I can't make video calls to my mom

[armond16]

Hello,

I'm trying to make a duo call to my mom and it goes straight to voice call, but when I do a duo call to other people it works. Also when my other sibling call her via duo it works for them?

Please help

Thank you

[midnight51]

I have similar problems I've been having problems with voice and video calls sporadically for 5 or 8 years. The voice and duo settings are constantly changing and it never consistently works. I suspect it had to do with multiple users having the Google Home app installed on their mobile device and the settings constantly changing. This product line is crap. I have like 5 or 6 different nest speakers and Hub max and it's all junk. None of their support team helps they are all worthless.

[Princesss]

Hi folks, 

Thank you for reaching out.

I know this hasn't been easy for you. Let's go ahead and sort things out by answering these questions:

• What Google Nest speakers are you using? 
• What phone are you using? Could you give the Android or iOS version of your phone?
• Are there any prompts or message every time you make a video call to the other person?

Also, is there a way where you can send us a short video clip on what's happening every time you make a phone call so we can investigate the issue further?

Looking forward to your response.

Best,

Princess

[midnight51]

Let me begin by saying I have owned the Google Home products since they first began back when it was a single speaker named Google Home. I then graduated to a Google Nest Max -- I also purchased one for all three of my sisters so the family could stay in touch. Since then I have added two Google Nest speakers, and Google Nest mini speakers to the home. Now that I have that out of the way, I want to say that the first couple of years using the products there were no problems, I set the speaker up as a single user and I assigned my Google Voice number to it for making voice and video calls and this worked well for a long time. Fast forward a few years and the other family members in my immediate home (Mother and Grandmother) wanted some of the advanced functionality I was using on the speaker--mainly the "where's my phone" feature. In order to do this, I had to add them as users to the home so they could teach the home their voices.

THIS is the point everything began to go downhill.

From this point on, there were now three users attached to my Google home system--three different instances of the Google Home app on three different mobile phones attached to three different gmail accounts (of course). I first started noticing problems when the Google Nest stopped being able to make outbound and receive inbound voice and video calls. I went through several run-throughs of re-assigning my Google Voice number to the Nest, but at some point it stopped allowing me to assign it, and this is where I just left it alone for a while and forgot about it because I was sick of trying to get it to work. I worked with Google support several times to factory reset it, and re-assign my Google Voice number to the Nest and there were a few times where it WORKED FOR A LITTLE WHILE. But IT ALWAYS STOPPED WORKING at some in the near future. It was as if the Google Home app from my Mom and Grandmother's phone were overwriting the Voice and Video settings and breaking it.

So this is what I want to know. What is the best practice for configuring a Google Nest/Home system in a single household where multiple users are attached to the home while MAINTAINING the ability FOR EVERYONE to make voice and video calls WITHOUT the home BREAKING?

WHY has Google made this so difficult? WHY have they not opened up the ability to register a Google Voice phone number to the HOME ITSELF? This MAKES TOO MUCH SENSE. Even now, after installing a new Google Nest Mini in my Grandmother's room, she is not able to make voice calls on it, even though the home recognizes her voice. Why is this so complicated? I'm near the end of my rope here. I HATE dealing with this product line anymore, especially when I have two older woman breathing down my neck constantly when it breaks.

PLEASE HELP!

[midnight51]

No response? No surprise. Bump.

[Princesss]

Hi midnight51,

Thanks for posting and apologies for the late response. I've seen a similar thread regarding your concern. We'll go ahead and move this message to the main thread so we can continue our conversation there.

Best,

Princess

[midnight51]

Hi thanks for responding. I only have two Nest Minis and the Nest Hub Max connected to the home at the minute. I haven't hooked the other two fuller (more expensive)_ speakers up yet. There are three of us in my home that have the Google Android app installed. My phone has Android version 12, One UI version 4.1 (Galaxy S21 Ultra). My Mom's is Galaxy Note 22 with Android version 13 and One UI version 5. My Grandmother's is an LG phone with Andriod version 12 and software version Q620VA30a.

Currently when I open my Google Home app > Settings > Communication > Call Providers > Google Voice > set to my Google Voice number. I want it set to a hard coded number that is not my own cell phone number so people can call this Nest while I am not home and it will ring and people in the house can use it. That's the whole purpose of this device right? Setting call providers to use my own mobile number doesn't seem like it would achieve that. I really don't understand why there is not a way to register a Google Voice number to the hardware itself so it's not associated to a mobile phone. Seems like that would make things much easier. Like I said, it's very sporadic when it works, and when it doesn't it may fail in different ways. I just tried to call "Mom" from the Hub Max and it pulled the contact up, then immediately went to a busy signal when it tried to make the call. This is a common response.

