LG Thing WK7 Chromecast Speaker - Centralized issue discussion

[keeya]

Who should we blame here? LG tells us to contact Google, and when we contact Google they say LG hasn't updated the Chromecast version of their product. It's an high end Smart Speaker and it should not become a paperweight. I have two of those, one still work but I made the mistake of reseting the other and now I cannot use it anymore. There are dozens of people facing the same issue. This is not normal, I've contacted EU legislatives services about similar issues in the past and sure will do again to explain this if it doesn't come to a positive resolution. Feel free to share if you have the same speaker.

IF YOU DON'T COMPLAIN, THEY WON'T FIX IT:

GOOGLE:

https://support.google.com/googlenest/

Chromecast -> Contact Us

--

LG :
https://www.lg.com/

Customer Service > Contact Us

------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE DECEMBER 2024:

Google and LG have no intention to fix this, if you live in Europe fill a complaint to your local Consummer Center here:

https://commission.europa.eu/live-work-travel-eu/consumer-rights-and-complaints/resolve-your-consume...

Scroll down, select your country and fill a complaint.

The European law protect consumers, we don't have to bend the knee to LG and Google.

Si vous vivez en France, vous pouvez poster une plainte ici :

https://signal.conso.gouv.fr

Edit March 2025 : here are the steps to use your  speaker as a bluetooth speaker, it's a hack and lose all assistant features but so don't throw it way it still kinda functionnal....

1. After initiating pairing between the WK7 and Google Home, answer NO to the question "Does the assistant respond?"
2. The app will display the message "There may be a problem." You will have two options: "Quit setup" and "Help Center." You should choose "Quit setup."
3. Once in the Google Home menu, the speaker will still be visible. Click on it.
4. The page that appears will display the speaker's volume in %; click on the gear in the top right corner.
5. In the settings, select Audio.
6. In the list that appears, select "Paired Bluetooth Devices."
7. Then click "Enable Bluetooth Pairing."
8. From the list, select the WK7 speaker again.

9. Finally, you will be able to see in the Bluetooth menu of the smartphone that the WK7 speaker is connected via Bluetooth.

Edit2:

you might want to add a reply to this post to let Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google) how happy we are :

https://x.com/lelapinroi/status/1904120988415000817

Please be polite.

[polytrauma]

As of now the google assistant functionality of the LG WK7 seems broken after a reset due to firmware incompability to the current version of google home/assistant. You can only make bluetooth work via the google home app in the audio settings of the incompletely set up device.

[polytrauma]

As you can see in this thread, google assistant no longer works on the WK7. You can still make it connect with BT, though, to at least use it to play music from your phone. So not a paperweight, but crippled.

[Matthieu_33]

Hello,

Same problem, please Google fixes this.

[keeya]

google / lg don't read this topic, see first post to send them a message (in your local language if you want)

[Matthieu_33]

J'ai contacté LG et Google pour ce problème et j'ai ouvert une plainte auprès de la DGCCRF pour cas d'obsolescence programmée.

[29cigalon]

Bonjour Matthieu 👍 on attend donc...

Bonnes fêtes de fin d'année

Rémy de Brest

[Matthieu_33]

Bonjour Rémy,

N'hésite pas à transmettre une plainte de ton côté depuis le site https://signal.conso.gouv.fr/fr

Merci très bonnes fêtes de fin d'année à toi aussi !

[Matthieu_33]

Bonjour,

Je viens de recevoir un mail de la DGCCRF.

Vous avez fait un signalement le 26/12/2024 concernant une entreprise :

SIRET : 38013056700106

LG ELECTRONICS FRANCE

25 QUAI DU PRESIDENT PAUL DOUMER
92400 COURBEVOIE

L'entreprise a pris connaissance de votre signalement aujourd'hui.

Si elle propose une solution ou corrige le problème, vous recevrez un email.

Pour information, les enquêteurs de la répression des fraudes ont également bien reçu votre signalement.

À bientôt sur SignalConso !

L'équipe SignalConso

[29cigalon]

Belle action et réponse rapide, en attendant la suite...merci Matthieu...

Rémy

[Matthieu_33]

Hello voici le retour de LG France suite à ma plainte auprès de la DGCCRF.

