer 

I've reported my potential claim at ClassAction.org 

Everyone, please do the same. Takes only 30 seconds.

We have all been screwed by Google. When we were all asking for answers to why our speakers weren't working, they wouldn't even answer, even though they knew why.

Their loyal customers don't feel so loyal anymore. Give us all our money back so we can switch over to Amazon (or whomever) products that work together.

Ashrenee70
Community Member

So why did it work for about a day ans stop again.

 

I was a huge Goggle fan but after your massive screw up my 6 pro purchase and now this I'm over Goggle.

Like someone else said find better lawyers and don't punish your users.

 

 

GoogleNestTeam
Community Manager (Admin)
Community Manager (Admin)

Hey everyone, 

We’ve read all the feedback you’ve shared so far and we hear your frustrations regarding this change. Based on your feedback, there are some clarifying points we’d like to share about changes to Speaker Groups, Stereo Pairs, and setting up your device: 

  • We’re aware customers are experiencing issues when controlling their Stereo Pairs by voice, and our team is actively working on resolving this matter. Please know that you’re still able to control Stereo Pairs via the Google Home app or your Nest Hub display in the meantime. 
  • Only a small subset of customers will be prompted in the Google Home app to download the ‘Device Utility App’ (DUA) to complete product setup and updates. There’s no need to download the DUA app unless directed to do so by the Google Home app. 

While there are changes to how volume control works for Speaker Groups moving forward, much of the Speaker Groups functionality you’re familiar with has not changed. You can continue to:

  • create Speaker Groups 
  • start music on the entire group at once, either using your voice or by casting from your phone 
  • pause or stop playback across the entire group at once -- by voice, from your phone, or from your Nest Hub display
  • create Speaker Groups “on the fly” when listening to media by simply adding the device to ongoing playback via voice, Google Home app or your Nest Hub display. 
  • control the volume for individual speakers within Speaker Groups (via voice commands, the Google Home app, or your Nest Hub display) 

GoogleNestTeam_0-1641607216010.png   *Here's what you'll see on your Nest Display   

GoogleNestTeam_1-1641607216020.png* Here's what you'll see in the Google Home app

We hope this clarified some of the concerns around Speaker Groups and what you can do moving forward. 

Thanks, 

Google Nest Team

MikeBB
Community Member

Dear Google,

For being bad this past year, please send me the following to make up for the crap you've sold me over the years.......

One of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Echo-Show-5-2nd-Gen-2021-release/dp/B08J8FFJ8H/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1TT21S91S4R0J&...

Two of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Echo-Studio/dp/B07G9Y3ZMC/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2C5UF0QZ0VOO4&keywords=echo&qid=###...

Six of these:

https://www.amazon.com/All-new-Echo-Dot-Blue/dp/B084J4MZK8/ref=sr_1_3?crid=16VU04SYJUQ4A&keywords=ec...

and three of these:

https://www.amazon.com/all-new-fire-tv-stick-4k-with-alexa-voice-remote/dp/B08XVYZ1Y5/ref=sr_1_1?cri...

Two of these (as they won't work with the new Echo Show that you're sending me):

https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Spotlight-Battery-Security-Two-Way/dp/B0776ZCMMR/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ADJ5WXA...

One of these, because of the same reason above:

https://www.amazon.com/All-new-Ring-Stick-Up-Cam-Battery-HD-security-camera-with-two-way-talk-Works-...

 

One of these, again because the new system you're sending me isn't compatible:

https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Alarm-14-piece-kit-2nd/dp/B08YMBQJ49/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9TJX2QM4O07F&keywor...

 

I'm sure you've got my address on file, but feel free to send me an email if you need reminding.

I look forward to receiving them in the next few days. P.S. If you have a Prime account, you get "free" next day shipping!

Thanks so much for your continued excellence in customer service.

Bnsherer
Community Member

PAYSONOS

Anonymous
Not applicable

@GoogleNestTeam That still doesn't really clarify what is going to happen to devices whose firmware isn't up-to-date. Will they cease to function in groups? Neither my first gen GH nor CCA have the requisite firmware - what happens to them? What happens to the Lenovo Smart Clock? The fact that you're still dancing around this issue without a straight answer does not fill me with confidence

Bnsherer
Community Member

You stole from Sonos so pay up! 

nickp001
Community Member

@GoogleNestTeam Should I still be able to change the volume of speaker A from speaker B?  Because I can't do that right now and that's functionality that I need for my specific setup.

