Can't play radio stations from Rayo

[Liezel_T]

Absolute Radio has switched to Rayo and in the past it's played ok, it was either choosing Rayo or TuneIn, now it's not available on TuneIn but every time I ask for Absolute Radio it uses TuneIn amd tells me it's not available.

I've tried to ask specifically to "play Absolute Radio from Rayo" but it just opens a search result for Rayo or still tries to use TuneIn!

I don't have Radio as an option in Settings -> Services either to be able to set a default player.

Any ideas!?

[NoShoes]

Same here 😞

[luciaaa]

Hi, @Liezel_T and @NoShoes, 

Thank you for reaching out to the community. I apologize that the Google Home app isn't displaying the radio option or playing radio stations. I’m here to help and find a solution.

To provide you with the best assistance, please provide the following information:

• What Google Nest speaker or display do you have?
• What is the make and model of your Android or iOS device?
• What troubleshooting steps have you already taken?
• When did you first notice that the radio option was missing?

In the meantime, please try these troubleshooting steps:

• Check that the Google Home app is up-to-date.
• Check for and install any available updates for your Android or iOS device.
• Uninstall the Google Home app, restart your mobile device, and reinstall the app.
• Try to link your radio services.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards,

Ana

[Bish]

I have the same issue here. I am using a Nest Audio with a Galaxy S24 Ultra. The option to link a radio service is not there, you can see that in the screen shot Liezel_T posted.

I have never knowingly had a radio service linked. When you ask Google to 'play Absolute Radio', it used to respond 'playing Absolute Radio from TuneIn'. I believe Bauer Media no longer use TuneIn, but their own service called Rayo. When this post was made Google was still trying to play the station via TuneIn, but this failed. However, mine now works. It will play Absolute Radio from Rayo successfully. 

Hopefully this is working for everyone now.

[Zaphod66]

Google home can't comprehend the word "rayo" and re-interprets it as "radio".
Watch: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7tD5xTsxWdcVH8R58

I've raised this with Bauer media, perhaps they can get more traction from Google than we commoners.

The canned response asking for more details is classic, you know that the speech interpretation is done on the cloud, not on the device?  It's nothing to do with what device we have nor whether the software on it is up-to-date.   This is a server-side issue.

[luciaaa]

Hi, Zaphod66,

Thank you for reaching out to our community. I apologize that your Google Nest display is misidentifying the word 'Rayo' as 'Radio.' I'm here to assist you in finding a solution.

Please try using different voice commands: 

• Direct Activation: Say "Hello Rayo."
• App-Based Control: Say, "Hey Google, play [radio name] on the Rayo app."

For more information on voice commands, refer to this article: Control Google Nest or Home devices by voice. 

If these methods don't work, consider creating a custom command to control the Rayo app. Follow the instructions in this article: Create commands to control online services and devices.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards,

Ana

[Zaphod66]

Google can't understand the word "Rayo", it interprets it as "Radio".

On your first suggestion, I'm really not sure what you mean by "direct activation", the device only responds to "hey google".

But for the second suggestion, "Hey Google, play [radio name] on the Rayo app." -> it hears that as "Hey Google, play [radio name] on the Radio app."  For the avoidance of doubt, I uploaded a new video of your suggestion. You can see its interpretation of the words across the top line of the screen.

This and other videos of interactions with it are in my Google Home album.

May I respectfully suggest that you test this on your own Home / Nest device?

[luciaaa]

Hi, Zaphod66, 

Thank you so much for providing the videos. I completely understand how frustrating it is that the Google Assistant can’t understand the word "rayo" and instead interprets it as "radio."

To better assist you, please let me know the following:

• Has the Google Assistant never recognized the word "Rayo"?
  • If it has worked before, when did the inconvenience start?

Additionally, please try with these troubleshooting steps:

• Instead of saying, "Hey Google, play [radio name] on the Rayo app," try a more specific command like:
  • "Hey Google, use the Rayo app to play [radio name]."
  • "Hey Google, open Rayo and play [radio name]."
• If possible, try the same command on a different Google Home or Nest device. This can help determine whether the issue is specific to your Google Nest display or a broader problem with the Assistant.
• Ensure you have the latest versions of the Rayo app and the Google Home app.

If the Google Assistant still doesn't recognize "Rayo" and continues interpreting it as "Radio," please let Google know about the problem by providing feedback. This will help to improve the Google Assistant's capabilities.

Please keep me posted.

Best regards,

Ana

[NoShoes]

It was fixed Monday morning. Not a Google problem but an Absolute Radio one.

[luciaaa]

Hi, @NoShoes,

Thank you so much for your response and for letting me know the inconvenience was resolved. I’m glad to know you can play radio stations successfully.

Please don't hesitate to reply if you have any questions.

Best regards, 

Ana

[Zaphod66]

Interesting, still not working over here, Friday.

[Zaphod66]

@luciaaa  are you a real person, or AI?

[Bish]

Deffo a bot!