Bonjour Monsieur, Nous revenons vers vous suite à votre signalement concernant l'utilisation de votre enceinte. En effet, Google a mis fin au service Android Things OS, de sorte que les améliorations et l'assistance au dépannage pour le modèle WK7 Android Things ne sont pas disponibles. Toutefois, il vous est possible d'utiliser l'assistant Google comme haut-parleur BT via une connexion BT. Nous vous invitons à contacter à nouveau notre service client afin de procéder aux manipulations si nécessaire. Veuillez agréer, Monsieur, nos sincères salutations, LG Electronics France "

Hello Sir, We are coming back to you following your report regarding the use of your speaker. This is because Google has discontinued the Android Things OS service, so improvements and troubleshooting support for the WK7 Android Things model are not available. However, you can use the Google Assistant as a BT speaker via a BT connection. We invite you to contact our customer service again in order to carry out the manipulations if necessary. Please accept, Sir, our sincere greetings, LG Electronics France"

[keeya]

Merci pour le lien https://signal.conso.gouv.fr j'invite les français à faire un signalement ici !!

[29cigalon]

Bonjour,

Suite à installation d'un routeur, mon LG-WK7 XBoom ne fonctionne plus avec google home. Cepandant après rétablissement de la connexion bluetooth je peux utiliser celle-ci avec,mon smatphone. J'ai déposé une réclamation auprès de LG FR.

cordialités à tous

Rémy

[warmik]

Jak to się stało, że moje Xiaomi działa normalnie, a ten badziew to przycisk do papieru?

[Matthieu_33]

Jest to problem z aktualizacją.
Pracujemy nad problemem, aby LG i Google mogły naprawić anomalię

[EMcG67]

I have sent a complaint to both LG UK and Google for what little it's probably worth. I can still stream to the speaker and it answers queries. But I can't add it to any speaker groups which is important to me. I haven't had to reset it for any reason which is what has probably saved it from being totally bricked. 

[pascal1978]

I have the same problems with 3 WK7 speakers. Thanks for the useful ECC tips

[crialdzulu]

Hola, soy de Colombia y tengo dos parlantes Lg wk7 que solo sirven para adornar mi casa.

[pascal1978]

We should all sign a petition to force LG to extend the lifespan of these expensive speakers and support them again via Google Home. Otherwise, we must take legal action. In Europe, strict consumer rights apply. For this product, you can expect the lifespan and support to be longer than a cheap speaker. Who wants to start the petition and roll it out to various forums where this topic is discussed? Together we stand strong against LG

[keeya]

It's crazy to think that the speaker works perfectly fine but if you reset it, it becomes a brick. This is totally a virtual made-up issue, that end up with tons of REAL e-waste. For now and EU our best course of action are the links in the first post, but if someone is a lawyer., feel free to add more to the conversation...

[pascal1978]

LG could take a lesson from when Google ended Stadia. Google prevented e-waste by making the controller (gamepad) firmware public so that the controller could be used. Before that, the controller was useless because it could only be used via Google's own Stadia cloud. It's unfortunate that LG is not interested in preventing e-waste. They consider themselves green. Not long ago, I was at an electronics fair, knowing that LG was there. As a protest, I took an LG WK7 speaker and placed it on the counter of the LG stand with an A4 paper that read: 'You are warned if you buy something from LG; after a few years, it's trash and useless. LG makes great products, but their service is worthless.' My speaker received 13 minutes of attention before I and my speaker had to leave the stand. My mission was accomplished. It drew some attention. If we all do something like this, it helps to raise awareness. Maybe a YouTube influencer would also want to give attention to this. We do this to create a better, cleaner world for all of us

[EMcG67]

I received this email from LG UK and have replied to them. 

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your email that has been forwarded to me by the President of LG Electronics.

I am sorry to hear about the issue that you have been experiencing with your speaker. To be able to look into this further for you would it be possible for us to take the following details; 

-Full postal Address

-Serial Number

-Software version being used 

Once I have these details I will be able to escalate this to our Senior Technical Team for review. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Kind Regards,

Amy

LG Executive Care Team

LG Electronics Helpdesk

Email: #

UK: 0344 847 5454 Ireland:  01-686-9454

Mon- Fri , 0830-1700

Saturdays & Sundays- Closed

[keeya]

please escalate and point to this thread if you can

[EMcG67]

I have done so. Also received this reply a few days ago after I chased for an update

Thank you for your email.

Your inquiry is still being reviewed by our Senior Technical Team, I have chased them today for an update. As soon as I receive a response I will contact you to advise.

If you have any questions in the meantime please don't hesitate to ask.

Kind Regards,

Naomi

LG Executive Care Team

[PaulR25]

Same issue with Google Home app. Unable to cast. Bluetooth speaker not discoverable. I'm not even able to switch to bluetooth mode, either in the LG Soundbar app or the touch control on the speaker. I've got a big paper weight now.

