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Multiple devices responding at the same time

seknav
Community Member

Issue began week of December 20.

 

I've had multiple Google Home and Nest speakers in our home for years. Nothing has changed in the past 6 months. 2 weeks ago, multiple speakers are answering when the wake command is issued. I say 'Hey Google, what is 1+1?' and two or three speakers will respond with the information or action that has been requested. There are four speakers on the floor I'm on. One that I'm next to, and others in completely separate rooms respond. There is one in a bedroom (2nd gen Mini) and one in the bathroom (Nest Audio) which regularly go rogue. The other in another bedroom is silent.

 
I understand that upon hearing the wake command, multiple devices negotiate with each other to decide which will respond. In this case they don't seem to be following that procedure (the one in the other room or the bathroom jump in even though the one I'm standing next to is closest).
 
I've rebooted the devices and the wake sensitivity is already set to low.
 
Why is this happening and how can I resolve it?
 
I have read existing articles but this specific issue (multiple devices on the same network responding to one wake command) is not covered.
 
I asked this question in the Google Assistant community but was asked to post it here.
1 Recommended Answer

KiiFromGoogle
Community Manager (Admin)
Community Manager (Admin)

Hi everyone,

We recently worked with a Senior Product Manager on the Google Assistant team to write a blog about about what's happening when multiple devices respond to your Google Assistant requests. She shared some tips to help improve which device responds to requests overtime. Be sure to check out the blog post for all the detailsFAQs: Using Google Assistant and Multiple Devices.

 

While this thread is now closed, we started a new discussion about this topic to gather feedback. You can also submit feedback for the team through your devices at any time. 

 

Thanks! 

View Recommended Answer in original post

473 REPLIES 473

Eieia
Community Member

I have factory reset all my Google speakers (1 mini, 1 nest, 1 hub max) and everything was fine for an hour or two. Then, when I told them to turn on the lights, they both started answering. So resseting is not a solution. Hope Google will come with a fix faster or I will migrate to Alexa....

GodsRaven
Community Member

Yup.  The "solution" is always temporary, but they will still tell you to do it because they don't have a solution.  They're not going to fix it.  There was a huge, long conversation about this Google problem and they deleted it because so many people were complaining about Google in it.

GodsRaven
Community Member

Nope.  After going through all that resetting, it will work for a day or two, then the problem will come back again.  This is not a solution at all.

does it need to be 2.4GHz ? Google devices should work fine on 5GHz as well

In 2022 if Google devices don't work properly with the widely used and popular 5GHz channel that's a Google problem, not a user problem.

I don't have a 5G router, so it's not that.

pbman
Community Member

When you say reset "ALL devices," are you referring to resetting ALL devices INCLUDING resetting your phone(s)? Just wanted some clarity on this one for some other folks. Thanks so much!!

Gigabomb
Community Member

For me it is only the devices, my phone "hears" the wake phrase but has yet to do the action.  

Well, this is a new one.  My phone, as of yesterday, is now starting to do the action.   It just starts getting better and better.  LOL. Why even have a hub or nests?  I didn't even know I could ask my phone to do this.  I could have just carried my phone everywhere and avoided all these costs.

Wdhnsn
Community Member

I have iPhone so it's only my Google minis and Sonos speakers with assistant

GodsRaven
Community Member

I have reset every device, plus uninstalled and reinstalled my Home app.  Still doing it and getting worse.

bcx
Community Member

Have tried this twice, doesn't affect the problem.  They get added back and seem to work for a few hours then it starts all over again

GodsRaven
Community Member

Not only have I had this same issue, but resetting it actually made mine worse.

This isn't a workable solution when you have spent years setting the home up with 20 screens and devices with different routines set up.

Aiden1
Silver Product Expert
Silver Product Expert

Yeah, so this doesn't work.  Even the Google support person I'm corresponding with says this won't work.  And it doesn't.  Personally I wouldn't advise people do this.  The devices may work for a day at most, an hour at the least and multiple factory resets at that kind of rate shouldn't be necessary for these products to function.  

did you finally find a fix?

Nope.  The only fix is to get rid of it.  I checked out Alexa.  It looks like there are similar issues, although maybe not as bad.  

I've called them, was told to reset all my devices (hub and nests). I did, but the problem came back.  I even got so sick of it I uninstalled my Google Home app, deleted every smart device, and started from scratch.  

