Nest Hub Max no longer playing audio on speaker group

[rhammond84]

Nest Hub Max is no longer playing music on the speaker group it is in when asked. All other speakers in the speaker group play, and I can manually add the Hub Max back into the group whilst playing audio through the display interface. 

Am presuming this is an issue with latest preview version firmware/cast firmware?

System firmware version: 12.20230611.1.59

Cast firmware: 1.70.375332

[bpcs]

My groups did work again after deleting and reconfiguring. Strange thing is that for my group volume change "automations,", the group is now the "device" instead of my Hub Max initiating the start of the volume change... the Hub Max also does not play in the group, but everything else, including a Samsung Q990C soundbar, do work.

[Rolaids649]

Side question, how are you casting to the Samsung q990c?

[bpcs]

Just make sure you have selected the Chromecast built into the Q990C as the "device" to cast to and not the wireless audio connection.

[Rolaids649]

I don't see any Chromecast option coming up for the soundbar. I'm wondering if somehow I don't have that option in my country, USA. I know sometimes options are limited. 

[stilljammin313]

I have this same issue and my Nest Hub is only apart of one group. I can pause/play from the display, but no audio comes out.

[Yugene]

Has there been any updates on this now that there was a Google Blog post about allowing certain Google Home devices being able to be added to multiple speaker groups again? My Google Nest hub still can’t be played in any speaker group. I can add it to speaker groups just fine but it can only be casted to by the device itself or if I create a speaker group that only has it in it and no other device. 

[bpcs]

Provided you only have one speaker group, the Hub Max does play in it. So the promise of multiple speaker groups returning and playing as expected, is not yet true for me.

[t34wrj]

 Others, including myself, are having issues where there is only one speaker group. 

[BeerNecessities]

Still waiting for a new google home update.  It still says Oct. 5, 2023 update.  I still can't get google nest hub to work in speaker group all the time.

[UnderScoreMan]

I'm absolutely never buying this stuff again. That's for sure. Can't rely on any feature to work correctly. I've got my speakers in one sole group. It either plays on the hub only or on the rest only. I'm having an absolute terrible experience right now. I'll be moving completely to a selfhosted solution with custom devices because working with Googles devices have been an terrible experience for years now.

Guess what. Media playback to all speakers only works with YT music now. Home Assistant and poweramp are still bugged. This ecosystem is the worst and I'm stsrting to regret my purchases more and more. 

[bpcs]

You haven't perhaps got, or had, a stereo pair of Google speakers configured and contained within your group? This messed me around as after the Sonos court ruling, a stereo pair was considered another group, and thus prevented multiple groups. Even once Google rolled out the fix after the court appeal, I had issues and then deleted the stereo pair, factory reset the two Nest Audio speakers, and now my "solitary" speaker group, including the Hub Max, works well. I have given up for now trying to get multiple groups working again... they will accept configuration, as opposed to post the Sonos ruling, but the Hub Max won't join (if I have multiple speaker groups).

[aarontax]

No stereo pair for me - just regular old individual speakers.  

[aarontax]

Great news!  All of my speakers in my speaker group (including the 2 screens) magically started working last night.  It's a little glitchy here and there.  But I just tried it again this morning and all of the speakers in my speaker group turned on - including the 2 screens.  

[Chuckee]

Nice.  I just tried it and mine worked as well!

nest hub max, Google home audio, nest audio pair, nest mini, single nest audio.

[Chuckee]

aaand it's broken again... worked for a day and hasn't worked since... 

system firmware is ..11.1.67

[DuuveL]

Same here. Frustrating.

[rhammond84]

What firmware version do you have on the 2 screens (Hub Max, or Hub)?

[aarontax]

how can I find what firmware I have?

[Chuckee]

Google home app. 

Go to the device and look in Device Information

[aarontax]

1.70.377722.  Also, for the record, it stopped working again. It's not playing on either of my screens.  Google is killing me.  

[aarontax]

Also, my speakers will no longer turn off.  I ask Google to turn off my speaker group, it says it's doing that, and they keep on playing.  There's no way to stop them except for unplugging them.   They have turned into zombie speakers.   #thanksgoogle 

[t34wrj]

Strange behaviour: I cast to my speaker group using an Android app. The app will show that it is playing on that speaker group - but the audio will not be playing on the Nest Hub Max despite it being part of that speaker group.

I then open the Google Home app, click on Favourites then the media that is playing. This shows the speaker group name. When I click the name of the speaker group it shows the group name which, when I click on that towards the top/middle of the screen, then plays properly on the speaker group and the group icon is ticked in the app....

