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removing disconnected device

obwanknobi
Community Member

how do I remove a disconnected device in Google Home? I see this question asked a lot, and nobody has given an answer. when I go to remove it, it just says can’t connect, which is true the device is gone. i refuse to make another home, move the device, and delete the new home or migrate all my stuff between homes. 

2 Recommended AnswerS

Muddi
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hey folks,

 

My apologies for the lack of updates here. The team is still investigating this issue and I haven't received any updates as yet. I'll continue checking in with the team and share any updates I receive.

 

I understand this issue has been happening for quite some time and has been a rather frustrating experience. Thank you for your patience while our team works through this. 

 

Cheers,

Muddi

View Recommended Answer in original post

Muddi
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hey folks,

 

We appreciate all your patience. No new updates for now but rest assured that our team is looking into this issue. For those users who haven't sent a feedback yet, please do so by following the steps on this guide: Share a home and devices in the Google Home app

 

For the meantime, please create a new home structure then move all your devices (except the one the you can't delete). Once done, delete the old home structure then check if you still have the same issue. Also, check if you can delete it from the Assistant settings on the Google Home app. Follow the steps below to know how:

 

  1. Open the Google Home app.
  2. Tap the account icon on the upper right corner. Make sure you are log in on your account linked on the Google Home/Nest device. If not switch account by tapping the drop down arrow beside your account information.
  3. Tap "Assistant Settings."
  4. Tap "Devices" then check if you will see an option to remove unused devices.

If those troubleshooting steps don't work. Please make sure to send feedback on your Google Home app.

 

Cheers,

Muddi

View Recommended Answer in original post

203 REPLIES 203

MXCTRL
Community Member

I'm not sure you're understanding the issue. AS Paulcalli mentioned; 

"it is all operating systems, all versions of the app, and any device that was disconnected from wifi and can’t be reconnected to wifi. you have no option to hit “remove device”. also, if you create a new home, it does not show up as a device to add to the new home since it is disconnected."

The issues occurs across all types/brands of products, regardless of when they were added to the network, and regardless of the method or brand/product that was used to add them. 

As such, forcing someone to answer individual questions about their circumstances, before you can provide an answer/fix is really tantamount to ignoring the issue.

It is simple: There is no selection within the home app or within settings to "delete" any of the disconnected devices.

fidgitnz
Community Member

Hope you see this… the option is found in Settings -> rooms and groups -> go to the room with it and tap on the ghost device, and you should see “remove” at the bottom (I was able to nuke a nest hub that I’d replaced under warranty and so did not have the original even in my possession any more).

 

not sure why Google aren’t making this location of “delete device” known to everyone…

Rickcarp
Community Member

This is insane. I don't even have a remove bottom

Is this a robot? The issue is clear and repeatable. You simply, have a device then unplug it. Then try to remove it from Google Home. 

In 37 easy to follow steps that take hours to complete, you can remove the orphaned device. See? that’s the solution Google accepted 

I’ve been having the same problem-can’t delete a device I no longer have. I don’t know how I stumbled on this, but it worked for me:

in the Google Home app

Click Settings cog on the screen

Click Rooms and groups

Choose the room the device is in

In the Device Settings section click on the device you want to delete

Click remove device

Tell it you’re sure you want to delete it

I hope it works for you, too!

Thank you for this.  Unfortunately, this wont work when the devices aren't assigned to rooms, and you cant assign them to a room if they are offline.

 

Google needs to get their act together with this. 

The Home App and all google smart home devices get worse with every update, in my experience. 

I got this to work to remove device from the house with an additional step:

In the rooms and groups screen, there is now an Other devices category. You can select that device and remove it from the home entirely.

I can confirm that this method worked for me - and that my disconnected device is now finally gone, and I haven't had to create a brand new home!

Hoolio
Community Member

Remove option it is not available once the device it’s not longer online. I tried all the methods and procedures provided here and YouTube. The device is no longer on my possession so there you go

mark22
Community Member

1 Yesterday

2 Yes

3 1

4 Peteme smart light

5 Yes multiple devices

6 2.50.18

Kevinxk67
Community Member

I have same issue. Two out devices no longer on network or in home, Device comes up on list on house. Can't remove and Home app stays can't connect. 

 

Annoying. I refuse to create a new home as this is a pretty simple feature - delete unwanted devices in a home

K

Yes, I am having problems with removing a thermostat I left behind at my old home, which was one of 2 thermostats in different homes. Maybe the new owners have not set the device up to their account. This should work better,it is a basic function. The device i want to control now is set up on google home and seems to be on nest, but Alexa tells me she can’t find it. Also, I am getting notifications about the thermostat at the house I sold is there no way to remove device simplyas that.???

… and yes, before I left the old house, I went to the nest thermometer and the app and I believe I disconnected my acct from device.

I am not finding that the Nest Google Home relationship is anywhere near seamless. Controlling devices removing devices should be a simple basic function. 

Paulcalli
Community Member

Only 1 account linked and that was used to link it. Cannot remove a LG TV for example 

offtheball
Community Member

I'm trying to remove an old Chromecast and there's no option to remove. Normally it's under the Settings cog, but that doesn't exist.

