Having trouble with Speaker groups? Read this first

[kelanfromgoogle]

Hi everyone, 

Thank you for continuing to notify us of the reliability issues you’re facing with your Speaker groups. I escalated these issues internally and the team is actively investigating a resolution. If you’re able, all feedback is appreciated! Please keep it coming by saying “OK Google, Send Feedback." Providing details, such as mentioning that the issue is with the "speaker group," is especially helpful.  As always, we appreciate your feedback and are working hard to alleviate the issues. 

Thank you for the patience,
Kelan

[kelanfromgoogle · Accepted solution]

Hey folks,

Thank you for your continued patience while our team has been working to address the issues with Speaker group functionality. I want to give you all an update and confirm that a fix was identified which will address a specific problem where some devices, when acting as the group leader, cause an issue with audio not playing on other speakers that are part of the same group. However, you may experience that the main (or leader) device will still play the media as expected.

The following devices will cause this behavior when used as the group leader:

- Chromecast with Google TV (4K)
- Chromecast with Google TV (HD)
- Google Home (Fixed as part of firmware update 3.73)
- Google Home/Nest Hub (first-generation)
- Google Home/Nest Mini (first-generation) (Fixed as part of firmware update 3.73)
- Nest Audio (Fixed as part of firmware update 3.73)
- Nest Hub (second-generation)
- Nest Hub Max
- Nest Mini (second-generation) (Fixed as part of firmware update 3.73)
- Nest Wifi Point
- Pixel Tablet
- A small percentage of third-party speakers were also affected

Note: the issue must be fixed on the device that is the leader of the group in order for the other devices in the group to start playing consistently

The fixes are specific to each device type, and are dependent on upcoming scheduled update rollouts. We will update this post as the fixes begin rolling out for each device so you can test your own speaker groups.

There may be some devices that take longer to receive the update so if you’re still encountering issues, you can try these temporary workarounds:

Cast directly: if you’re trying to play audio in multiple rooms, cast the audio directly to the individual speakers.

Restart your devices: If you’re having trouble with your speaker group and are unsure which device is the group leader, try restarting all devices that are part of the speaker group. This can often resolve the issues.

As always, we deeply appreciate the feedback and your patience. If you are still running into issues with Speaker groups, please leave a comment below with clear descriptions of the behavior you're encountering. This feedback will help the team further investigate and mitigate anything else that might be causing this feature to not work as intended.

Thanks again, we're working diligently to get everything back to how it should be.

Kelan

[Annie_aan]

Hi!

I have a random issue, I have a music group with all my speakers (10 speakers). It’s been working fine for years. But now, randomly don’t play from all speakers in the group. I open spotify and select the group, every time it plays from all except 1-4 of the speakers in the group.

Then when I open the Google Home app, I can see it playing - and when I open up to see where it’s playing I can see that not all speakers are selected. But I can select the “skipped” speakers manually and then it will play on all.

I have tried resetting the speakers, I have tried creating new groups with different names, delete all groups, new groups with only some, then add all etc. It always skips a few speakers (which ones are random). 

The same happens if I ask Google to play music on a group, I can see it does not start playing on all speakers in that group and have to manually select the “skipped” speakers. 

I have also tried creating multiple groups and switching in the Google Home app, and when I switch to a group with all I can see it starts playing on most - but always skips some.

Why? And how do I fix this? 
I started noticing these issues the last week.

Thank you!

[milnivlek]

What you described sounds just like the known problem that Google acknowledged in the "recommended answer" above in this thread.

Basically, whenever we cast to a speaker group, one of the speakers in that group is designated internally as a "leader". But there's a bug that makes the leader unable to communicate with some of the other speakers in the group. That's why you are getting only a subset of speakers playing music. But if you cast to the other speakers directly, it works since it's not going through the leader.

The solution is to restart the leader. But unfortunately we can't easily tell which one is the leader (and it may change over time). You might be able to figure it out indirectly, since the leader is one of the speakers that does still play the music. But otherwise the only sure-fire solution is to restart all of the speakers in the group.

It's super annoying. But this seems to solve the problem every time. The problem will recur again after a while though, so you'll just have to restart them again (maybe once a day or so). That's the best we can do until Google releases their fix.

[JohnLand]

The new firmware being released will no longer allow music to be cast to those devices

[JohnLand]

Found a solution "hopefully" . Created a new group with the speakers that received the update and they all played! I then added older speakers one at a time to the new group. So far their working, 10 devices so far I'll try more later if this works???

[JohnLand]

Nope lasted maybe 5 minutes, back to ping, ping, ping, stammering stuttering all over the house!!!

[chaconmorales]

Hi JohnLand,

Thank you for posting here in the community. I apologize for the inconvenience that you are experiencing with your Google Home devices. Thank you for your insights and best effort to troubleshoot your devices when casting media/music. 

