Can I use Google Nest Audio with a Mac desktop?

[flyingkiwi]

Hi there

My dad recently bought a pair of Google Nest Audio speakers.  He doesn't want to use the assistant/interactivity stuff, he only wants them to be speakers for his Mac desktop computer.  I've read a bunch of posts about getting set up with the Google Home app, but since we *only* want them as speakers, I'm hoping that we don't have to go that route (install an emulator for the mobile OS, install the app etc) and can instead just connect via bluetooth or Wifi.  My questions are:

1) Is this possible at all?

2) If it is possible, can anyone suggest how we can pair the two?  So far, we haven't been able to get the Nest Audio speakers to show up on the list of nearby devices (they are next to one another, no other bluetooth sound devices ever used, bluetooth on etc etc).  How do we ready the speakers for pairing?

Thanks in advance!

[tackyelse]

Only way turning on bluetooth pair mode is via home app. you can setup the app just to pair nest audio with your mac and then delete the app once its paired. after pairing you can connect whenever you want. sidenote, my Nest Audio bluetooth connection with MacBook Pro keeps disconnecting randomly, you need to restart or reconnect the power outlet to connect again

[Alex_S]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for sharing that information, tackyelse.

Flyingkiwi, Google Nest speakers, such as your Google Nest Audio, is a Wi-Fi-enabled device. It needs to be connected to the Wi-Fi using the Google Home app in order to use its features, such as Bluetooth. You can check out the article on how to pair your Mac desktop via Bluetooth to Google Nest Audio. Let me know if I can help you with anything else on Google Home.

Regards,
Alex

[flyingkiwi]

Hi Alex

Thanks, I've found loads of articles on how to connect using Google Home.  My question was whether it was possible to enable pairing *without* having to use Google Home (since we're using it from a desktop and only want a pair of speakers, all the installation of a mobile emulator and then the Google Home app seemed quite excessive!).  Thanks all the same 🙂

[Alex_S]

Hi there,

Gotcha! You can voice command your Google Nest Audio, “Hey Google, connect to Bluetooth," then scan it on your MacBook. If your Google Nest Audio was previously paired with another device, command it to “Unpair Bluetooth device” and then “Connect to Bluetooth” again.

If your MacBook still fails to discover your Google Nest Audio (while other devices can pair to it), you might need to check the Bluetooth compatibility of your MacBook with Google Nest Audio (Bluetooth® 5.0).

Best,
Alex