Can't control TV volume anymore

[Komi]

Curious thing if anyone might be able to explain what's happening.

I have a Samsung TV, using SmartThings to link it to Google Assistant, and everything was working fine.
Even now I can still ask the assistant to turn on and off the TV, change the source, but when I ask to set the TV volume to a given value rather than adjusting it it sets the speaker's own volume.
Changed no configurations and this began to happen 2~3 days ago. Rebooted speaker, but all the same.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[TomerTilkin]

It's happening to me as well. Started today... It drives me nuts. I'm on the phone with Google support at this moment... Waiting for 30 minutes still.

Google fix this!!!

[albinoman887]

Yep, same here . I did rename a device like the day before. But I know it wasn't that cuz others are having the exact same issues. It's like it just doesn't hear the device name you say . It doesn't really make sense to me . I've tried multiple voice commands . I figured s super hacky workaround for now but it's not practical to everyone. It requires a two custom routines and two dummy switches that are used as go betweens . There are a few options there . I use opemhab and run it on my home server but you can use smart things too . Google smart things Alexa virtual switch , it works for google too. it's a little involved but it's basically you go to smartthings iDE then copy and paste some stuff. It makes a switch in smartthings that acts as a switch AND an SENSOR. Make 2 of them , name them something like "Up trigger" and Down trigger   With this done, go back to Google home and make a routine with the start trigger "turn up the TV volume" and for actions choose lights plugs and more and choose the Up trigger switch and change it to On. Now and a another action to turn Uptrigger off . Just do the above steps but choose off instead .test the routines by going to smartthings , run routine while also monitoring the switch in Smartthings. If it works as it should now the final step is to make an automation in smart things that turns up your TV volume using smartthings as the command issuer. SmartThings menu I'm a little less familiar with but basically you just want to make an automation that turns up your TV volume anytime that switch turns on. I set mine to run the command volume increase four times in a row with a second in between and it seems to work pretty well. Repeat for Volume down . The main downside this is room awareness .Idk if you have other tvs set up with GH but if you do, the command turn up the TV volume is always overridden with that routine so even if your in another room and have your nest mini and Chromecast or something in there as well it woll still change the volume on the other TV. Only solution is to not use a friendly name on the Chromecast device 

[albinoman887]

I actually posted the guide here as well 

https://www.reddit.com/r/logitechharmony/comments/rp33jp/google_home_harmony_hub_volume_controls/

[BigPickles]

Any update? 

[albinoman887]

Nope

[Srmoore]

I'm having the same problem. When it started initially I was getting the message. I cannot change the volume on this device. But more recently, I am getting a volume change on my Google device but no change of volume on my TV. TV. I too can make the mute and unmute work correctly. Hopefully, the earlier poster will heal back from Google and update us.

[MilesDudley]

I have the same issue.

When I ask google to turn up the volume on the Tv it turns its own volume up instead. Same when asking it to lower.  HOWEVER it will mute the Tv when I ask it to.   ANY HELP???

[Jb53]

Hi Miles.. I still have this problem,  so I suspect you do too.  The only consistent  thing I've found to work is to speak not so good English. 😀.  Try saying "OK google tv volume increase/decrease " .. it does seem to work well if you specify the volume, such as "set the tv volume to 12", but good English is out of the window to simply raise or lower the sound. 

[Montell]

This is exactly the problem when you throw "the" in your phrase it often doesnt work and seems to confuse the assistant on my google homes. Something that worked so well for years seems to have so many issues now, I hope they devote some time to fix this finally.

[ToddR99]

Take a look at the last few comments.  If you say "Hey Google, XXX TV volume ##" it works every time.  For example"Hey Google, TV volume 57" or "Hey Google, Sony TV volume 12". 

[Montell]

Yes but that's my point, the software should not go haywire for customers if you add "the". It didn't before. And it's not user friendly. Customers shouldn't have to adapt to new bugs in the software.

