Do google nest minis just stop working completely?

[Jdizzle211]

So I have a few nest minis around the house (one in each room), and over the years I have had 3 of them stop working completely. The first was a google 2nd gen nest mini in the kitchen that had a lot of connectivity issues, that I put down to being in a humid environment when cooking and probably had hardware issues. The second was a google nest 1st gen in a bedroom that stopped working completely (as in couldn't even factory reset it) and was completely unresponsive. That I put down to just being old (maybe around 5 years).

Now I have another google nest mini 2nd gen (maybe around 2 years old) that has randomly stopped working. And when I reset and reconnect, it flickers in and out of being visible, so cannot make it through the set up process.

So this is the 3rd google nest mini that has got issues, now I'm beginning to think is there a shelf life to these? They don't seem to have much longevity. They are obviously beyond their warranty, but I'm beginning to think is it actually worth sticking to a google home environment if the products are going to fail after a few years.

Does anyone else seem to have these issues?

[virnab]

Hi Jdizzle211, 

Thank you for reaching out to our community.

I'm sorry to hear about the issues you've encountered with your previous Google Nest Mini devices and this third one. Thank you for sharing the troubleshooting steps you've already tried.

To help me assist you better, please provide the following information:

• When you try to add your Google Home Mini 2nd generation, what exact error message do you receive?
• Can you describe the status of the 4 LED lights? (Please refer to this article for reference:
• Google Nest and Google Home device LED lights
• Did you receive any error messages in the Google Home app after performing a Factory Data Reset and trying to set up your Google Nest Mini?
• Has the device been dropped or knocked over?
• Have you tried connecting the Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen to a different power source?
• Have there been any recent changes to your environment, such as a change in WiFi network or recent outages?
• What is the make and model of the mobile device you're using for setup?
• Besides the factory reset, what other steps have you taken to resolve the issue?

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your response.

Best regards,

Virna

[Jdizzle211]

Hi, Thanks for getting back to me.

Sometimes when I try to add the google nest mini after a factory reset, it just cannot be found. Then after another reset it can be found and I go through the whole set up process, then when trying to add it to the wifi network, it then says it cannot be found in the same wifi network.

There is nothing specific with the lights, except that it says "hmmm, something went wrong, please try again."

The device has never been knocked over. I have tried connecting it to a different plug outlet, when I moved it closer to the wifi router. There have been no recent wifi changes. All my other google nests work fine.

My phone I'm using for set up is a pixel 8a.

Aside from factory reset, turning off and on again, and moving closer to wifi router, I haven't tried anything else.

Thanks, J

[virnab]

Hi Jdizzle211, 

Thank you for your timely post and the comprehensive information you provided. I am sorry to hear that the troubleshooting steps you have tried did not work to recover the functionality of your Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen. But don't worry, I have more troubleshooting steps that you can try.

Please try with the following instructions:

1. Uninstall and reinstall the Google Home app.
2. Reboot the WiFi network: Unplug the power source for about one minute before plugging back in. Make sure that all the LED lights are turned off. Some routers have backup battery packs, so you will need to disconnect the battery packs to ensure the router completely turns off.
3. Reboot your mobile device.
4. Perform the factory reset. Please use the instructions provided in this article: Factory reset Google Nest or Home speakers or displays

If the previous steps do not work, you can try to perform the workaround. Please use the following video as a reference: Can't FDR Workaround (Nest Mini

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards,

Virna

[Jdizzle211]

Managed to get it to connect but after around 24 hours, the same issue arises. "I can't find the WiFi network" despite there being no changes. Then i have to go through the whole process again. This doesn't seem very practical.

[virnab]

Hi  Jdizzle211,

Thank you for your reply.

I apologize that despite following previous troubleshooting steps, we haven't been able to establish a stable network connection for your Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen.

If the previous steps didn't resolve the issue, let's try the following:

• On the Pixel 8, open that device's list of Wi-Fi options.
• Pick the other phone's hotspot name.
• Enter the other phone's hotspot password.
• Click Connect.

When your Pixel 8 is connected to the hotspot, please try to set up your Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen and connect it to the hotspot instead of your WiFi network.

If the previous troubleshooting steps do not work, you can try to set up your Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen with another mobile device or tablet.

Please let me know how it's going.

Best regards,

Virna

[Jdizzle211]

Hi,

I'm not really sure how this helps because I now have the nest mini connected to my phone instead of my home wifi network.

Anyhow it appears that the nest mini drops the connection after about 24 hours. And doing all this reconnection stuff isn't very sustainable.

What I really want to know is if my nest mini is broken and if I should just put it in the rubbish?

What I also want to know is if this is a common problem for nest minis/do you see this often with unstable connections appearing after a few years?

[virnab]

Hi Jdizzle211,

Thank you for your reply.

I apologize that we haven't been able to resolve your network connection issue with your Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen, even after trying the recommended troubleshooting steps.

Please don't give up. My team would like to gather more details about this problem. Please take a moment to fill out this form, and we'll provide tailored assistance via email.

The Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen network connectivity can be affected by various factors, regardless of how long you've owned your device. By collecting additional information, we can better identify and address the specific cause of the inconvenience and resolve it.

Let me know when you're finished. Your confirmation is crucial to ensuring that I can follow up on your case effectively.

Best regards,

Virna