Automations for Nest speakers and displays come from Google Home routines. In the Home app you create an automation with a starter, such as a voice command, a time or a device event, and actions such as playing music, turning on lights or announcing something. A display can run a routine when you say a phrase, and speakers can start routines at set times. If a routine does not run, check the device that carries the starter is online, the phrase is exactly as set,
The checks in more detail
the time and days are right, the routine is enabled and the target devices are online. Personal routines depend on Voice Match, so an unrecognized voice may not trigger them. Alarms and timers are separate from routines and use the alarm volume. If a routine plays on the wrong speaker, check the media output device in the routine. Duplicate names can confuse it. Update the Home app and the device, since older versions may lack newer starters. Test by saying the phrase from another room.
Keep routines simple, name them clearly and review them when you add devices. A routine can also be set to work only when someone is home. If a routine started failing after a rename, open it and reselect the devices. Change one routine at a time and test it before adding the next. A routine that fires twice may have two triggers. Review routines after any household change.
A routine with several actions fails silently at the first offline device, so test with one action, add the next only when the first works and keep the list short. Name each routine after what it does, such as Front door light on at dusk, so that in the list you can tell at a glance which one to change when something goes wrong. When a morning routine works on weekdays but not weekends, check the days set on the starter, since a routine that lists days is easy to save with the wrong ones ticked.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest displays and smart speakers routine, schedule or automation is not running”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
An offline device
What separates it The routine does not run because a device in it is offline
How to confirm Reconnect the device, and check that it shows online in the Google Home app
- 2
A phrase mismatch
What separates it There is no response because the phrase you say does not match the routine's starter
How to confirm Say the phrase exactly as it is set in the routine, or change the phrase to something easier
- 3
Voice Match not set up
What separates it A personal routine is ignored because Voice Match is not set up for you
How to confirm Retrain Voice Match, so that the device knows who is speaking and runs your routines
- 4
A wrong output speaker
What separates it The routine plays on the wrong speaker because the output device is not chosen
How to confirm Choose the media device in the routine, so that the sound comes from the speaker you want
- 5
A renamed device
What separates it The action fails because a device in the routine was renamed
How to confirm Reselect the device in the routine, so that it points to the renamed device
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The routine that you set up, and what starts it
- The exact phrase that starts the routine
- The names of the devices used in the routine
- The output device chosen for the routine
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the device is online
ReversibleCheck that the device is online, and that the target device in the routine is online too.
Check the phrase and time
ReversibleCheck the phrase and the time exactly as they are set, since a small difference stops it running.
Check Voice Match
ReversibleCheck Voice Match for personal routines, since they need the device to know who is speaking.
Choose the output speaker
ReversibleChoose the output speaker in the routine, so that the sound plays where you want it to.
Reselect renamed devices
ReversibleReselect any device that was renamed, and rebuild the routine so it points to the right one.
Test from another room
ReversibleTest from another room, to confirm that the routine runs when you are not next to the device.
Keep it simple
ReversibleKeep it simple by starting with one action, and add more once the first one works.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Devices this page covers
- Nest Hub Max, Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Audio and Nest Mini (2nd gen). Google writes one help article per fault for its smart speakers and displays; the notes name where the camera on the Hub Max and the screens on the Hubs differ.
- Starters
- Voice, time and device events.
- Output
- Choose which speaker plays.
- Tools and supplies
- The Google Home app on an up-to-date phone, your wifi password, the supplied power adapter, a soft dry cloth for the camera window and a small screwdriver only for a wall bracket, plus a pen and paper for the model and message.
- Repair cost
- Most fixes cost nothing. Figures: Google Home Premium Standard is $10 a month or $100 a year and Advanced is $20 a month or $200 a year. Check the limited warranty before replacing a device.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Nest Hub (2nd gen).
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If routines fail after rebuilding, contact Google Nest support
- !If a starter is missing, update the app
- !If security actions misfire, disable the routine until you have fixed it
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Hey Google.
Playback problems.
Members and Admins.
Plans and features.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What starts a routine?+
A routine can start with a voice command, a time of day, or an event from a device.
Do personal routines need Voice Match?+
Yes, personal routines need Voice Match, so that the device knows who is asking.
Why did it play on the wrong speaker?+
It played on the wrong speaker because the output device setting points to another speaker.
Does renaming break routines?+
It can, so reselect the device in the routine if you rename it after making the routine.
Are alarms routines?+
No, alarms are separate from routines, and you set them in their own section of the app.
Can routines depend on who is home?+
Yes, routines can depend on who is home, using the presence settings in Google Home.