Sharing a Nest Mini with the rest of a household is done in two layers, and confusing them is the commonest cause of complaints. The first layer is the home: the owner of the Home in Google Home invites people as members through Home settings, Members, so that they can control the Mini and the other devices in the app. The second layer is Voice Match: each person records their voice in the Google Home app so that the speaker can recognize who is talking and return their own calendar, commute and music. Up to six voices can be enrolled.
If someone is a member but the speaker answers with the owner's information, their Voice Match has not been set up, or Personal results is switched off on the speaker. Children can have supervised accounts that use the speaker with their own limits, set up through Family Link. Guests can use a Mini without joining the home by using the guest features. If someone in the household moves out or changes phones, remove them from the Home under Members so that their account no longer controls the speaker, and ask guests to use the guest features rather than adding them as members.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest Mini (2nd gen) shared users or family members cannot control it”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A person who is not a home member
What separates it They cannot control the Mini from the app
How to confirm The owner invites them under Home settings, Members
- 2
No Voice Match for a member
What separates it The speaker uses the owner's results for everyone
How to confirm Each person enrols Voice Match on their phone in Home settings
- 3
Personal results turned off
What separates it The speaker will not give personal information
How to confirm Switch Personal results on in the speaker's settings
- 4
A child's account without supervision
What separates it A child cannot use the speaker
How to confirm Use Family Link to add a supervised account
- 5
Two Homes
What separates it A member cannot see the speaker
How to confirm Make sure they are in the same Home in Google Home
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the person is a member of the Home
- Whether Voice Match is enrolled for them
- The Personal results setting on the speaker
- Whether a child account is involved
Try in this order
0 of 8 completedInvite the person to the Home
ReversibleIn Google Home, Home settings, Members, Invite member, and send the invitation to their account.
Accept the invitation on their phone
ReversibleThe invited person opens the message and accepts it in the Google Home app.
Set up Voice Match for each person
ReversibleOn their own phone, they open Home settings, Voice Match and record the voice samples.
Check Personal results
ReversibleIn the speaker's settings, turn Personal results on or off according to how the room is used.
Add a child with Family Link
ReversibleCreate a supervised account and add it, so the speaker follows its limits.
Test with each voice
ReversibleAsk each person to say Hey Google, what's my day, and see whether the answer matches them.
Review the member list
ReversibleIn Home settings, Members, remove people who no longer live there.
Turn on Guest mode for visitors
ReversibleUse the guest features so visitors can cast without joining your Home.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Two layers
- The Home membership controls devices; Voice Match controls who the speaker thinks is speaking.
- Six voices
- The limit is six people per Voice Match setup.
- Privacy
- In a shared space, think about which results the speaker should read out.
- Members versus guests
- Guests can play audio without seeing your personal results.
- Phones change
- A new phone needs Voice Match enrolled again.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If a member cannot be added, check the Home is owned by the right account
- !If Voice Match never recognizes someone, contact Google Nest support
- !If privacy is the concern, turn Personal results off
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Voice Match, recognition and sharing settings.
Family accounts on a shared speaker.
Adding household members and Voice Match profiles.
Exact questions
Common questions
How many people can use Voice Match on one Nest Mini?+
Up to six.
Can guests use my Mini?+
Yes, through guest features, without joining your Home.
Why does the Mini give my calendar to everyone?+
Personal results is on, or others have not set up Voice Match.
Can children use the speaker?+
Yes, with a supervised account.
Do I need to remove a former member?+
Yes, for security.