[ToddR99]

I don't disagree at all...but unfortunately it is what it is and this works and it's just as easy once you lean it.  It's actually less words to say. 😊  Read my last comment on this thread and you'll see I agree with you and weeks ago said Google should have told people about the change and also had their support people aware of the verbiage that works vs spending (wasting) our time troubleshooting ghosts.  I was on the phone with them twice for excess of 30 minutes each time before I found the answer via this thread.  I actually read there were some legal implications with Sonos so they had to remove some commands.  No clue if that is true but it was posted in a different thread. 

[Montell]

They had to remove grouped speakers for the Sonos law suit, that shouldn't make voice commands not work if you add the word "the". That's just sloppy code review after likely making changes to the system due to Sonos. They just haven't cleaned it up to get it working properly again.

[coulterk]

I say "Hey Google, Increase the TV to 18"  or Hey Google, Decrease TV to 13". Works every time. I don't need to use the word "volume". But it works if I do. Bot ToddR99 example is less words. Seems to work as well.

[NaomiT]

I've just tried both your solution and the one above and it's still responded as though I was trying to change the volume on the device itself.

[ToddR99]

Try simply "Hey Google, TV volume 45" (or whatever).  Works for me every time this way since this issue seemed to be resolved last spring. 

[NaomiT]

I did, it didn't work.

[ToddR99]

That stinks.  I'd suggest contacting Google support and request a call.  They have always been really helpful for me and have spent tons of time on the phone trying different things. 

[Juni]

Hi folks,

@ToddR99, thanks for the help.

@NaomiT, thanks for posting here in the Google Nest Community. A few things: which Nest speaker? what command are you using to control the volume? What steps have you peformed so far? Here is a helpful link that you can check.

Looking forward for your response.

Best,

Juni

[NaomiT]

I just checked out the link and that seems to be how to control the volume of a Google Nest device (which is working fine), not how to use a Google Nest device to control the volume on an external device - in this case a TV.

I have a Nest Mini, Nest Hub (2nd gen), and of course Google Assistant on my phone and tablet, but no matter which I try - or which TV I'm trying to control - they will adjust the volume on the device I'm using instead. I can control the volume manually from within the Google Home app, so both TVs are properly connected.

I used to say "Hey Google, change the volume on [name of TV] to [number]" and it would work without issue. I've tried using the different phrases suggested in this thread, but none of them work. I've checked through all settings and nothing had changed, nor can I see anything that would make any difference, and when I thought it was just the Mini that wasn't working I deleted and readded it to my home network. 

[coulterk · Accepted solution]

I have a Google Smart Hub and use it to change all my wireless devices by voice. I've been running into this problem over the last couple of years. It seems to work...then it doesn't. Then it does. I just tried the phrase posted by ToddR99 on 10-26-22 to say "Hey Google, TV volume 45" making the volume number match my Samsung TU7000 AND IT WORK! It's been over a month that it didn't...but I don't think I tried that EXACT phrase. I tried it twice while I'm typing this and it still worked. Thanks. I hope this helps...although it sounds like you've tried it.

[Princesss]

Hey folks,

We appreciate everyone's effort on trying the suggested steps posted. I can see that @coulterk tried the command "Hey Google, TV volume 45" and it worked. Could someone try the same command to see if it will work on your end?

@coulterk, thanks for sharing. We'll make sure to pin this post so others can also try it.

Keep us posted.

Best,

Princess

[NaomiT]

It doesn't work for me on any device.

[LSimons]

Mine just keeps saying, "The TV is off right now" so I can't get it to work. No matter what I say, it usually changes the Google device volume instead.  It works sometimes but then not.

