Assistant responding to commands to play music, broadcast then not completing those commands

[LizWerning]

This is so enormously frustrating. 

I have one google home and a series of connected google mini speakers in each of the major rooms (beds, bath, kitchen, living). I purchases these speakers to play music throughout hte house and utilize the Broadcast feature.

For the past few days, neither of these features are working.  I will ask google to broadcast or play a song and it will respond asking what to broadcast or what to play.  I will relay my message or song title, and google will confirm.  Then ... nothing.  No broadcast, no music.  Just nothing.  I could pull my hair out. 

I have reset each speaker.  I have uninstalled and reinstalled home.  I have factory reset the speakers.  I have disabled Google Gemini.  I have allowed google to record my commands data (not awesome, btw).  

What do I need to do to make these devices more than electricity sucking hunks of plastic?

[SmartHomeH-TAGS]

I know you did a Factory reset, but try a Reboot through the Google Home app.

You've got nothing to lose at this stage.

[Extreme_One]

Although music playback is working fine here, I have a similar issue with broadcasts but perhaps I can add a little more context.

I can broadcast to individual devices.

I cannot broadcast to multiple devices. 

I had automations that would broadcast to multiple devices: think "dinner time" which then broadcast a simple message to 2 nest minis in different rooms.

This used to work fine, now it doesn't. 

I have found a workaround. In my automation I need to separate the broadcast messages. I need to send a message to one speaker, then send a separate message, in the same automation, to the other speaker.

[GeremiG · Accepted solution]

Hi @Extreme_One!

Thank you for posting in the community. I'm sorry to hear that the Broadcast feature is not working when you try to broadcast to multiple devices. I appreciate your efforts in taking those steps before. I'm happy to help you! 

To help me find the best solution, I'll need to ask you a few questions:

• Is the Google Home app up to date?
• When did the issue start?
• When you use a broadcast command (e.g. "Tell everyone [message]") to multiple devices does it work?
• Have you tried creating the automation again?

Please keep me posted. I'll be waiting for your response.

Best regards,
Geremi

[GeremiG]

Hi @LizWerning!

Thank you for posting in the community. I'm sorry to hear that your Google Home and Google Home Minis are not working with the music playback and broadcast features.I appreciate your efforts in taking those steps before. I'm happy to help you!

To help me find the best solution, I'll need to ask you a few questions:

• Have you made any changes to your WiFi network recently?
• Does the problem with music playback occur with different music platforms?
• What command do you use to play music?
• Have you performed any resets of your WiFi network?
• When using the Broadcast feature do you get the same problem on all your speakers?

Please keep me posted. I'll be waiting for your response.

Best regards,
Geremi

[Extreme_One]

Is the Google Home app up to date?

Yes. Tested on my Android and iPhones.

When did the issue start?

2 or 3 weeks ago, I can't be sure.

When you use a broadcast command (e.g. "Tell everyone [message]") to multiple devices does it work?

I've never used that command. I'll try later..

Have you tried creating the automation again?

Yes. The only way to make these automations work is to separate the broadcast messages and send them individually to each device.

[RMuser]

The reason it doesn't work anymore is that Google turned off broadcast to group, you can only broadcast to a single speaker now. 

My theory is that this change also broke media on a group, as I also now cannot play anything on a group - you can play it on one speaker then ask to move it to the group, which sometimes works and others times not. Most often you have to use the app to assign the playing to the group - it's what Google call progress.

[Extreme_One]

“Google turned off broadcast to group”

Was this intentional or a bug? I haven't seen any official word on this change.

[RMuser]

It was supposed to be family groups being turned off, but I think this is what broke everything else: 

https://support.google.com/assistant/answer/13971691

[Extreme_One]

Thanks for the link.

"I think this is what broke everything else"

I agree.