After I got it all set up again it was fine for about a day.  Then it started again.  I figure when I get sick enough of it, I might try getting an Echo instead.  I considered just getting Echo minis or an Echo hub, but then they couldn't talk to each other.  

There's no real answer until they work together and fix the problem instead of making it a competition.

Alext
Community Member

This solution works temporarily, and the behavior returns after a short while.

Something is messed up in google recently and no one seems to have focus on this issie

This is not a solution... I'm not going to turn to a factory reset on every device I own every time Google has a glitch, it's way too much work to set up devices, preferences, routines, family members, etc and Google needs to get a handle on it and not make a factory reset their first step resolution in their playbook.

GodsRaven
Community Member

Google doesn't care.  They're making enough money that they don't care about their customers and won't until they stop buying devices because of it.

pbman
Community Member

Looks like they are working to fix/improve this whole ordeal... so that's good!!! Took a screenshot of a notification I just received from Google Assistant in regards. See screenshot from link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8iXdXREPSfoq8N436

I've seen that occasionally as well, but it doesn't matter what I answer, it continues. I've only seen it at home on my phone(Galaxy S21 Ultra). I've done the reset on the previous device, but after months of "There's been a glitch"/"Something went wrong", "try again in a few seconds." I bought two new Nest Hubs and replaced the old Google Home device and an Echo in another room. For one day, everything worked. Then it all started happening again. I now think that the errors are purely being caused by one or another of the devices trying to answer at the same time. This thread seems to confirm that. Can anyone help?

Nope.  Sorry.  There's no answer.  And mine seems to be deteriorating.  I've had this issue with it for several months now.  Since about January or February.  It's getting worse by the day.  Supposed it's supposed to "learn", but instead it now answers when no one has said "hey Google", answers me with nonsense answers, the wrong device answers, tells me things aren't connected to my home one minute then the next minute works, restarts for no apparent reason (I have an excellent 2.4 router that can handle multiple devices with no problem and I live alone.  It's not the connection.  It's Google.)

I've put off resetting it all, but I'm about to try one complete reset - delete my Google home completely, reset all devices, and start from scratch.  If it doesn't work, I'm trashing Google and switching to Alexa.  This is simply inexcusable.

GodsRaven
Community Member

I've been receiving this notification for months now on occasion.  Sometimes it asks me, especially when I yell at it and ask why the wrong one answered.  They're still doing nothing about their problem.  I think they're making enough money that they just don't care to fix these problems.

I have 12 speakers. I shouldn't have to reset all these

Nicholas Hutchings

I did one partially better- I got two new devices. Still have the same issues (maybe 20% less often, maybe). I have a smart router that switches between frequencies as needed. That shouldn't matter. 

"There's been a glitch." Is driving me crazy.

this is ridiculous ...  I reset all my google homes in order to fix this issue a month or two ago, and it's now HAPPENING AGAIN.  wtf!!!!

shouldn't have to do all this.........Google should fix it!!!!!!

Should, yes.  But obviously won't.  We keep buying them, so they don't care.

This doesn't work.  It's a very temporary fix.  Within a day to a week, it goes back to messed up again.

I have 30+ devices in my home. I can't reset all of them. And I shouldn't have to. Everything worked fine until 6 months ago. it's incumbent on Google to fix their problem. 

Nicholas Hutchings

I 100% agree with you.  Besides, resetting them will only fix it for a day or two.  It's not worth the bother.  Yes, it's up to Google to fix it.  Maybe if we all start calling them every single day, twice a day.  🙂

 

mine was the same....how old is your modem...returned my "old" modem and got a new one and all si well....modem was about 5 years old 

My modem is fairly new (1 year). It is wifi6, high end model... Also, my internet speed is 2.5gbps wan, with ~1000mbps wireless speed on 5ghz... Still, the issue is here...

yep...you should be good with that but Google just doesn't seem to care.  

My only modem is the Google Nest WiFi router. Literally, it is - I have it plugged directly into the Verizon Fios ONT and no other modems or routers on either side. If the problem persist for me, someone who has a Google WiFi router, I doubt the router or modem is the problem, even if upgrading your modem seems to have fixed it, give it some time and the problem will be back I'm sure.

Thus doesn't work and is not the solution to the problem.

It doesn't work. Google fix it please.

They don't read these.  It's just a gripe room for us.  We've been complaining for almost a year now.  Maybe if we start bombarding their phones?

Its not the solution. Google please fix it.