A factory reset of the Nest Mini (2nd gen) is done by touch and a switch, with no pinhole. Slide the microphone switch on the side so the lights turn orange, then press and hold the center of the top, where the lights show; after about five seconds the Mini begins the reset, and you keep holding for about ten more seconds until it says it is resetting or plays a sound. The reset wipes the Wi-Fi details and local settings from the speaker; your Google account, routines and Voice Match are stored in the cloud and come back when you set the speaker up again.
Reset when you are selling or giving the speaker away, when it will not connect to a new network, or when it behaves oddly after repeated restarts. If the speaker is only unresponsive, unplugging it for ten seconds is a gentler first step. Before you reset, consider whether a restart would do: unplug the speaker for ten seconds, and if it comes back and reconnects, no reset is needed. A reset is most useful when the speaker will not join a network or shows the wrong account.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest Mini (2nd gen) will not reset or needs to be reset safely”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A new Wi-Fi network or router
What separates it The speaker cannot join the new network
How to confirm Factory reset and run setup again
- 2
Repeated glitches
What separates it The speaker restarts or does not answer
How to confirm Unplug for ten seconds first, then reset if it persists
- 3
Selling or giving it away
What separates it The speaker should be wiped
How to confirm Reset, and remove it from your Home in the app
- 4
A speaker that will not appear in setup
What separates it It was set up before
How to confirm Reset before adding it
- 5
A faulty touch area
What separates it The reset does not start
How to confirm Hold the center firmly and check the mic switch is off
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the mic switch is off and the lights are orange
- How long you held the center
- Whether the speaker plays a sound
- Whether you need the speaker removed from the Home
Try in this order
0 of 9 completedSlide the mic switch off
ReversibleThe lights turn orange to show the microphone is off.
Press and hold the center
ReversibleHold the middle of the top, where the lights show.
Keep holding after five seconds
ReversibleThe speaker begins the reset, and you hold about ten seconds more.
Listen for the sound
ReversibleA sound or a voice message confirms the reset.
Remove it from your Home
ReversibleIn Google Home, tap the speaker, Settings, Remove device.
Set it up again
ReversibleFollow the setup steps in the app.
Try a restart first
ReversibleUnplug for ten seconds and plug it in; many glitches clear without a reset.
Remove the speaker from your Home
ReversibleIn the app, open the Mini, Settings, Remove device, so it does not linger in your account.
Set it up fresh and check Voice Match
ReversibleAfter the reset, run setup again and re-enrol Voice Match if the speaker does not recognize you.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- No pinhole
- The Mini resets with the mic switch and a long press, not a pin.
- Cloud settings
- Routines and Voice Match return after setup because they live in your account.
- Reset versus restart
- A restart keeps settings, a reset removes the Wi-Fi details.
- Selling the speaker
- Remove it from your Home as well as resetting it.
- After the reset
- Your routines and linked services return from your account.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the Mini never starts the reset after several tries, contact Google Nest support
- !If the speaker is not yours, the owner should remove it
- !A speaker with no lights needs power checks
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I factory reset a Nest Mini?+
Switch the mic off, then press and hold the center of the top until it resets.
Will a reset delete my account?+
No, only the speaker's local settings.
How long do I hold?+
About fifteen seconds in total.
What if it does not reset?+
Check the mic switch and hold firmly.
Do I lose my routines when I reset?+
No, they live in your account.
Does a reset remove the speaker from my account?+
No, remove it in the app too.