Before we get started with further details, let me ask you some important questions:

• What model of device do you have?
• Does the Google Home Device display any error or messages?

It sounds like the firmware update intended to resolve music casting issues might not have been entirely successful. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

Basic Checks:

• Device Reboot: Restart both your phone or tablet (the device you're casting from) and your Google Home device. Sometimes a simple reboot can resolve temporary glitches.
• Wi-Fi Connectivity: Ensure both your casting device and your Google Home device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. A weak or unstable Wi-Fi connection can disrupt casting.
• App Update: Verify that you're using the latest version of the Google Home app on your phone or tablet. Updates often include bug fixes and compatibility improvements.

Casting Specific Checks:

• Casting App: Try casting music from a different app that supports Google Cast or Chromecast. This can help isolate if the issue is specific to one app or a system-wide problem.
• Target Device Selection: Double-check that you're selecting the correct Google Home device when casting music. You might have multiple devices listed, and accidentally choosing the wrong one could explain why music isn't playing.

Please check the following article to Music is choppy or stutters and to Reboot Google Nest or Home speaker or display in case it helps.

Please keep me posted.

Regards,

Mario

[JohnLand]

To make this real simple, any device with this forced software in a "Speaker Group" that has speakers that are running a different version breaks the group. You can create a group with just this software and it works. Or create a group that does not have this software and they all play fine. Mix them together and it breaks. I am including a link "Google" that clearly shows what devices are effected.................https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7365257?hl=en#zippy=%2Ccurrent-preview-program-firmware...

[chaconmorales]

Hi JohnLand,

I appreciate your follow up. Thank you for your insights and best effort to find alternatives when having issues with your Google Home devices.

I understand that the groups and music casting for speakers and displays is working, however it is directly affected based on the firmware version. Please make sure that all your devices are up to date or check the following option to Turn on or off automatic firmware updates.

We're always looking for ways to make you all feel welcome. Your feedback is important to us.

Please help us improve by filling out the feedback form.

This is really helpful. Please keep me posted.

Best,

Mario

[JohnLand]

Again updates in the US are automatic, no way to turn on or off!

[CHAZZER]

Rubbish

[JohnLand]

"If you’re in the European Union (EU) or Norway, you can turn these updates off " In the US these updates are automatic you can't turn them off and you can't revert to older version. There are several threads related to problems with speaker groups. Google needs to address them and stop wasting everyone's time by giving out disinformation!!!

[rickjforbes]

Hi John @JohnLand 

This is the point I make in my post here

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Your-quot-Higher-Support-quot-quot-Engi...

No respect for your time, or awareness of their own issues...or worse..a combination of both.

[marcolopes]

What??

[rickjforbes]

Certainly not true in UK.

[kelanfromgoogle]

Hey @JohnLand,

This is not true, 3.73 did not remove the ability to cast music. Do you mind sharing the documentation you're looking at or where you got this information? 

Thank you.

[JohnLand]

If you create a "Speaker Group" that does not include a device with that New Software you can sometimes manage to get them to play. Then add just one speaker with the new 3.73 software and that group will not play. Create a group that has all 3.73 speakers "only" it it will play.

[JohnLand]

Sorry It's the 3.73.420420 version that I was speaking of. Not sure when the 3.73.415414 was released? Someone has merged my original separate thread on the 3.73.420420.

[CHAZZER]

I have 2 with 3.73 and only only one will play. The other has that clickclickclick

[kelanfromgoogle]

Hey @JohnLand 

As mentioned in the earlier reply, if you're experiencing issues with your Speaker groups make sure that all devices in the group are part of the device types that received the fix (listed above). In your case, you are correct - a group consisting of only device types that received the fix as part of 3.73 should play correctly.

[JohnLand]

Exactly, I can pick 6 speakers, or I can pick the other 8 speakers I own. Both will not play all together!

[CHAZZER]

And yet.... it doesn't. 

[JohnLand]

And you just yesterday modified your list with the added software versions. My original seperate thread was several days prior, about the new software not being compatible. So let's not muddy the water here, trying to get Google to see the frustration we have been put through is tough enough!

[CHAZZER]

There isn't documentation.... it just doesn't work. I really don't understand Googles lack of engagement to resolve this issue.

[JohnLand]

The initial problem with 3.73 that was fixed with another update, is again present in the 3.74. Please do whatever was done to fix the 3.73 to the 3.74

[JohnLand]

Just a thought, but maybe have users that actually use your products test it before sending it out to everyone????????????

[marcolopes]

It's called Beta Testing! 😀😀😀

[DallasGGG]

One of the most frustrating things is that one day a speaker group will work and then the next day is doesn't (without any changes).  Google: I don't get why this is so complicated.  If you put speakers in a group, just make them play music together.  It's probably more complicated than that, but still, just make them work consistently please!

[kelanfromgoogle · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone,

The 3.73 firmware update contained fixes for some of the issues impacting Speaker groups functionality. 

