Had 2 Nest Audio speakers paired for Three Years and all of a sudden, the pair broke, can't fix

[PaulQ]

I purchased and paired two Nest Audio speakers in 2021. They have been in two spots in my home. Currently, they are very close to my router. The speakers are about six feet apart. In both locations, they have worked fine as a pair for years.

Last night, while I was using them and out of the blue, one spoke up and said it couldn't connect to the other one (check wifi etc). The right speaker stopped playing and that was it. I have tried various things including a reset but, like others, the paired speaker will not play.

Since they worked well for so long, I do not think my nearby router is suspect. They are within a few feet of each other. They have worked fine in this very spot for a long time. Currently, one of the speakers is still working flawlessly on the same, unchanged network.

I want to emphasize I did not just purchase these. I have had them since 2021 and the pair has worked fine. That seems to be the only difference between my incident and the others I have read.

Have there been any developments or solutions to this issue? Thank you!

[ovidioj]

Hello @PaulQ 

Thanks for posting in the community. 
I understand how frustrating it is when your previously reliable Nest Audio speakers suddenly stop working as a stereo pair.

You're right; having them since 2021 and working flawlessly until now makes this situation unique. I appreciate your effort. Let's see if we can get them back in sync.

• Targeted Reboot: While you've tried a reset, let's try a targeted reboot that might clear temporary glitches. Unplug only the non-working speaker (the right one) from power for about a minute. Then, plug it back in and wait for it to fully boot up.
• Verify Google Home App Permissions: Ensure the Google Home app has permission to access location services on your phone or tablet. This can sometimes be necessary for speaker pairing.
• Check for Speaker Firmware Updates: Open the Google Home app, tap on your Nest Audio speaker that's working, then tap on "Settings" > "Device Information."  See if there's a firmware update available. Install the update, if there is one.
• Separate and Re-pair (Last Resort): If the above steps don't work, consider separating and re-pairing the speakers. In the Google Home app, go to the speaker settings for the working speaker and tap "Unpair stereo pair." Then, factory reset the non-working speaker using the button on the bottom. Finally, follow the Google Home app prompts to re-pair both speakers.
• Wi-Fi Interference (Optional): Even though the speakers are close to the router, there might be unexpected Wi-Fi interference. Try temporarily moving the speakers to a different location and see if that resolves the issue.

Please follow the steps above and let me know how it goes. Thank you. 

Regards, 
Jorge

[PaulQ]

I meant to come back sooner to follow up. I had one speaker unplugged at the time (as I mentioned). When I plugged it back in, things started working again, I think I did the targeted reboot you mentioned but didn't know I was doing it. Then, I saw you describe it.

I should add that I had unplugged these, plugged them back, reset, etc. and they didn't work. The question is, did I ever unplug just the right and plug it back in? I don't know.

In any case, it is working right now and I'm keeping a close ear on it. Thanks!

[ovidioj]

Hello @PaulQ,

Thanks so much for following up! I appreciate you taking the time to update me, and I'm glad to hear your Google Nest Mini speakers are working again.

It sounds like unplugging and replugging one speaker might have been the key, even though you'd tried similar troubleshooting steps before. Electronics can be a bit mysterious sometimes!

I understand it can be frustrating when troubleshooting takes some time, so thanks again for your patience throughout the process. Please keep an eye on things, and if you experience any further issues, don't hesitate to reach out. We're always happy to help! Thank you. 

Regards, 
Jorge 

[J9]

I have the same thing. Worked flawlessly for years and now the pair is broken. Google support told me to make sure everything's on the 2.5 GHz Wi-Fi but this is clearly not the problem because they had been working fine for 4 years.

In my case it used to work for a day and then I would have to reboot them to cast to them again. Then they would work for another day and then I would have to reboot them again.

Even when they were working, music was playing and I asked Google a question. It would answer and then not resume playing. In the past that used to handle the question and then go back to the music seamlessly.

When they didn't work I simply couldn't cast to them. Lately if I factory reset and then remake the pair, I end up with one speaker called the pair and the other speaker keeps its original name. If I cast to the speaker that is in the pair only the one speaker responds.

Factory resets do not work. I believe the minis are different generations, but this was never a problem in the past. They're the same firmware now. 3.75 it done such.

[ovidioj]

Hello @J9,

Thanks for posting in the community. 
I understand the frustration (after years of great performance!) with your Nest Minis suddenly having pairing issues. The 2.5 GHz Wi-Fi suggestion might not be the solution. Let's tackle the specific issues you described: daily reboots, interrupted music, and the one speaker name issue after pairing. Since the factory reset didn't help, let's explore further solutions.

• Check Network Stability: While you mentioned the speakers worked well previously, a recent change in your network configuration or signal strength could be affecting them. Try restarting your router and ensuring both speakers have a strong Wi-Fi signal.
• Separate and Re-pair Speakers: Try separating the speaker pair in the Google Home app and then re-pairing them. 

Please follow the troubleshooting steps above, and if they do not work and factory resetting didn't help either, there might be a hardware issue with the devices themselves. To get further assistance and investigate why your speakers cast intermittently, I recommend filling out this form to get better assistance.

Please let me know once it's done. Thank you. 

Regards,
Jorge