FredMc
Community Member

Don't pay Sonos, but do get their B.S. patents overturned at the source: our corrupt and useless USPTO! Invalidate your own B.S. software patents while you're there.

babelphaedrus
Community Member

what the actual f*** Google? I I own a Google mesh, three points 8 f****** speakers, two pixels, one Chromebook. and Chromecast and none of these f****** devices will work as a group now.   f*** you.  no apology from you or anything other than hey we're going to f*** everything up for you hope you don't mind.  I want a refund.  Apple and Alexa fanboys were right about you all along.  greedy f******

Rosenthal311
Community Member

I’ve invested so much time and money into my Google home products and speaker groups and this is totally unacceptable.  I’d like a refund for my 13 home speakers, wifi points, etc.  If Google doesn’t take action and pay sonos and stop stealing others IP I’m never going to buy another Google product again.  Unacceptable that customers pay the price.  Greedy corporations and their stock price.  

rogerjboyle
Community Member

Not ok, Google. 3 maxes, 3 homes, 4 minis and a hub. One of the reasons I’ve invested so much money in this system.

Do better. Fix it or compensate/refund me otherwise I’m done trusting Google with my money and recommending your products and services. I really enjoyed and depended on the features you’re stripping out from what I purchased.

For now, I still have Google TVs, Chromecasts, Google WiFi, Nest Thermostats and Stadia..

Please make a concerted effort to do right by the paying customers who trusted you to deliver on your promises.

Grainmetall
Community Member

Can we expect to see a fix for not being able to add Android TVs to speaker groups with google home app?

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/android-tv-not-recognized-for-speaker-g...

FatherTime
Community Member

Interesting timing here as I’m currently shopping Sonos vs. Nest. Google’s actions just made my purchasing decision easy. I’m off to use your search engine to find the best price on Sonos speakers. 

_sludgefactory
Community Member

That's it, I'm done with your products and services. My Pixel 5 is a buggy mess that you constantly make interface changes to for no reason. I ditched your trash email service years ago because it's poor security. Now this, products that I've bought over the past several years no longer work the way they were sold to me. I will never give you a cent of my money again.

Autobot032
Community Member

I get some of the complaints, I do, but core functionality is still there and it does everything I wanted it to do. 

 

I adjusted volume manually, anyway, as I like precision and control over the devices. 

 

I do think it's awful that a feature is being modified or removed after the fact but it's mainly a volume control issue and I'm sure there will be a workaround in time. 

 

I'm not ready to throw all of my stuff out, yet. 

BitAnime
Community Member

Oof, Google being Google again. As far as the patent goes, it's not a direct rip of Sonos. Just a similar feature that's covered under that patent which I think is pretty dumb to hold up. 

 

With that said, I'm tired of Google continually running this same pattern. My Pixel 4 had a design flaw and it took threatening you with a court order to even replace the phone after being redirected to UBreakiFix multiple times just to have them destroy my motherboard and you blaming me for your partner's mistake. I'm an electrical engineer for ducks sake. Google needs to take a lesson from Amazon on customer service. 

 

The fact that no remediation has been announced and nothing to assist defusing this situation, you yet again sit idley by watching customers tell you to **bleep** off while you don't care. It's unacceptable and I really hope there is a huge class action lawsuit.

Best of luck

#WhenWillYouLearn

 

 

tommykat1
Community Member

Agreed, this is ridiculous. I woke up this morning, 1/7/22, the day after Google lost the lawsuit to Sonos, with the Home app no longer casting to any of my speaker groups. I have 15 stations set up throughout my house, including 10  Chromecast Audio dongles and 5 Nest speakers that no longer connect together. It is inconceivable that a company can sell a blend of products with advertised features and kill the whole thing overnight with an unprompted update on users' phones. How is this even legal?  I see a class action lawsuit brewing, if not something worse for Google.

Makeclock
Community Member

Your company is a joke.  You are filthy rich and you are removing the entire **bleep** point of the google speaker.

 

When my hands are dirty and I am cooking, I use your speaker.l

When I am walking through my house, I would use your speaker.

These things are ONLY worth using because we could control them with our voices.

No wonder they got a discount. I will be returning mine to bestbuy and making certain my family unit does not use your products.

tommykat1
Community Member

Hey Google team, I wish to correct you. None of this is true: 

"While there are changes to how volume control works for Speaker Groups moving forward, much of the Speaker Groups functionality you’re familiar with has not changed. You can continue to:

  • start music on the entire group at once, either using your voice or by casting from your phone 
  • pause or stop playback across the entire group at once -- by voice, from your phone, or from your Nest Hub display
  • control the volume for individual speakers within Speaker Groups (via voice commands, the Google Home app, or your Nest Hub display) "

I HAVE ZERO ACCESS TO CAST AUDIO TO MY SPEAKER GROUPS. THE "CAST MY AUDIO" SCREEN HAS BEEN ELIMINATED, AND INSTEAD I'M TAKEN TO THE "GROUP SETTINGS" SCREEN.