[albinoman887]

Nope, same exact issue here. its cuz mute presents itself to google as a switch instead of a scale of 1-100 i think ahd google did something wrong and it made this bug happen. I did post tedious but functional work around for now. but its a pain in the ass to set up. I just had a lightbulb moment though and thought of a way easier solution. in The Harmony App make two new activites. one called Volume Up and one called Volume Down. then in the settings for the actual routine for the turn on sequence add the volume up command as many times you would like it to change the volume by when you say the command. the default i think is 7 but i did 5. Do the same for Down. now go back to Google Home and they should be added. if not ask google to sync your devices. now all thats left to do is make two routines in google with the trigger phrases of Turn up the TV Volume and Turn down the TV Volume (or whatever you want) and then for the action choose the switch that corosponds with the trigger phase and have it turn it on (duh) but dont save yet. now add another action to turn the switch off and save and your done. with any luck it should now pretty much act the way it did before this dumb bug. there might be a little bit of a delay but not much if at all . if when the routines run you have a problem where you TV turns off or on or something there a few ways to get around that. if your TV has descete power controls. or just add your tv again to harmony as a 2nd device and change power optons to "This device doesnt have power controls" and then update the the volume activites to point to that

[rolor33]

So my Google mini can no longer control my TV's volume either... Bigger issue to me is when I come in and OK Google I'm home. It's supposed to turn on the TV turn on my Roku to Pluto TV... Now it turns on the TV and turns on my Samsung Blu-ray player which is not even connected to Google mini... Wtf? I did not install my Blu-ray to Google mini yet but somehow it turns that bitch on?

[TechUser]

I have the same issue. Started a few days ago as well. I think this is a Google coding issue. I hope they address it soon. 

[albinoman887]

Seriously google can you at least acknowledge this bug . We aren't stupid 

[naty1dnt44]

This is not new problem.. This **bleep** is present for almost 3-4 years. Everything worked fine and then it did not. Google does not care.. Lots of us wrotr to them, feedbacked, sent complaints.. no use. They dont care!

[BigPickles]

Just recently changed. Has worked for years 

[JimDab]

Another user with the same problem.

I have a Samsung QN32Q50RAFXZA TV linked through SmartThings to Google Home.

Google Home can no longer control the volume on the Samsung TV but can still control all the other functions on it and the SmartThings app can still control the volume indicating a change on the Google end vs a SmartThings problem.

I suspect this may be due to changes Google made/is making related to the Sonos lawsuit which appear to have been having broad impact on remote volume control in general including non-Sonos devices.

There has been much other discussion on this, some examples below.

Google devs, please do what you can to help mitigate remote volume control breakage of non-Sonos devices from the changes being made by Google in support of the Sonos lawsuit.

Also maybe consider suggesting your employers simply pay the licensing fee similar to what they require of others.

With Defeat to Sonos, Google to Remove Smart Speaker Functionality 

Routine, change volume on multiple devices 

Did Google just disable stereo pair volume control because of patent infringement lawsuit with Sonos... 

[albinoman887]

if this is true google this is bull**bleep**... 

[JimDab]

Google Devs, can you confirm/deny the issues described in this thread are related to to the below?

Upcoming Speaker Group changes 

[kegofkillians]

Mine is doing the same thing...FYI it DOES adjust volume when I tell it to turn to percentage...ie. turn volume up 25% or turn volume down to 25%. 

[NaomiT]

Just tried that and it changed its own volume

[aindoria]

Having precisely the same issue. Usually it would control my TV volume when I said "Increase Breath's volume to 10" or what not (Breath is name of my TV), now it only increases the Google device's volume that hears it. Tried it using my Phone, my Nest Mini, my Home mini, nada.

Meanwhile my Alexa does it just fine. Can't believe an Echo device has a better integration with my Android TV than Google does...

[JesonMichael]

I haven’t been able to change the tv volume from my google home/mini for a couple weeks and it use to without any issue. Just like a bunch of you. Why is this not fixed yet!

[albinoman887]

really? what the **bleep** google.acknowledge your assholery

[RuggeD_]

Used to work flawlessly for me too but now the Google Assistant will change it's own volume from the device I asked it on instead of the TV (Google TV) volume like I asked it to do. Hope the Google devs can come up with a fix for whatever broke it as soon as they can.