These fixes are specific to the following device types:

• Nest Audio
• Nest Mini
• Google Home Mini
• Google Home

Speaker groups consisting of these devices should not experience disrupted playback. If you were experiencing issues with your Speaker groups, remove any devices from the group that do not appear in the above list and test them again. If after testing you still experience problems, please respond below with as much detail about your setup.

We appreciate your patience while the team works hard to investigate and identify fixes for the rest of impacted device types.

Thank you.

[CHAZZER]

This did not resolve the cast issue with Nest Minis.

[CHAZZER]

Also funny that the Firmware version is 420420

[GarySu]

Hi Google,

with this new 3.73 firmware update, I still faced issue related to speaker group (nest audio). I’ve tried the factory reset, but it seems to be unhelpful. Please keep pushing this issue, Thank you.

BR,

Gary

[kelanfromgoogle]

Hey @GarySu 

Do you mind providing more details about the issue you're experiencing with your Nest Audio? Have you tried making sure the Speaker group only consists of the devices listed in the above reply? If your Speaker group has device types that have not received the fix then it's possible for that to be causing issues with playback.

[GarySu]

Hi Google,

My speaker group only consists two Nest Audio devices. But recently one of it keep saying it couldn’t connect to another device even after I reset both devices and reconnected them back. Here are some observations I found, hope they can provide more information.

1. I can use Google home APP to connect the speakers into group (looks good at this stage). But when I use my laptop’s Bluetooth to connect the speaker group, it disconnected immediately for most of the time.

2. If I accidentally connected the speaker group to my laptop. It will say the above error about one of them can’t be connected. Then, both of them will disconnect after the error occurred.

Thanks~

[rickjforbes]

Hi @kelanfromgoogle 

Is there anyway you could get users a more detailed release notes for the latest software, the page here is far too light on detail

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7365257?hl=en#zippy=%2Ccurrent-preview-program-firmware...

Users can then check whether the bug they are having has actually been addressed rather than trying and hoping for the best, which is potentially a waste of time.
Any sane development team will have target items/user stories they are looking to add or fix (it says fixes and improvements) and will produce notes on the fix and and testing/UAT that has been done.
It seems very unlikely that Google has just released software claiming a fix and it has not worked, I'd look towards a misunderstanding of what was released by support rather than a complete release failure in an organisation of your size and status.
With such a large volume of users with an issue, you have a huge responsibility for peoples (customers) time across the globe, as they collectively dive back into testing stuff that might not even be on the list, or is KNOWN to still be unstable.
Anything you can share would be useful, and should be standard.
Dropbox do this incredibly well https://www.dropbox.com/product-updates

[jopnc]

My speaker group still isn't working. They were up until early last week. When it went out, it would begin the song/music as a group then abruptly cut out. Now it's only recognizing 2 out of 3 devices at at time.

Setup:

- Google Nest Mini (V2)

- Google Chromecast (V3)

- Belkin Soundform Elite

(Alt: Google Nest Hub (V2))

While I've accepted that the Nest Hub and Soundform Elite have never played together in a speaker group, the Soundform used to play well with the Chromecast and Nest Mini. The Soundform would be replaced if it didn't have the superior audio and wireless charging.

The Google Nest products are both on cast firmware 3.73, the Chromecast on cast firmware 1.56, and the Soundform on cast firmware 1.40.

I've gone through the troubleshooting steps of resetting the devices, power cycled the router, reinstalled the Google home app, deleted and recreated the speaker groups, used different music apps; nothing worked. Also, earlier this week, when creating speaker groups, the initial speaker added took the name of the speaker group....

Short of a fix, I'd have to abandon these devices for more expensive products - which is something I would like to avoid.

[jopnc]

Also, unsure of how to set a group leader of devices.

[RussdaFuss]

You never will, because it's probably complete nonsense.

[RussdaFuss]

I can confirm that music playback on a speaker group now works as long as the group only consists of Google Home and Google Home mini (Gen. 1) devices.

As soon as a Nest Hub (Gen. 1), a Chromecast Audio or an audio device from a third-party manufacturer is added, the Home and Home mini no longer play audio.

However, all other devices in the speaker group play music.

In addition, in this case the Google Home app does not recognize that music is playing on the group.

In this case, controlling the group and stopping the music is not possible via the app.

Keep trying, dear Google developers. Even you can do it at some point!

[RussdaFuss]

Update: well done, Google!
Your new firmware is just as bad as before.
Playback on the speaker group stops again after about 5 minutes. I'm so fed up and I'm not going to waste any more of my life deleting and recreating speaker groups and resetting and rebooting your devices. You are the most ridiculous tech company on the planet.

[rickjforbes]

@kelanfromgoogle 

When are you expecting a release that fixes the other Google speaker devices please?

If no precise date can you give us customers some idea whether it will be days, weeks, months etc?

Thanks so much 

Richard