[Benmertens86]

Same issue here! 😠

[pascal1978]

Remember, most answers by email from LG are standard computer generated or standard answers made by an employee. I got same mails from LG years years ago. Lets say from 2020 until now, same answers. Thats not good i think. They take us not very serious 

Like this standard mail answer:

Thank you for your email. Your inquiry is still being reviewed by our Senior Technical Team, I have chased them today for an update. As soon as I receive a response I will contact you to advise. If you have any questions in the meantime please don't hesitate to ask. Kind Regards

This is also an standard answers i got somewhere in 2022

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your email that has been forwarded to me by the President of LG Electronics.

I am sorry to hear about the issue that you have been experiencing with your speaker. To be able to look into this further for you would it be possible for us to take the following details; 

-Full postal Address

-Serial Number

-Software version being used 

Once I have these details I will be able to escalate this to our Senior Technical Team for review. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Kind Regards,

[keeya]

ideas are welcome to move this in a more efficient way

[EMcG67]

I have had a reply from LG - 

Our Senior Technical Team has advised that Google has terminated the Android Things OS service, which the WK7 needs to run Google services. Therefore there is no solution for this issue as the service was terminated by Google.

I hope this email has explained the situation and I do apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause. 

[keeya]

The speaker works perfectly fine till you reset it, this is bs on steroids

[LG_WK7_FAULTY]

That's most information that someone has manage to get out of LG... Nice work, shame it's not the answer we wanted. I find it strange I have an old LG Speaker H7, That has more functionality via Google Home App, I can cast to it via WIFI or Bluetooth.

[EMcG67]

Yes, mine still works as a Smart Speaker but will not connect as part of a group. I have never had to reset it. I think that is when it gets bricked. 

[polytrauma]

Yeah, do not reset it, if you do not have to. You will not be able to connect it again to google assistant after resetting.

[pascal1978]

Android Things OS service has terminated, LG can remake an firmware upgrade so the speaker can talk to the newest Google services, thats required no new hardware, its a software based change. The hardware is perfect and its made with good quality hardware. Its a Shame that LG dont write a Simple new firmware for this and other LG boom smart devices. 

[keeya]

The bs is on both end: LG never updated the firmware of their device (yet JBL with same Chromecast devices released at same date pushed firmware updates) and then you have Google who broke the pairing with their latest Google Home version (can we blame Google? The sad part being It's probably just a few lines of code to fix it). What a shame all this is.

[Minder]

Totally agree, sadly neither side is taking responsibility for fixing this. I've just tried with Google support and they say its not our problem, speak to LG. I have an open support ticket with LG, but not expecting much from them. Will update on here if I hear back and it's worth reporting.

[Tjommi]

I managed after ~10 reset and retries, to get it to show up on bluetooth menu on my cell phone number 2, with the name i had given it through Google Home setup through cell phone number 1.

After connecting bluetooth, the cell phone suggested i should open LG soundbar App, which i did. Through the app i can see which functions are active, "sound effect - bass enhance + clear vocal" , i can adjust volume and read device info, it seems to be connected to wifi, but casting does not work. Connecting bluetooth does work however. If i can now daisy-chain it to one of the other nest hubs or a radio, i can use it for my intentions. 

It works with bluetooth. Mine was completely dead, i got the error in Google Home just like everyone else and LG Soundbar App did not find it, before i managed to connect it via bluetooth.

[Tjommi]

One more thing, i can NOT cast to it, only stream via bluetooth. It does not show up when i press the cast icon. It does however, show up in Google Home.

The device is connected to WiFi, because it shows up with the ip adress stated in the Soundbar app, it is displayed as "LG Innotek" on my router

[Tjommi]

...it is actually connected to my router, even though Google Home at the same time is announcing that the device has no internet

[Tjommi]

The bluetooth connection does however, disconnects after 1-2 hours, every time. Have to turn bluetooth on and off on the cell phone transmitting. It looks from cell phone 2, that its casting, because it offers to stop the cast, and stopping casting actually stops the bluetooth stream, but when i try to cast from cell phone 2, "LG Thinq" device is not shown among castable speakers. And on Cell phone 1, there is a headphone icon next to the device, indicating its a bluetooth connection. So: Google is confused.

[pascal1978]

There is also an services usb port underneath the speaker, did somebody it to connect it to a terminal with SSH or telnet? The OS of the speaker i think its running under Linux