This suggests that when I'm casting to the speaker group that contains the Nest Hub Max, that it's not really playing on that speaker group.

[rik75schuijt]

Same problem here! 

Firmware 3.71.383592

[rhammond84]

Interesting... Another new preview firmware and still not solved. 

Have that same version on Nest Hub Max on the Preview program, and still not working like you. 

[aarontax]

Mine work some days, not others. Today neither screen worked.  And my speaker group would not turn off even when I asked it to many many times.  

[Gambo]

im a google support and i just learned double the amount my training taught me by reading this thread great job google?

[_oogle_is_trash]

I’m having the same issue. The google hub max doesn’t work when there is more than one speaker in the group! AWESOME JOB GOOGLE! That’s what speaker groups are for; single speakers! I’ve reset the device. Reset the entire network, restarted my phone (as of that is the reason why the GOOGLE device isn’t working, LOL).

I’m done with google, I will be removing ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING google from the home. It’s better spending $500 for two Sonos speakers that always work than using the trash google is putting out. And with every update the devices doless and less. I see a class action lawsuit brewing especially for the paying customers that are getting less and less while they continue to nickel and dime you with price increases

[mmatthews11]

Also experiencing this with 2x Nest Hub Max's in my speaker group.  Everything else plays but not the 2x Nest Hub Max's

[Ruatha]

Same problem. My two Nest Hub doesn't play when the speaker group plays, but all other does. Plays individually.

[Gambo]

im pretty sure you all are doing speaker groups correct https://support.google.com/assistant/answer/9210727?hl=en#zippy=%2Cspeaker-group-limits this link tells how 

[Traxtar944]

Here's the steps:

1) Create new speaker group

2) select ANY Chromecast capable speakers to add them to that group

3) All grouped speakers play when the group they're a part of is selected.

That's it. That's all it should require.

Anything else should be considered a bug in the software, or blatant failure by Google to create a working product.

This is not a user issue, it's a manufacturer issue. Telling users who are unable to use their products as advertised to "read the manual" is patronizing at best, and insulting at worst.

[aarontax]

Latest status, which sounds like it's the norm: when I tell my speaker group to play something, all of the speakers play, except the ones with screens.  I did a hard reset on one of my screens, re-added it to the speaker group, and it did not change anything.  Only the speakers play, not the screens.  

[Traxtar944]

It's not the norm. The norm is that all speakers play regardless of whether they have a screen or not. This is Google removing or disabling features that were present on devices at the time of purchase.

[rhammond84]

Looks like another new Preview firmware version released with it still not resolved. 

System firmware version: 14.20230831.4.67
Cast firmware: 3.71.387262

At this point, I assume this is - for some reason - as intended and the functionality is permanently gone. Otherwise, not sure why it's coming onto 2.5 months to fix. 

[Gambo]

im happy i havent spend money on google products and became a support worker first cuz these products are god dang useless 

[mmatthews11]

Amazingly, this appears to be suddenly fixed for me folks. See image here ( https://postimg.cc/Ny64sdgX) of my firmware version(s).

As I write this, I am successfully playing music through all my speakers, including my two Nest Hub Max's. I did not make any changes myself.

This was not working earlier this week.

Anyone else suddenly having success?

[mmatthews11]

And this morning it is no longer works. Lovely.

[t34wrj]

Better to have loved and to have lost, than never to have loved at all. /s

😂

[mmatthews11]

Ha true, however, I have yet another update.  I'm sorry this is coming in piecemeal, folks.

I have discovered that I can indeed get this working correctly and playing through all my speakers, including my Nest Hub Maxs by following these steps:

1. Open the YouTube Music app on your phone.
2. Do not start casting.
3. Begin playing a song on just your phone.
4. From your phone and the YouTube Music app, start casting the song to your speaker group that includes your displays.
5. Fin

This has now worked repeatedly for me today.  I have found it does not work at all by using voice commands.  I have to do it through my phone.  Additionally, initiating the cast before a song is playing causes only my non-displays to play the music, and then I have the original symptoms of the problem that this thread revolves around.

I only use the YouTube Music app, so this solution may not work for other apps like Spotify for iHeartRadio, or example.

Good luck!

[Matt202]

This sounds like Google is trying to force us to use only their software products (YouTube Music, etc...) on their hardware products (Google Home Max speakers and etc...) which is pretty shady, if not illegal considering we all purchased these speakers because they were advertised and working with competing products such as Spotify.  Anyone have any knowledge about how to start a class action lawsuit? With all that repeated problems, I think I want my money back!