Voice control is the point of a Nest speaker or display, and Google's Hey Google article covers what to check when it does not respond. Make sure the microphone is on, since the mic switch on the device turns listening off and a light shows it. Check the device is online, the volume is up and Hey Google is enabled in the device's settings. Say the phrase clearly from a reasonable distance and reduce noise.
The checks in more detail
If it responds to some people and not others, set up or retrain Voice Match. Reboot the device by unplugging it for about a minute, and check the wifi. If it hears you but plays incorrectly, Google's article on playback problems covers audio quality, speaker groups and casting. Check that the phone and device are in the same home and account. If Hey Google works but a smart home command does not, check the target device is online and named simply; duplicates confuse commands.
Update the Home app and the device firmware. On a Hub Max, Look and Talk lets you speak without the hotword after Face Match is set up, and needs the camera enabled. A device that ignores its name may have been renamed, so check the room and name in the app. Ask the same short question at three distances to see whether the fault is the mic or the wifi. Rename devices with short names that sound different from each other.
Practise the hotword in the room the device sits in. If commands work at the device but not from across the room, the microphones may be blocked by furniture or a noisy appliance, and moving the device a hand's width can change results. Ask the device to play a specific radio station or tell you the time first, since success with simple requests tells you the microphone and wifi work and that a failing smart home command is a naming or device problem.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest displays and smart speakers does not respond to voice control”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The mic switch off
What separates it The device does not respond because its microphone switch is turned off
How to confirm Turn the microphone switch on, and check that the light shows that it is listening
- 2
Hey Google disabled
What separates it The device ignores the hotword because Hey Google is disabled in the settings
How to confirm Enable Hey Google in the device settings, and try the command again
- 3
Voice Match not set up
What separates it The device gives the wrong person's results because Voice Match is not set up properly
How to confirm Retrain Voice Match for each person, speaking clearly in a quiet room
- 4
An offline device
What separates it The device gives no answers because it is offline
How to confirm Fix the wifi connection, and check that the device shows online in the app
- 5
A name or duplicate problem
What separates it Smart home commands fail because two devices share a similar name
How to confirm Rename the devices with simple, unique names, so that the assistant can tell them apart
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The state of the microphone switch on the device
- Whether the device shows online in the app
- The exact phrase that you said to the device
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the mic switch
ReversibleCheck the microphone switch and its light, since a muted device cannot hear you at all.
Check it is online
ReversibleCheck that the device is online, because voice answers need a working wifi connection to reach Google.
Check Hey Google
ReversibleCheck that Hey Google is enabled in the settings, since the device ignores the hotword if it is not.
Retrain Voice Match
ReversibleRetrain Voice Match if the wrong person's results appear, speaking clearly in a quiet room.
Reboot
ReversibleReboot the device by unplugging it for a minute, then plugging it back in and waiting.
Rename devices
ReversibleRename your devices with simple, unique names, so smart home commands go to the right one.
Contact Google
ReversibleContact Google if it stays silent, and tell them the model and what the microphone light shows.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Mic
- A physical switch turns listening off.
- Hub Max
- Look and Talk needs the camera on.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If it never responds after a reboot and reset, contact Google Nest support
- !If only smart home commands fail, check device names
- !If audio is wrong, use the playback article
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Hey Google.
Playback problems.
Face Match.
Speaker and display wifi steps.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why doesn't it hear me?+
The most common reasons are that the microphone is off, or that the device is offline.
What does the mic light show?+
The microphone light shows the listening state, so check it to see whether the device can hear.
Can Voice Match fail?+
Yes, Voice Match can fail, so retrain it if the device does not recognize you.
Do names matter?+
Yes, names matter, so keep them simple and different from each other.
What is Look and Talk?+
Look and Talk lets the Hub Max respond without the hotword, when you look at the display.
Can wifi affect it?+
Yes, wifi can affect it, since the device needs a connection to answer your requests.