Removing Offline "Linked to you" devices from Google Home app

[joeljmiller]

I am trying to remove a device from the google home app. I don't recognize the device - I assume it's old and I no longer have it. It is listed under "linked to you" but I cannot determine what service it is linked from:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dGrQ3AidZJZ1hbVW9

When I select the device, I see this:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hh5LtSuc1wSQrpax9

When I select settings, I see this:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QX8RyaSF5Xa1q4fq8

When I click "Unlink device" I see this:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ExSPYTW2HU6fdUQJ8

To try to diagnose, I went to the Google app, to security, and I see:

Under devices, I see it, but it is signed out and I can't do anything else with it:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/D7FSmxFtMhwVaAZY8

and under services / linked account I see these services, none of which makes sense as a culprit:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/A9XTvJyoJTufhAxZ6

What are my next steps?

[Crease]

If your goal is just to remove the device from Google Home because it's no longer available to you and Google Home isn't allowing you to remove the device in the usual way, then I'd suggest trying to move it to a different home.

1. In the Google Home app, tap Settings in the lower-right corner, then Add, then Home.  Set up your new home with whatever dummy name you like, because it won't be around long.  You don't even have to assign it a physical address, just make sure you create a new home.
2. Once that's done, tap Favorites in the lower left-corner so that you can select your actual home by tapping the name in the upper-left corner and choosing your real current home.
3. Tap Devices (at the bottom) and navigate back into the settings (gear) for your troublesome device.
4. Once on that screen, tap Home and select your new temporary home to move the device.  Assign it to a room (it doesn't matter where) and complete the move.
5. After you've moved this problem child to the new home, you can once again tap Settings, make sure that you're still in your new temporary home, and then scroll down (swipe up) to get to Delete this home at the bottom of that screen.  Tap that, confirm that you're deleting the actual home that you want to delete on the next screen, and then tap Delete home.

That doesn't really diagnose the problem for you, but it may at least allow you to remove the device from Google Home.  Hopefully that helps.  It's worked for troublesome linked devices for me in the past, anyway.

[joeljmiller]

Thank you for the quick reply. Unfortunately this did not work. In your step #4, there is no option for me to tap Home. This is the settings view for the device:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QX8RyaSF5Xa1q4fq8

Notice my first screenshot. The device is "linked to me". If I knew where it was linked from, I could probably address the issue:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dGrQ3AidZJZ1hbVW9

[Crease]

You're welcome.  I'm sorry that those steps didn't work for you.  My suggestion was based on my own previous experience getting a troublesome Dish device out of Google Home when that link apparently failed and Google Home wouldn't let me remove the device or unlink it.  Moving it to a new home and then deleting that home got rid of the orphaned device for me in my actual home.

I appreciate the visual aids, and I'm trying to understand how you got to the screen you're showing where you don't have the Home option I mentioned in step #4.  This is what I see if I follow those steps and select a device linked to me:

To get there in the Google Home app, I tapped Devices, found my device and long-pressed it, then tapped the gear near the top-right.  From that screen, I can move it to a different home.  Then I can delete that home to get rid of the device.  That's been my previous experience, anyway.  (For what it's worth, I'm using Google Home on Android; I don't know what platform you use or how the iOS experience differs.)

Going back to your initial message, the picture you showed after tapping "Unlink device" doesn't appear substantially different from your previous picture, so I'm guessing that nothing actually happened (which is what I think you're trying to demonstrate as the problem).  That seems similar to my Dish issue, which is why I suggested the second home workaround.

I also notice in your screenshots that the device you're having problems with is the "SONY KD-55X80J" and that you also show "Office TV" offline.  Are those the same device?  Have you tried following the steps with the "Office TV"?  I ask because I've run into trouble with duplicate "phantom" devices linked in Google Home identified as TVs, and that's also been part of my problem (which following the steps I outlined in my initial reply has solved for me).

In any case, I hope that a moderator sees this and considers moving it to the "Apps / Account" forum, because this seems like an issue inside the Google Home app and not with an actual Google Nest speaker or display.  Hopefully in that forum this issue would get better visibility from someone with the right answer for solving this app problem.

[joeljmiller]

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To get there in the Google Home app, I tapped Devices, found my device and long-pressed it, then tapped the gear near the top-right. 

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I'm on iOS. The same steps get me to this: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QX8RyaSF5Xa1q4fq8

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I also notice in your screenshots that the device you're having problems with is the "SONY KD-55X80J" and that you also show "Office TV" offline.  Are those the same device?

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No they are different devices. The office TV was just an unplugged chromecast which I plugged back in to verify and its working fine.

Thanks for your help - yup I'm hoping someone sees this and escalates it...

[Crease]

No they are different devices. The office TV was just an unplugged chromecast which I plugged back in to verify and its working fine.

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Gotcha.  Thanks for taking the time to test and reply.

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Thanks for your help - yup I'm hoping someone sees this and escalates it...

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You're welcome.  I tried, anyway!  I hope someone else comes up with a solution for you.  Having that annoying clutter in Google Home is mildly frustrating.