Google now limits speakers to one speaker group only?!

[Biggsyboi]

When did THIS happen?!

I don't even get the error message. The group either just drops the speakers, or the group disappears entirely.

 

[Questix06]

 Thank you!!! I thought I was going crazy. What is going on ? I hope this is some kind of mistake ? They will surely fix this with an update right ? 

[Biggsyboi]

I'm not sure if it will be fixed or not as this didn't used to exist - I know this because I have the speakers in a few old groups I created, so this is a new limitation added, seemingly without any explanation

[vincent77]

unacceptable !

[David_K]

This change happened on or around 12th Sept it seems. As far as I understand, this should only impact you if you're trying to create new groups and existing device groups should not be impacted.

For others benefit, this is the help centre link that is being referred to:
Create and manage speaker groups - Google Nest Help

[tezzman]

The problem is when you need to reset your device for whatever reason (it happens, weird connection errors i.e.) , which was always in multiple groups, you're f-ed.

So it's just a matter of time before all of your devices to hit this limit.

You can't do this to your customers without consequences.

[Zappos]

Not the case I'm sorry to say. I have some of these devices in existing groups and the groups no longer function correctly. This is a real mess.

[Svb1]

Why on earth would this be a thing? I was factory resetting stuff left and right and it kept getting worse and suddenly this is a limitation to speaker groups now? Tell me this is temporary because of some weird bug or something?

Also: right now I can't even add speakers to a single speaker group anymore, what are they doing?

[Biggsyboi]

They seem to have added this limitation without any explanation, I don't understand why. My mind goes to the limitations they've added in the past due to being sued for copying other's patents without paying a license fee. Is that what's going on here?

[anibharadwaj]

Yep, due to recent patent litigation. Existing groups are not impacted.

Source: https://9to5google.com/2023/09/18/google-home-speaker-group/

[Zappos]

yes they are.

[Sundaydriver101]

Yeah they are. I can't create any group. I can add any old devices to old groups I've had for years

[kelanfromgoogle]

Hi folks,

In light of a recent legal decision, users will no longer be able to add new Nest devices to multiple groups. There are no changes to existing speaker groups.

Thank you for your understanding.
Kelan

[Biggsyboi]

Not sure I'm feeling very understanding of the products I spent 100's of dollars on having features removed.

Especially if it's because Google would rather remove the feature than pay a license fee?...

[jrlebbs]

Legal decision = Google doesn't want to pay Sonos a licensing fee.

This is another major round of feature degradation, all because Google won't just license the tech from Sonos. Google just needs to stop screwing over users and pay Sonos. This would create good press all around.

STOP REMOVING FEATURES BECAUSE YOU WON'T PLAY NICE.

[Bnsherer]

I have no understanding for you to thank me for. What I understand is that you stole Sonos technology under the guise of a partnership and refuse to pay licensing fees and as a result i can no longer control group volume and now can't even make multiple speaker groups.   Google is a shady company who makes their customers pay for their criminal activity

[AWF]

Yet another case of google failing.    Worst investments I've ever made are these woe begotten devices

[Frank_90]

I'm speechless! I have many Chromecasts devices since many years, I have 4 ChromeCasts audio that doesn't exist anymore and I'm happy they are still perfectly working. I had 4 ChromeCasts for TV's that I all changed with ChromeCast with android TV to have a remote on all of my TVs, they are, or now WAS all in more than one speaker groups until today when I was trying to created a new speaker groups, I thought it was a bug and removed all my Chromecast with android TVs of all my speaker groups and I can't re-add my Chromecasts with Android TV to more than 1 group now. I always talk positively to my family and friends how is wonderful to have all my set-up with google and many of them purchased google device because of me.

Now that Google removed an amazing feature that I frequently use, there is no way I will still talk positively about Google devices to my surrounding, and starting today I will actively look to an alternative product like Amazon Echo and company. 

I spent hundreds of dollars especially to use speaker groups feature to play my music all around my house, and now I can't set my speaker groups like I want as before...

[tezzman]

This sucks. Hope someone discovers a backdoor to add them to multiple groups 🤣

I want my money back, this is not what I paid for. Simple as that.

[Khelgarath]

1. I can't talk to my devices and get google to play on all devices in a group,  it'll only play on one device.   If I cast it from my phone to the group it works. 

[Juni]

Hi folks.

Thanks for the help here, ed007.

Azure1 and Khelgarath, thanks for reaching out and for letting us know about your Google Home app concern. You can try the factory reset; this erases all your personalized settings and restores the factory default settings. It won’t automatically reconnect to WI-Fi, and you’ll need to set it up again. Check out the article below to know more about it.

Factory reset Google Nest or Home speakers or displays 
 

Thanks,

Juni

[RvdP]

Not true.  I have a group with 2 (paired) Max speakers and a Bose soundbar.   The group refuses to play.

[AWF]

And thank you for stating the obvious (corporate line) that adds absolutely nothing to the conversation.

[RvdP]

Google just needs to fix this...  

[Iceman808]

Hello there

Do you know if the Sonos claim also affects all other devices manufactured by other vendors like Alexa?

Oh, and just to advise my existing setup stopped working even though they say it should still work in the groups it was already setup for this last year. So I believe this is an untruth in my case anyway. no matter what I do my original groups do not work anymore. They need to be careful putting this info out to the users who are already reeling from this news.

I gave up after 5 hours testing and just rebuilt my entire home from scratch which when you have 12 nest mini speakers does take a while. So once again another waste of my time and money Google......

[Zappos]

That's simply not true. Existing groups are also affected.

