Animations set volume on Nest hub instead of smartphone

[Koni]

Hi there,

I have my Nesthub for a while now but I am pretty unsatisfied with the automations and what I can (or rather can't) do with it. But this shall not be about not being able to delete not needed automations. This is about the fact that in a completely blank automations when I combine "setting volume on my smartphone to say 90" and afterward "set the volume on my Nesthub to 30" my Smartphone volume stays unchanged. Instead what happens is the Nesthub first jumps to 90 resulting in a loud tone and then goes to 30 for the following actions. This seems very stupid is there any fix? Info: I am using an Android OnePlus Nord (maybe theres an issue with the volume here).

[pereztzum]

Hi @Koni,

I understand your frustration! It's definitely annoying when automations don't work the way you expect, especially when it results in a loud surprise. Unfortunately, there isn't a built-in way to control individual device volumes within a single automation in the Google Home app.

Here are a couple of workarounds you could try:

1. Separate automations: Instead of one automation, create two separate ones. The first would trigger when you want to adjust your phone volume and the second would adjust the Nest Hub volume. This might not be ideal, but it would ensure they don't interfere with each other.

2. Voice control (indirect): While you can't directly set individual volumes in an automation, you could explore using voice commands in a sequence. For instance, you could set up a routine that you trigger by saying a specific phrase. The routine could first instruct your phone's Assistant to lower its volume ("Hey Google, set phone volume to 20%") and then instruct the Nest Hub Assistant to adjust its volume ("Hey Google, set Nest Hub volume to 30%"). This wouldn't be completely automated, but it might be a more convenient way to achieve the desired outcome

I hope one of these suggestions helps! It's also worth noting that functionality in the Google Home app is constantly evolving, so there's always a chance future updates might offer more granular control over volume in automation, so taking this in consideration I would like if you can share your feedback with us.

Best, 

Brandon.

[Koni]

Hi @pereztzum 

thank you for your reply. So, I understand you correctly, I cannot have one automation adjusting my smartphone in, say, action 1 and in action 2 adjusting the volume of my Nesthub?

I am unsure if that is my issue here. After some testing, I think it might be my OnePlus Nord because even an automation that is only adjusting the smartphone volume adjusts the volume on the Nesthub when triggered on the Nesthub. So either this automation is in some way false, or OnePlus doesn't allow for smartphone volume changes via a Google Home automation.

Best regards

Koni

[pereztzum]

Hi @Koni,

You're absolutely correct! In the current Google Home automation system, it's not possible to have a single automation adjust the volume of both your smartphone and Nest Hub in separate actions.

Here's a breakdown of the limitations:

• Individual Device Control: Automation can only control one device per action. So, you can't have action 1 target your phone and action 2 targets your Nest Hub within a single automation.
• Speaker Confusion: Even if you create separate automation, some devices (like your OnePlus Nord in this case) might have limitations on how they handle Google Home volume control commands. It's possible that sending a volume adjustment command to your phone through Google Home might also trigger a volume change on the Nest Hub if they're both considered "speakers" by the system.

Here are some alternative approaches you can consider:

1. Separate Automation: Create two separate automations. One for adjusting your phone's volume (if possible) and another for adjusting the Nest Hub volume. You can trigger them with separate voice commands or routines.

2. Voice Control (indirect): While you can't directly combine adjustments in one automation, you can explore using voice commands in a sequence. For example, you could set up a routine that you trigger by saying a specific phrase. The routine could first instruct your phone's Assistant to lower its volume ("Hey Google, set phone volume to 20%") and then instruct the Nest Hub Assistant to adjust its volume ("Hey Google, set Nest Hub volume to 50%"). This approach requires using separate voice commands but achieves a similar outcome.

3. OnePlus Nord Limitations: It's possible that your OnePlus Nord doesn't allow Google Home to directly control its volume. You might need to adjust its volume manually through the phone's settings or on-device buttons.

Here are some resources that might be helpful:

• Google Assistant Routines

I hope this explanation clarifies the limitations of Google Home automation and provides some alternative solutions for adjusting the volume on your phone and Nest Hub. If you have any further questions or need more specific help with setting up the separate automation or routines, feel free to ask!

Best,

Brandon.