[Zaphod66]

Using my "HI" I can guess the outcomes here:

1. "Hey Google, use the Rayo app to play [radio name]." will be interpreted as -> "Hey Google, use the Radio app to play [radio name]." with the result that it'll either play on TuneIn or Google won't know but it found these results on search
2. "Hey Google, open Rayo and play [radio name]." will be interpreted as "Hey Google, open Radio and play [radio name]." with the result that it'll either play on TuneIn or Google won't know but it found these results on search.
3. I did try it on a Home wall-wart and unsurprisingly (since it's all done on the cloud, right?) the results were exactly the same, but since it hasn't got a screen you can't see the text interpretation which is less useful. 
4. WDYM? It's not possible to install apps on the home device.

[luciaaa]

Hi there,

Thank you for your prompt response and taking the time to test different voice commands. I apologize that the Nest Hub isn't yet recognizing the "Rayo" word.

To troubleshoot further, please update the Rayo app and Google Home app on your mobile device or tablet. Once both apps are up-to-date, reboot the Nest Hub and try the commands again. If after these steps the Nest hub and other devices are not recognizing the "Rayo" word, please share your feedback. Your opinion is valuable to us as we strive to enhance Google Assistant services.

Best regards, 

Ana

[Liezel_T]

Still does not recognise Rayo, it's playing from TuneIn again which I'm sure is going to be extinct (again) soon, then we will see...

[luciaaa]

Hi, @Liezel_T,

Thank you so much for your response. I’m truly sorry that after all the troubleshooting steps, the Google Assistant is not recognizing "Rayo." We’d appreciate it if you would take the time to share your feedback about this problem. We assure you that we're listening to your concerns.

Feel free to reply if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Ana

[Hughesie277]

I've been having this issue with Rayo too. When asking it to play my local radio station (Forth 1) Google Assitamt tells me that the Rayo app isn't installed (it is) and as a result i need to manually open the Rayo App whenever I want to hear the radio. What could be causing this? It previously has worked fine so I assume an update has caused this bug.

And yeah, saying "Rayo" to Google Assistant always autocorrects to Radio.

[Struzzzle]

I am having the same issue, but it is not isolated to my Google speaker, my Alexa at work and my Apple HomePod are refusing to play Rayo stations. 

[gabijonaz]

I'm install rayo app but everytime then ask play planet rock on rayo app it say rayo it's not install.

if I use suggestion that it give it's install absolute radio and then ask play planet rock it's always playing absolute rock radio whose totally wrong radio

[Liezel_T]

TuneIn has stopped now but this worked today by asking to "play Absolute Radio on r a y o", i.e. spelling out Rayo.

[Shaunc675]

Mine won't recognise the spelling of RAYO either 😩

[MerlintheWizard]

Come to the conclusion that Google is discriminating against UK radio stations and Rayo network in particular! They've sorted the  Rayo 'radio' problem and changed it to 'rio'!!  Got Greatest Hits Radio to work on Google nest hub by adding 'rayo network' but that doesn't work for 'Planet Rock'  which seems to still accept the 'tunein' workaround. GOOGLE, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO SORT THIS OUT?? Yes Iwas shouting whilst going to get my DAB radio back out! 

[rownie23]

Just stumbling across this today. Asking for Absolute Radio gets TuneIn explaining that it isn't available in my country (I'm in the UK, yes it is). Asking specifically for Rayo interprets that as "radio". However just asking specifically for "absolute radio noughties" worked perfectly - playing on Rayo no less.

[Shaunc675]

I managed it to day but said RAYO very slowly 😂

[Zaphod66]

Unsubscribing from this, it's kinda pointless if google doesn't commit any effort to actually join in.
The Rayo team seemed to take an interest initially but it was more like they want us to do their testing for them.
Throws up hands.

[paulbsas]

Pointless I'm afraid. It's not a google problem. It's a Rayo (Bauer Media) one. Weirdly, the Absolute decades stations play via Rayo but like most, the second you mention playing the main station via Rayo, it interprets it as Radio and reverts back to Tunein.    

[Liezel_T]

Spelling out r. a. y. o. seems to work, I have an automation to play radio that ivenow changed to "Absolute Radio on r. a. y. o. which seems to work too. Just FYI if people want to try it 🙂

[rownie23]

Can you share how you do that please?

[Liezel_T]

To the speaker I say "play Absolute Radio on R A Y O", spelling out the letters.

For the automation, I added an action to  'Play the radio' then in the box where you add the station I put ""Absolute Radio on r. a. y. o.". Ironically, before is starts it says "playing Absolute Radio from Rayo" 🙄 😂

[BlairG]

Genius! 

[BlairG]

I have this issue... It thinks Rayo is 'rail'... spelling out the word doesn't work either. Keep getting issues playing back on TuneIn, with an error being played on Fourth 1.

[BlairG]

Scratch that... It worked, spelling it out on the second try. 

[BlairG]

BUT most of the time it does r a y o.

[Liezel_T]

Whoop! At least the workaround works.

[jezza73]

How can listening to the radio be so much trouble? After a lot of faffing with the crap technology I found saying (quite slowly and emphasising the y in Rayo) "Hey Google Rayo Planet Rock" works pretty well. Omitting the word "play" seems to prevent it from playing Youtube.

[GADGETGAZ1]

I made a direct support request t Rayo two weeks ago and low and behold it works for me now...