A Nest Hub (2nd gen) that shows as offline in the Google Home app has lost its connection to the network or Google. Check first that the Hub is powered and its screen is on, then that the Wi-Fi works for other devices. Restart the router and unplug the Hub for ten seconds. If you changed the router or the password, update the Hub's Wi-Fi in its settings. After a power cut, restart the router first, then the Hub, and give both a few minutes. A Hub in a poor spot may drop, so move it closer. Owners reported Hubs that stopped responding after updates until the router's IPv6 setting was checked.
A factory reset, holding both volume buttons for about ten seconds, is the last step. The Hub's screen tells you what it sees: a message that it cannot connect to Wi-Fi, or a screen that works but the app shows offline. The first points at the network, the second at the Home or the account in the app. The Hub's 7-inch screen is also a diagnostic tool: if it shows photos or the clock, it is powered and probably online, and the app status is stale; if it shows a setup or error screen, the network is the cause. Owners who solved a repeated offline status often traced it to a router that renewed addresses badly or to a mesh node that the Hub kept switching between.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest Hub (2nd gen) is offline or unavailable”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A router that went down
What separates it All devices are offline
How to confirm Restart the router
- 2
A changed password
What separates it Only the Hub is offline
How to confirm Update the Wi-Fi in the Hub's settings
- 3
A weak signal
What separates it The Hub drops now and then
How to confirm Move it closer
- 4
A power cut
What separates it It is offline afterwards
How to confirm Restart the router first, then the Hub
- 5
An IPv6 setting
What separates it Problems began after an update
How to confirm Check the router's IPv6 setting
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether other devices are online
- The Hub's screen state
- Whether the router changed
- Whether it began after an update
Try in this order
0 of 12 completedCheck power and screen
ReversibleThe Hub should be lit.
Check other devices
ReversibleConfirm the Wi-Fi works.
Restart the router and the Hub
ReversibleRouter first.
Update the Wi-Fi
ReversibleIn the Hub's settings.
Move it closer
ReversibleTest a stronger signal.
Factory reset
ReversibleHold both volume buttons about ten seconds.
Read the message on the Hub
ReversibleIf it says it cannot connect, fix the network; if the screen works, check the Home and account in the app.
Reconnect the Hub to Wi-Fi from its screen
ReversibleSwipe down, Settings, Wi-Fi and choose the network again.
Check that the app shows the right Home
ReversibleOpen Google Home, tap the Home name and switch if needed.
Reserve an address for the Hub
ReversibleIn the router's settings, give the Hub a fixed address so that a renewed lease does not drop it.
Pin the Hub to one mesh node
ReversibleIf your mesh network has several nodes, move the Hub close to one and away from the edge between two, since a Hub that keeps switching nodes goes offline.
Check for firmware
ReversibleOpen the Hub's settings, Device information, and note the firmware version, then update when a new one is offered.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Order
- Router first, then the Hub.
- Updates
- Some owners saw problems after updates.
- Screen versus app
- A Hub that works but shows offline has a stale status.
- Router first
- After a power cut, restart the router before the Hub.
- IPv6
- Some post-update problems were fixed by a router setting.
- Mesh networks
- A mesh network that moves devices between nodes can drop a stationary Hub.
- Fixed addresses
- A reserved address avoids lease problems.
- Quiet hours
- A Hub that is offline only at night often follows a router's nightly restart.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If it stays offline after a router restart and a Wi-Fi update, factory reset
- !Then contact Google Nest support
- !A Hub that will not light needs a power check
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is my Nest Hub offline?+
It lost its connection to your network.
Will a restart fix it?+
Often.
What if I changed my password?+
Update it in the Hub's settings.
How do I factory reset?+
Hold both volume buttons.
Why does the Hub work but the app says offline?+
A stale status or the wrong Home.
How do I reconnect the Hub to Wi-Fi?+
Swipe down on the screen, Settings, Wi-Fi.
Why is my Hub offline at the same time every night?+
The router may restart or renew its leases then.
Does a mesh network cause offline status?+
It can, if the Hub keeps switching nodes.