When the Google Home app shows a Nest Mini as offline, the speaker has lost its connection to your network or to Google, and the answer is usually quick. First check the speaker has power and lights, then check that your Wi-Fi works for other devices. Restart the router and unplug the speaker for ten seconds. If the router or password changed, update the speaker's Wi-Fi in the app. After a power cut, give both devices a few minutes, restarting the router first. If the Mini is in a poor spot, move it closer.
Owners also report that a mismatched account can show a speaker offline, so check you are in the right Home. A factory reset is the last resort. Open the Google Home app on a phone connected to the same Wi-Fi and look at the Mini's tile: it shows Offline or the last time it was seen, and that time tells you whether the problem is recent. A Mini that went offline at the moment the router restarted for an update will usually return by itself within ten minutes.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest Mini (2nd gen) is offline or unavailable”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A router that went down
What separates it Every device is offline
How to confirm Restart the router
- 2
A changed Wi-Fi password
What separates it Only smart devices are offline
How to confirm Update it in the speaker settings
- 3
A weak signal
What separates it The speaker is intermittently offline
How to confirm Move it closer
- 4
A power cut
What separates it It is offline after an outage
How to confirm Unplug and restart the router first
- 5
A wrong Home or account
What separates it The speaker is missing or offline
How to confirm Check the Home in the app
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether other devices are online
- Whether the lights show
- Whether the router or password changed
- Which Home the app is showing
Try in this order
0 of 9 completedCheck the power and lights
ReversibleMake sure the speaker is lit.
Check other devices
ReversibleConfirm the Wi-Fi works.
Restart the router
ReversibleThen the speaker.
Update the Wi-Fi
ReversibleIn the speaker's settings.
Move it closer
ReversibleTest a stronger signal.
Factory reset
ReversibleAs a last step.
Look at when it was last seen
ReversibleOpen the Mini's page in Google Home; if it was online a few minutes ago, a restart of the router is the likely cure.
Check the router's device list
ReversibleOpen the router's app or page and see whether the Mini appears as a connected device, which shows whether the fault is the Mini or the app.
Give it a few minutes after any restart
ReversibleThe Mini reconnects by itself once the router is back, so do not reset it in the first ten minutes.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Router first
- Restart the router before the speaker.
- Right Home
- Check you are viewing the right Home.
- Do not reset too soon
- A factory reset removes the Wi-Fi settings and should only come after a router restart and an updated password.
- The router's device list
- If the Mini appears there but not in the app, the problem is the Google account or the Home, not the network.
- Outages
- A neighborhood outage looks identical to a Mini fault, so check another device first.
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
- !If it still fails, contact Google Nest support
- !A speaker with no lights needs a power check
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my Nest Mini show offline?+
It has lost its connection to your network.
Will a restart fix it?+
Often.
What if I changed my password?+
Update it in the app.
Do I need to reset it?+
Only as a last step.
How long should I wait for a Mini to come back online?+
About ten minutes after the router is back.
Can the app show offline while the Mini works?+
Yes, a stale status can appear; refresh the app.