The Nest Hub (2nd gen) is set up with the Google Home app over Bluetooth first and Wi-Fi second, and the fault that stops most owners is on the phone, not on the display. The app needs Location, and Nearby devices on Android, or Bluetooth and Local Network access on an iPhone; if any of those is refused, the app sits on Searching for devices until it times out. The second cause is distance: the Bluetooth link used for the handshake is short-range, and a phone in another room or a Hub behind a thick wall drops it,
so stand within about ten to fifteen feet with a clear line of sight. Once the Wi-Fi link is up you can walk away. The third is the router: a router with one name for 2.4 and 5 GHz bands can confuse the Hub's first connection, and owners solved it by switching off the 5 GHz radio for ten minutes during setup. If the Hub was set up before, factory reset it by holding both volume buttons on the back for about ten seconds until the chime.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest Hub (2nd gen) will not complete setup or pairing”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A permission the app has been denied
What separates it The app stays on Searching for devices
How to confirm Turn on Location and Nearby devices (Android) or Bluetooth and Local Network (iPhone) for Google Home
- 2
The phone is too far or behind a wall
What separates it The Hub is visible for a moment and then lost
How to confirm Stand within ten to fifteen feet in the same room
- 3
A router that merges the bands
What separates it Setup fails at the Wi-Fi step
How to confirm Temporarily turn off the 5 GHz radio, run setup, then turn it back on
- 4
A Hub that was set up before
What separates it The app says it is already set up or does not find it
How to confirm Factory reset: hold both volume buttons on the back about ten seconds
- 5
An out-of-date app or a glitch
What separates it The app errors partway through
How to confirm Update Google Home, restart the phone and the Hub, and try again
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The phone model and its Android or iOS version
- The permissions Google Home has been granted
- The router's band setup and whether the Hub is on the same network
- Whether the Hub was set up before and by whom
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck the app's permissions
ReversibleOn the phone, open the app's settings and allow Location and Nearby devices, or Bluetooth and Local Network on an iPhone, then reopen Google Home.
Put the phone close to the Hub
ReversibleStand within ten to fifteen feet with nothing solid between the phone and the Hub until the setup reaches the Wi-Fi step.
Join the phone to the same Wi-Fi
ReversibleThe Hub joins the network the phone is on, so use the 2.4 or 5 GHz network you want the Hub to use.
Handle the band confusion
ReversibleIf setup stalls at Wi-Fi, switch the router's 5 GHz radio off for about ten minutes, run setup from the start and turn it back on afterwards.
Factory reset if it was set up before
ReversibleHold both volume buttons on the back for about ten seconds until the chime, wait for the Welcome screen and begin setup again.
Update the app and restart
ReversibleInstall the latest Google Home, restart the phone and the Hub, then run setup again.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- The two-stage setup
- Bluetooth does the first handshake and Wi-Fi does the rest, so a short range matters only at the start.
- The reset
- Both volume buttons together for about ten seconds is the factory reset on the 2nd gen.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If setup fails on a second phone and a second network, contact Google Nest support
- !If the Hub will not reset, check that it has power and that you are holding both buttons
- !If the screen shows a software error, ask Google about a repair
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Setup connection checks for Google and Nest devices.
Setup, Wi-Fi and reset problems with the Nest Hub.
Permissions, distance and Wi-Fi band checks for Nest Hub setup.
Google's restart and reset guidance for Nest devices.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why can't the Google Home app find my Nest Hub?+
Usually a refused permission, too much distance, or a Hub that was set up before and needs a reset.
How do I factory reset a Nest Hub 2nd gen?+
Hold both volume buttons on the back for about ten seconds until you hear the chime.
Does the Nest Hub need 2.4 GHz?+
It joins 2.4 or 5 GHz networks; a router that merges the bands can make setup fail, so separate or pause one.
Do I need to stay near the Hub after setup?+
Only until the Wi-Fi connection is made.