I reported the bug 1/7/22 twice today. Please fix it!!!!

Caseybcreative
Community Member

This and other functions have been completely useless on my Nest and minis. I can't even get them to pair without having to re add the nest as a device.  I've spent money specifically for these functionalities to make my life easier and y'all are just gonna let us know your products fail in every department and not do anything to fix it or even reimburse us?! This is BS. 

monkey1aj
Community Member

@FredMc ha they tried to get an IPR done at the USPTO and the USPTO initiated Sonos IPR instead 😭😭😭. Looks like Google is in deep dooodooo

MustangSami
Community Member

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

Not sure this is the best way to support your users. Perhaps paying Sonos for the patent usage would actually support the users better than this?

RichyRich
Community Member

This had also stopped me changing the volume on my Samsung TV , although I can mute it.

 

When you ask for a volume change it just changes the Google home devices  volume...

Temato
Community Member

 

I am an owner of:

  • 2 Google Homes
  • 6 Google Mini's
  • 3 Google nest wireless mesh router system
  • 1 nest hub
  • Looking to upgrade to the learning nest along with multiple sensors for my house
  • 2 pixels
  • 4 Chromecast
  • A Chromebook
  • Fitbit Versa watch (Google bought out Fitbit so it was the closest to a Google watch with the features I was looking for, including volume control and casting from the watch to a speaker.)
  • I am sure I have left some things out of this list.....

Was looking to buy/upgrade

  • Google Home max
  • Upgrade Google home speakers to newest versions.
  • Add an additional Google hub
  • Nest learning thermostat with additional sensors 
  • Nest doorbell
  • Next Pixel phones for my husband and myself.
  • The new Pixel watch for both my husband and myself.
  • Upgrading Chromecast
  • Possibly switch back to Google Fi (I like in a place where only Verizon really gets ok service, GoogleFi is based off T-Mobile and US Cellular towers so I had spotty service last time I tried it.)
  • My work is working to convert everything over to Google, a lot had already been done, but ultimately I am in charge of purchasing and suggesting so this may change. If Google is going to take away features in one place what guarantees this will not bleed into other sides of their business. 
  • I'm sure I also forgot something on this list....

Other investments based on compatibility with Google and it home app.

  • Phillips Hue throughout our house
  • I got a Sonos roam as Christmas gift to use at work and it was supposed to work seamlessly with Google allowing it to move between locations, which it does beautifully, currently. (because trying to put a Google mini or home on the network at work just to play music is a nightmare)
  • Smart TV's that specifically work with Google Home
  • Our appliances, Samsung smart things. Fridge, dishwasher and stove.
  • Again, I know I missed something here because everything we buy we make sure is compatible with Google home.

These are features I use constantly. I bought into everything Google specifically for these seamless features and ability to work seamlessly with other brands as well. At work I constantly use the volume up and down feature as we have visitors come through, calls come in, or questions being asked. My work uses mostly Google applications and is pushing the move to all Google hardware, chomebooks, chrome computers, G-suites and anything else Google. My whole house is google, nest, other brands that work with Google through the home app that Google doesn't carry and my husband and I have Pixels. We are looking at investing in even more for our new home and looking forward to the pixel watches coming out. We have always wanted to support Google and touted their products, quality and support to everyone, but if the consumer is going to be the one punished here because of stubbornness then after years of continued support and investment we may be forced to move on from the Google band wagon. 

Phil_S_UK
Product Expert Alumni
Product Expert Alumni

You have had over two years to either come to a licensing agreement with Sonos, or to develop alternatives that do not infringe upon their patients. Instead, as usual, you appear to have done neither and now we, the users, are paying the price. I would say I am surprised and disappointed but the truth is, I am neither.

 

eldonastray
Community Member

This is unacceptable.

I can understand that you guys are not to blame considering I don't think it was in the plan to get sued, and I can't imagine how you can patent to control a group of speakers, but there must be another way, or a new protocol to have the same functionality considering the number paired speakers on the market. 

 

I can accept that this update is a quick fix to address the court order but I would like more detailed long term plan to address re enable this key functionality or compensation for people like us that bought into buying multiple speakers for our home. 

Your speakers don't have very good sound quality for the price. The entire value proposition of buying a google speaker is it's integration with other Google products, so as your customers we expect better. 