[midnight51]

I'll make a few videos of the three of us doing it. Anything specific you want me to test?

[Muddi]

Hey midnight51,

Just an added question: what is the specific command that you're saying to your display when calling your mother on Duo? Does she have a separate contact name on your lists for Duo and mobile?

Cheers,

Muddi

[Muddi]

Hi midnight51,

I don't want to be a nudge but I'd like to check if you were able to get your device working. I'll be locking this thread if we won't hear from you in 24 hours. Feel free to create a new one if you have more questions or have other concerns in the future.

Cheers,

Muddi

[midnight51]

Stop trying to lock the thread so you can forget about the problems. This isn't the number one priority in my life. I've just tried to set my Nest Audio speaker up and it keeps giving me the same problem my Grandmother's Mini was giving me. During the setup process where it connects to WiFi it trips up and says "Your Nest Audio was setup successfully but can't be found." This has happened multiple times, even after 'forgetting' my home WiFi and re-entering the password. Again, another reason this product line is junk. Nothing ever works right. Why don't you guys send someone to my house that knows the product line. I'd love nothing more than to watch one of your supposed "experts" fumble around trying to get things to work. Odds are it might work once after they'd been here for hours, and they'd say it was working, but a day later it quit working.

The speaker just repeats over and over "Please log in through the Google Home App"... same thing the other speaker did. JUNK. And before you suggest it, YES I tried factory resetting both speakers. I can't remember how exactly I got my Grandmother's working - I think I may have let it sit there for a day and eventually it showed up. Bunch of garbage products. How do you guys sell this stuff when it has so many problems?

[midnight51]

And before you chalk this problem up to me being a dumb end user let me disappoint you by telling you I do IT for a living. I've designed and built entire networks, servers, and the likes before. I'm not new at this.

Could it be that my Google Home account is somehow broken? I'm so frustrated with these products, I'd like to just toss them all in the trash.

I wonder if the setup problems could be related to my WiFi somehow... I have a Ubiquiti Amplifi Mesh.

EDIT: So I factory reset a few more times and I ended up turning off "Band steering" on my WiFi and it connected. My guess is that this is also the problem that was affecting the setup of my Grandmother's Nest Mini. Do you think it could be affecting the calling as well?

[Princesss]

Hi there,

We just want to check if you have seen our response posted above. Let us know if you have additional questions, otherwise we'll be locking the thread.
 

Best,

Princess

[midnight51]

Here is what happens a lot of the time.

Nest Max call 

[midnight51]

@Princesss @Muddi . See linked video.

[Muddi]

Hey midnight51,

Sorry for the delays. I can confirm that your previous issue with the network has nothing to do with this since you were able to call other people on your contact lists. To confirm, are the other users having the same issue when calling your mother? Also, I noticed in the video that you've shared that your concern is not being able to call your mother on her mobile number, is that correct?

Cheers,

Muddi

[midnight51]

I just tried on my Grandma's and yes, it did the same thing when calling my Mom. I tried to have her call Me, and it said "that user isn't set up for DUO calling". Is this because, in the Google Home app on MY phone, I have the Settings > Communications > Video & Voice Apps > Google Meet configuration set to my Google Voice number? I swear I've used it like this before and it was working.

EDIT: Yes, that seems to be the issue. I changed my Google Meet number to my mobile number and now it's working. I can receive video calls from the Nest and I tried to call my Grandmother from my mobile and the Nest rang and she picked up, so it looks like that was what was wrong. I'll fix this on my Mom's later and test again. It seems that I was trying to configure it wrong the whole time. I was under the assumption that I needed to assign the Google Nest itself a phone number and that others would call that number to get it to answer, but that is not the case. It's configured by the Google Meet setting and will pick up if someone calls anyone that is configured on the device.

[Muddi]

Hey midnight51,

That is correct! Your Google Meet settings will apply since it is connected to your Nest Hub Max. It looks like we can consider this one complete, so I will lock the thread shortly unless I can help out with anything else.

Cheers,
Muddi

[Princesss]

Hello there,

We just want to check if you have seen our response posted above. Let us know if you have additional questions, otherwise we'll be locking the thread.

Best,

Princess

[Muddi]

Hey folks,

Just bumping this up to make sure that you've seen our responses.  I'll lock this thread if we won't hear from you in 24 hours. Feel free to create a new one if you have more questions or have other concerns in the future.
 

Cheers,

Muddi

[midnight51]

Bumping bumper bumps...