Google Assistant not playing ROUTINES and personal playlists on Spotify despite proper commands

[marcolopes]

This is a recurrent problem, introduced either by Google OR Spotify (they are NOT clear about that!)

It was introduced in the beginning of the YEAR (2024): https://community.spotify.com/t5/Your-Library/Google-Assistant-devices-re-direct-to-random-albums-wi...

It was FIXED in JUNE!! https://community.spotify.com/t5/Your-Library/Google-Assistant-devices-re-direct-to-random-albums-wi...

It was reintroduced 2 DAYS ago!

GOOGLE NEST Community Thread (the NEW one, because they closed the previous one once this issue was solved by Spotify + Google) https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Google-Nest-Mini-play-wrong-songs-and-p...

[marcolopes]

Sorry, not fixed.

You got a radom command working by chance.

I sometimes get that too...

Ex: if i STOP the device and say a routine name, it executes the correct playlist! If there is something already playing, the routine executes the WRONG playlist! 

So, no!! Nothing changed...

[marcolopes]

Sorry NOT WORKING! this is the short answer! 

When playing routines, SOMETIMES the correct playlist plays... but that was already random... nothing changed. ALSO, when playing routines there is feedback from the assistant saying what is going to play! Months ago it worked well without feedback, just executing the routine!!

When playing music through voice commands, SOME playlists play, but this is random, mostly nothing changed! 

I already said this several times!!

The fix is simple!!

The PLAY command should search for (in this order!!)

PERSONAL PLAYLISTS -> PUBLIC PLAYLISTS -> LPS -> SONGS! (This was working flawlessly in the past)

Any command WITHOUT the keyword PLAY should SEARCH for a ROUTINE with that name!

THAT'S IT!

Even when we use the keyword PLAYLIST in the command, the device mostly plays a public playlist with similar name, or even a song with similar name, or even something NOT RELATED AT ALL, like the playlist or song name was completely misunderstood!!

If we use a more complex command like PLAY MY XXX PLAYLIST, the device responds with TO HELP YOU WITH THAT I NEED YOUR PERMISSION TO ALLOW ASSISTANT PERSONAL RESULTS ON THIS DEVICE!!! (they are ON on ALL devices!!)

[marcolopes]

BTW, was this a firmware fix or a rollout on the server side?

Because the firmware for my nest minis 2nd gen didn't changed...

[Milessimon]

THANKYOU! It works perfectly for me now. 

For clarity, I run a routine with a voice command to my phone. One of the elements of the routine is a written manual command: "shuffle my (playlist name) on the bedroom speakers" - this plays the playlist on a pair of nest minis. Since march, this has instead triggered a random playlist. I did have the option to use a voice command to trigger the playlist, which worked for me. But as of the fix it is perfect. 

Thankyou again!

[Tommyg83]

After more testing, I conclude, it's working and not working... I can confirm scheduled routines and automations are now correctly triggering existing personal playlists. But I tested a scheduled routine to trigger a newly created Spotify playlist and it's back to it's old issue "Choosing songs is only available to Spotify premium subscribers, but here's another album... blah blah" 

I tried unlinking Spotify from Home app and logging out and in to Spotify but it didn't work. There seems to be a sync issue between Spotify and Google Home.  Then again that wouldn't make sense in regards to the message above "Choosing songs is only available to Spotify premium subscribers, but here's another album... blah blah"  

It sounds like a bigger, unresolvable issue. 

Very disappointing.  Life is too short for this never ending nonsense.  It's clear to me now that Google has lost it's way.  Ironically Google are funnelling billions into AI but they can't get their basic functionality working on older non AI devices, it's nauseating to think about. 

I will replace all of my 8 google home devices with Alexa devices in the new year and I suggest everyone stops wasting their time here and does the same.  

[Tommyg83]

Also I've noticed the home app has 2 different methods to create Routines/Automations.  Are you able to please explain why this is the case and is google planning to phase out the old Google assistant Routines method and replace it entirely with the new Automations feature when Gemini at home launches next year?  

There are many inconsistencies between these 2 methods. I really recommend the dev team looks closely at these 2 methods and make sure all features are available for both methods.  Especially if the old routines method is being phased out. 

METHOD 1 - AUTOMATIONS (GOOGLE HOME APP)

The Automations tab at the bottom apps home screen. This method is missing the following functionality 

- home devices scenes are not available in Automations in the devices list (eg philips hue lighting scenes, lifx lighting scenes etc) These were available in the Google Assistant Routines method previously.

- you can no longer add these routines as shortcut buttons to you phones home screen

- The option to create personal or household routines is not available in "Automations". 

- Automations doesn't have a "Play Routine" button to force test the routines. This feature is available in Routines. 

METHOD 2  - ROUTINES (GOOGLE ASSISTANT SETTINGS)

Routines is in the profile settings>Home Settings>Google Assistant>Routines

- This method allows you to create personal or household routines unlike "Automations above" 

- The delay between actions feature is available in Personal Routines but not available for Household Routines.

- This method allows you to trigger a home automation scene (eg Philips Hue lighting scenes, Lifx lighting scenes etc) unlike the "Automations" method above.

[SmartHomeH-TAGS]

@Tommyg83 

I applaud 👏👏Google for keeping those alternative Automations (Assistant Routines) in operation as there are certain triggers and actions available there that aren't yet available in the new Early Access app.

I chop and change between the two to make things happen the way that I want them to.

But it gets confusing when you try to help people who are using different versions. And when you add Scripts in Public Preview, Google Premium, and US residents that have exclusive use of Gemini (for now) it's getting out of hand.

Dividing the Google Home community into the haves and the have-nots is not the best thing to happen if they want me to promote the possibilities of Google Home.

• As a creator of YouTube videos for the smart home I'm finding it difficult to recommend a certain way to make things happen in Google if it will disappear in the near future.

[wedge11383]

In my experience, testing automations and verbal commands with Nest mini V1 and V2 and nest display, Personalized Spotify playlist are working consistently for me now.

[SmartHomeH-TAGS]

@wedge11383 

Even though I've heard my Mini speakers respond by saying that they're playing the specific playlist I asked for, the Spotify app doesn't confirm this.

The songs I'm hearing just coincidentally are the same in my playlist.

Nest Hub on the other hand is working perfectly.