Hevilath
Community Member

Normally I do not comment on that kind of situations, but since I do have multiple Google devices at home obviously I'm a bit disappointed Google stole technology from Sonos and in their own 'Googliness' refused to strike licencing deal and passed bill to loyal consumers without even saying sorry. Quite disgusting business practice. We know Google is almighty and customers are small and worthless, but I believe it's time for everyone here to look deep and hard at Google business practices and move on. It's not the same company it was 10 years ago. I know I will be slowly phasing out devices and replace them with Amazon products, at least they care about customers and it shows. Remember trust is hard to earn and easy to loose. 

Rollo
Community Member

How can Google make this statement in such a glib fashion? You should be apologising, grovellingly, to your customers; deliberately downgrading key features that we paid for because of legal issues caused by your dishonest business practices is a disgrace. Shame on you. Sort this out.

ABA
Community Member

As frustrating as this is (and it really is), if Sonos think I'm going to run out and buy some of their speakers, think again. "we no longer support your device so you'll need to buy a new product"? Yeah, no chance.

geobuzz
Community Member

Did you sell us stolen goods? Pay Sonos or pay us back.

Tertium non datur.

Wiseman13
Community Member

I am not sure about the rest of you, but until this announcement I had my dozens of devices in the preview firmware program. They are now unenrolled, because I think this change that was pushed to us first had no comms around it. If I had known why my speaker groups were not working I could have done more specific testing and provided detailed feedback on how much the update broke them.

ScottElsworthy
Community Member

Cannot change the volume on speakers? Hopefully a law firm takes on a class action lawsuit, this is beyond ridiculous.

zuey
Community Member

Your chances of fixing this and retaining goodwill is shrinking. Fast.

 

Act soon.

blu_italia
Community Member

#PaySonos

Withdrawnmist
Community Member

"Ok Google. Turn the volume up"

 

"NO"

 

" Ok Google. Turn the volume down "

 

" NO"

 

"Ok Google. Connect to my Pixel 6"

 

" No... Thanks for buying me .Happy New Year"

 

"Ok Google. *****###**** !! "

 

"NO"

 

 

 

 

Shamrocknroll
Community Member

Not acceptable at all!! I use the group volume several times a day. That is one of the main reasons I went with a google setup in the first place. Either pay Sonos, write your own code or give us our money back! Simply telling us that this function will no longer be available is beyond reprehensible.

mwndl
Community Member

This isn’t ok! #PAYSonos

Mikeatupwey
Community Member

How is it possible to patent a volume control. It's true that Logitech had this feature to link Squeezeboxes, Booms etc many years ago predating Sonos. Logitech media server is also open source. Surely not beyond the wit of all those bright young things at Google to sort new software in the blink of an eye 

Improbable_Odds
Community Member

Wow... Does Sonos really think they'll get customers because of this...? Clearly they haven't learned anything from Elon (open up patents..)

Pejarnagin
Community Member

Where do we get refunds? And for the love of greed, why not pay the royalty fees for a companies hard work?  Sad and shame all bundled in one. Somebody removed the 'nt from don't be evil...

codejester
Community Member

Thanks USPTO for failing the consumer again! Adjusting more than 1 volume at a time is innovative, never been done before and ownable? I call BS!

Google please play the game of capitalism, ruthlessly crush your competition with Sonos, driving them into bankruptcy and reaping their assets in bankruptcy court on the cheap. 

Thanks! 

 

Captcrunch
Community Member

Goes to show how patents on vag things come back and screw the consumers of products. Let’s see google fund challenges to these type of patents. 

Saint327
Community Member

Agree with most here that is not acceptable for customer to have the feature taken away.

 

1.  Buy Sonos and aquire their patents or buy the rights to the needed patents.

2.  As a workaround have a volume slider for a speaker group that is tied to a "favorite" or "pilot" speaker only.  If giving voice command the volume will change on this one speaker followed by a Google assistant confirmation and response asking you yes/no if you want to set the volume of all speakers in the group to this volume level.  If using the home app, have a pop up aging if all speakers in group should be set to the same volume yes/no.  Done.

Willem
Community Member

What a steaming pile of horse**bleep** you are as developers and as a company. Every nest speaker owner should demand refunds if this impacts them.

Cabo
Community Member

I bought in to your system not knowing you stole IP to make it function.Have 10 max speakers as well as other chromecast devices.Pay the licensing fee so our products work as described or offer refunds.

I am sure a class action will be showing up soon which shouldn't be the way. Pay Sonos for what you stole its the right thing to do.Perhaps add a fee to new purchases or include it in the Nest subscription going forward.But for those of us who who purchased the products with the stolen IP we should not lose functionality due to your misdeeds.