[CockeyedObserve]

I'm not sure if we are supposed to be satisfied with this response (as it has been ticked green as the recommended answer). If they had taken a few minutes to read the thread they might have realised that we are discussing groups that have existed for years disappearing and reappearing sporadically. 

My comment on the platform degrading was merged to this thread. 

Google needs smarter technicians. They are currently messing around with the platform and stuffing up legacy devices and functions. Outsource to China - they will fix it in minutes!

[Sth2]

No changes to existing groups other than that they do not work at all.  

Google must realize by now that the entire group speaker function is a sad pathetic mess - but they do not have the integrity to come clean  here.

[Zappos]

I managed to log a support case for this and spoke to someone. Completely useless. All the normal responses: reset everything, reset your router, delete everything and start again. Errr, no actually. They clearly were implying it's something to do with my setup and not something they've clearly done. Typical Google. Will not admit they've messed it up.

Due to this (and loss of functions) I've bought a couple of Alexa devices and have been testing. I've got to say I may be converted! Much better device compatability, routines are as good, if not better, as Google (a couple of limitations but nothing I can't work around) multi room speakers (and volume control) and it just works. Even my Nest door bell works perfectly with Alexa, even door chimes!

I think my Google stuff is destined for eBay....

[BenW]

Generally, I've been a huge and loooong time supporter of all things Google. This is too far. I've got no less than 20 devices in my home that this impacts. You can't go on a campaign about playing nice with others about RCS and then turn around and not play nice with others. While I know this is money I've already given to Google I can't fathom spending another cent on their smart home products. Cameras etc. You never know when they'll lose functionality. Also, they never fully migrated nest. Apple doesn't seem to have this issue either. 

[Biggsyboi]

I'm not sure if Amazon/Alexa does, either. Unfortunately, any money spent on the Google equipment that's had as vital a feature as this removed has pretty much lost their money. This is very very disappointing.

[saintxseiya]

Isn't there anything we can do like sue google on removing essential functions?

[Biggsyboi]

Could depend on where you live but in the US there are no rights/protections for virtual functions - all the smart home companies could make their products useless and there's nothing we can do.

I think the speaker groups thing just needs to be publicised so that people stop buying Nest products until the feature is restored.

[Sth2]

There should be a class action lawsuit to at a minimum refund all dollars spent on any google speakers.

Mulitple groups is the whole point of purchasing multiple chromecast devices - and to simply cut off this essential functionality is unacceptable and should be illegal without a refund or compensation offer.

I have 9 devices - and will be throwing them out and starting over with sonos as you simply can't have a functioning whole home audio system with this feature crippled.

And not to mention the horrific lack of communication associated with this - I noticed something was wrong right away about a week ago when trying to create a new group and spend hours trying to figure it out - now to find out google has done this intentionally. 

Shame on you google !

[tezzman]

Agreed. I'm looking into this within the Dutch laws/regulations as we speak.

[Iceman808]

Hi all

I'm new here, so hi all

I gave up trying to contact Google. I am am just absolutely totally gobsmacked  that I had to spend most of yesterday mucking about with my home next mini's which decided to go on the fritz and stop working in their respective groups to only find out many many hours later after resetting , reconfiguring and having to cry a little..That it was not ME! it was bloody Goggle had shutdown the ability to have more than one speaker group!!!

I mean , for god's sake are you serious? This Sonos lawsuit issue is not exactly being advertised and I only stumbled across it by accident thank god otherwise I would still  be at it.

Why has Goggle not plastered their main page with the news so people are made aware of this travesty!  What was once the most used function of my system has been deleted with a push of a button and I am left with some paperweights.  It has me looking at Alexa now to see if it supports multiple speaker groups.

To say I am P******D off is an understatement. I own 12 or these little paper weights.  I have looked high and low on this site an cannot for the love of god find the area where people are talking about it?

If someone can direct me to it that would be most helpful so I can join in and we can all cry at once...... 

Will there be a resolution to this? if it's google probably not... I am in OZ and you should try ringing them here, it's a joke. I mean a real joke. They put on an Aussie accent and then send you into oblivion......I reckon their office has one desk in it with a chair and a not saying "gone to lunch"

Anyway, I had a good 18 months of use out of them while they did work properly. Still have 4 brand new ones! Blah.....

Cheers all

Iceman

[Princesss]

Hi Iceman808,

Thanks for posting in the Community.

I’m sorry to hear that you’re having an issue with your Google Nest speakers. Certain devices are limited to a single group at a time. For impacted devices, you’ll need to move them to your preferred speaker group in the Google Home app or dynamically add them to a group during media playback. 

The following devices can only belong to one speaker group in the Google Home app at a time. If you try to add one of these devices to a second speaker group in the app, you’ll get an error message. 
 

• Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)
• Google Nest Audio
• Chromecast with Google TV (4K)
• Chromecast with Google TV (HD) 
• Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) 
• Google Nest Hub Max 
• Google Nest Wifi point
• Pixel Tablet (Hub Mode)

For more info about this, you may refer to this link: Create and manage speaker groups
 

Best,

Princess

[Sth2]

Thanks - is this the definitive list?  What about ( discontinued) older chromecast audio only devices? Will first gen minis still work?  

[Biggsyboi]

Hi Princess.

I'm afraid this isn't quite correct - the error message isn't working. I even made a thread on here asking what was happening, as my speakers were just disappearing from the group or the group disappears entirely, with no error message or notification to speak of.

Then I found the cause by accident on the page you're quoting from.

The communication on this has been frustratingly poor, especially when the Google team can't even get an error message to work.

[tezzman]

Exactly. It's pretty pathetic how they managed to implement this limit or it's being done on purpose to keep it below the radar as much as possible. I'm not sure.