I don't get why they don't just have a reduced menu for off-line devices that includes the remove option. Seems like a really simple fix. But maybe it's just me who thinks products should have basic functionality working 🤷‍♀️

Okseskaft
Community Member

Same issue. A defective smart speaker reset and when added back it showed up as a new device--but he old entry remains. Now, I can't remove or rename the old one. 

To make a new Home and move devices over I have to factory reset and reconfigure from scratch all my Google/Nest Wifi nodes AND my Hub Max and all my smoke alarms. That is insane.

Paulcalli
Community Member

Yes. Other apps like smart life can just delete the item but Google can't do it. I have had to create a new home 3 times now

Kristenj8
Community Member

Hello. I just wanted to add to thread that I am also having this issue. It is insane that after all these years and complaints that there is still not a reasonable way to remove a disconnected device. If it is disconnected, there should still be an option to remove said device. Hopefully the community specialist is actually helping to get this resolved and this major oversight corrected soon!

ElDanimal
Community Member

Just got a hubspot and it shows up in my google home app as a Disconnected Device and there don’t appear to be any options to update or remove.

Spud7017
Community Member

Just adding to the increasing frustration. I have the same problem. Google spends millions on R&D but no answer to a basic fault....!

BobM1
Community Member

Work your way to apps that work with Google home, under " linked service" tap the app the device was installed on and select " reconnect" 

obwanknobi
Community Member

that assumes it isn’t a google device, it also assumes the app the device is linked to still exists and can be reconnected/synced 

mreesharris
Community Member

Is this issue ever going to be resolved or are we all just supposed to wait for Matter to be implemented so we can just use another controller app such as Apple Home or Smart Things? For a company who supposedly has some of the best engineers at their disposal this should be a trivial fix. 

Magicmiles
Community Member

Things like this are exactly why I'm migrating to another smart home system. Google has the worst support.

Rickib3
Community Member

Found it!!!

I had the EXACT same issue, so here’s how I removed the device.

1. On the home app itself (not the top right) click on the Settings (cog) icon. This will bring you to Home Settings.

2. Click on Rooms and Groups and select the room where the disconnected device is located, in there it will list all your devices.

3. Click on the device that you want to remove, scroll to the bottom and hit Remove Device

I never reply to forums but because of the amount of frustration this has caused I felt it was right to post this

Juneau97
Community Member

Thank you! 

Chrislim
Community Member

I think I found another hacky solution. I didn't see the reply above me before sending this. It's a coincidence they replied just a day before me lol.

If you open the disconnected device (which just displays a spinning loading sign), you should have the options button with 3 dots (...) available to tap.

if you tap options on the device, feedback, and send random feedback, then the device loads and you can tap on the settings icon and 'Remove Device'

been looking for this for a while and it seems to work

TaxiDad
Community Member

Tried using several instructions above, but none worked for me. Did not have the "Remove" option on the devices. My disconnected device was a TP-Link Kasa outlet that no longer exists. For me, the solution was to:

  1. Unlink the Kasa app. Don't know if this step was necessary, but I did it not knowing any better. That removed all devices, which had me worried that I'd have to re-setup all of them.
  2. Went into the Kasa app and removed the disconnected device.
  3. From Google Home, re-linked Kasa. That brought back all the devices that were already setup there, including the rooms they were assigned to.

That's reassuring to know, thanks for sharing! I just wish the user experience was a little more intuitive and we didn't have to play these guessing games like "I wonder if all my devices will delete if I do this" - all so you can achieve a very basic function of a smart home: removing a device.

nicholasroth
Community Member

Just want to add, this is still an issue!

Dndkenny
Community Member

After much trial & error, admittedly mostly error, I think I found a way to remove a disconnected device you no longer have access to via your Wi-Fi network. Open the Google Home App, select Settings, select Rooms and Groups, select device under Other Devices near the bottom, select Remove Device and confirm your selection. Poof! It’s finally gone!  
(Someone please confirm;-)

Ha, just saw Rickib3‘a reply, good on ya!

it works! thanks @Dndkenny 

auahmed
Community Member

I've finally found it - here's how you can remove a device from your Google Home app EVEN IF the device is no longer active/in your possession:

  1. Open your Google Home app (not sure about Android, but this flow applies for iOS)

  2. Tap "Settings"

  3. Tap "Rooms and groups" under "General"

  4. Select the room that the device used to be in, or select "Other" if it wasn't assigned to a room

  5. Select the device

  6. Tap "Remove device"

  7. Done!! The device is gone

 

Cheers everyone - hope this helps you out!

Rcart
Community Member

I think I solved this by going to settings on the homes Main screen

 

Thank choosing “rooms and groups”

Choose the room the device is in

Choose the device you want to delete

and then choose remove device 

does this help 🤔

Bogometer
Community Member

YES!  That works. 

PollyStyrene
Community Member

Yes, I am having problems with removing a thermostat I left behind at my old home. A cascade of errors stems from - maybe as the new owners have not set the device up to their account. This should work better, seems like an urgent basic function.

Jonnyq5
Community Member

Also need a fix for this issue, without building a new home please