Google Assistant adds wrong text to shopping list with German voice command

[Highman70]

Since a few days, German voice commands for adding items to Google Keep shopping lists no longer work correctly.

Example command:
“Hey Google, setze Milch auf die Einkaufsliste.”

This used to work reliably for years. Now Google either adds a wrong item like “Milch auf die” or asks which list to use. If I answer “Einkaufsliste”, it may add something like “Milch auf die Einkauf” instead.

The issue occurs on multiple Google Home/Nest devices, so it does not seem to be device-specific. It looks like a server-side parsing issue with German list commands.

There is already a German Google Support Community thread describing the same issue:
https://support.google.com/websearch/thread/428277695?hl=de&sjid=7648008501500140737-EU

Could this please be escalated to the Google Assistant / Google Nest team? This feature has been working for years and is currently broken for German users.

[AnnaV]

Hi @Highman70,

Thanks for posting in the community! I understand that when you try to add items to your shopping list with German voice commands, the feature does not work properly and adds the wrong text to the list. I know that this situation might be frustrating after having this feature work for years; no worries, help is here!

To better understand the situation, I would like to ask the following questions:

1. On which specific devices is this issue occurring?
2. Is your device's software version up to date?
3. Have you tried any troubleshooting steps yet? If so, please list them.
4. Is your Google Home app version up to date?
5. Are you using an Android or iOS operating system?

Keep me posted.

Regards,

Anna

[q2gt4j87b]

Hey AnnaV, did you hear about gaslighting? The kind of pushback-questions instead of a real answer ist really annoying btw and doesn't help anyone. In my opinion Highman70 explained the issue very well and there is no need to ask these questions as you should know thas this is a common issue with german users wich occurred just weeks ago out of nowhere. And before you ask: Yes, I have the same issue, everything is up to date and the error occurs on Google Nest Hub and every other Google Nest device in the house. 

[Highman70]

Hi AnnaV,

I agree with q2gt4j87b.

This is not limited to one device or app version. The issue started recently and affects multiple German users and multiple Google/Nest devices.

It really looks like a server-side issue with German Google Assistant list commands and should be escalated.

[AnnaV]

Hi there,

Thanks for getting back to me. I completely understand that these questions can feel repetitive, and I know how frustrating it is when a solution isn't immediate. It’s a pleasure to continue assisting you.
By confirming these details, we can avoid repeating steps you've already taken and check our system for any underlying bugs. Your answers help us to ensure the common issues and investigate potential bugs more effectively.

Best regards,
Anna

[Highman70]

Hi Anna,

thanks for your reply. Here are the details:

1. The issue occurs on multiple Google/Nest devices, including Nest speakers and Nest Hub displays.

2. The devices are up to date as far as I can see.

3. I have tried different German command variations, for example:

   “Hey Google, setze Milch auf die Einkaufsliste”

   and

   “Hey Google, füge Milch zur Einkaufsliste hinzu”

The result is still wrong. Google either adds incorrect text such as “Milch auf die” or asks which list should be used and then adds another wrong item.

4. The Google Home app is up to date.

5. I am using Android.

Since the issue occurs across multiple devices and several German users are reporting the same behavior, it still looks like a server-side issue with German Google Assistant list commands rather than a local device or app problem.

Best regards Christian 

[AnnaV]

Hi @Highman70,

Thank you for the follow-up. I appreciate you providing those detailed insights; it is very helpful to know that the issue persists across different phrasings and multiple devices. I'm glad to continue helping you.

Let’s try these steps to see if we can get this resolved:

• Temporarily change the Assistant language to English (US). Test using an English command, then switch back to German and retest using the same command in German. You can refer to this article: Change the language of your voice assistant.
• Verify whether multiple Assistant languages are enabled. Test with German as the only enabled language.
• Create a new Google Keep list with a simple name and then test the commands again.  Follow these steps to Make a list.
• Test alternative German command phrasing.
• Remove and re-enable Google Keep Notes & Lists integration using these steps:
• Google Home app > Assistant Settings > Notes & Lists
• Disable Google Keep
• Reboot one affected device
• Re-enable Keep integration
• Retest issue
• Test the same commands using Assistant directly on your Android phone.
• Check Google Account > My Activity > Assistant activity. Verify whether the transcript correctly captures the spoken command.

Let me know how those steps work out for you.

Kind regards,

Anna

[Highman70]

Hi Anna,

thank you for the additional troubleshooting suggestions, even though they still seem to focus on a possible local setup issue rather than the broader German language parsing problem reported by multiple users.

I followed the steps and now have some additional findings.

I temporarily changed Google Assistant / Google Home to English (US). In English, adding items to a list works correctly. I also created a new list called “Shopping” and tested it in English. All items were added cleanly without any extra words.

After switching back to German, the issue appeared again.

I also did some additional tests in German. I renamed my list from “Einkaufsliste” to “Einkauf” to avoid using the word “Liste” too often.

When I say:

“Hey Google, setze Milch Liste Einkauf”

it works and only “Milch” is added to the list.

But when I say:

“Hey Google, setze Milch auf die Liste Einkauf”

Google adds the wrong item, for example “Milch auf”.

This strongly suggests that the issue is not related to Google Keep, the specific list, the device, the Google Home app, or my account configuration. It seems to be a German language parsing issue with phrases like “auf die Liste …” or “auf die Einkaufsliste”.

So the English Assistant/list functionality works correctly, while the German command parsing is currently broken.

Could this please be escalated to the responsible Google Assistant team as a German language parsing bug?

Best regards,
Christian