How do i reset my google home app

(Pocket-lint) - Google's Home and Nest devices aren't just speakers with built-in Google Search. They allow you to control compatible smart home devices, cue up a film on your TV, replace your desktop speakers, and plenty more.

To get the most out of your Google Home, Nest Audio, Home Mini, Nest Mini, Home Max, Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, we've rounded up a selection of the top tips and tricks to help you master the voice-activated speakers and displays in no time.

There's a few device-specific tricks at the bottom of this feature, while other tricks are split into general tips, entertainment tips, information tips and smart home control tips.

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To set a routine, open the Google Home app > click on the Home tab in the bottom left > Tap on the Routines icon > Select one of the routines and tick/untick the boxes within it.

If you can't see the routines icon: Open the Google Home app > Tap on the Home tab in the bottom left > Tap on the profile icon in the top right > Assistant Settings > Routines. 

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Google Home/Nest entertainment tips and tricks

Add a music service to your Google Home

Google Home can play music from several sources, such as Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, or YouTube Music. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't work with Amazon Music. 

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Click on the "+" icon at the top > Click on Music under the Add Services section > Select from the list and follow the instructions.

To set your default source, head to the Home tab of the Google Home app > Tap the profile icon in the top right > Assistant Settings > Tap Music > Select the linked service you want to use as the main source for music.

Add a video service to your Google Home

Google Home devices also work with various video services, including YouTube, Netflix, Disney+ and All4.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Click on the "+" icon at the top > Click on Videos under the Add Services section > Select from the list and follow the instructions.

Cast movies, shows and audio to a TV

If you have a Google Chromecast, you can ask Google Home/Nest devices to play Netflix movies, a TV show or YouTube videos on your TV. Of course, if you have the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, you will be able to play some of these services on the Hub's screen itself too even if the displays are significantly smaller.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom right of the app > Tap on the profile icon in the top right corner > Assistant Settings > Go to TV and speakers > Tap the "+" sign in the bottom right corner of the screen. The Google Home app will search for voice-supported TVs on the same Wi-Fi network as your Google Home.

You must connect third-party services, like Netflix, to your Google account using the Google Home app. After doing this, you can simply say things like "Ok Google, play House of Cars from Netflix on TV". You can even also use Google Home and Nest devices to pause playback or rewind a minute to something you might have missed.

Cast photos to your TV

Google Home can't just control Netflix or YouTube on your TV, it can also control Google Photos, Google's free cloud photo storage service.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the app > Tap on the profile icon in the top right corner > Assistant Settings > Tap on Photos > Toggle Google Photos on or off.

Once your account is linked, you can say things like "Ok Google, show me photos of my pets on TV". The service is able to tag and recognise people, things, and places, so it's able to smartly serve up whatever you ask for.

Play podcasts

All you have to do to hear podcasts is ask. Say "Ok Google, Play This American Life" to hear the most recent episode of the show. If you should pause it, the next time you ask for that podcast, your Google Home/Nest device will pick up where you left off.

Replace your desktop speakers with Home

Google Cast is built directly into the Chrome browser. So, when you click the cast button in the corner of Chrome, you can look for your Home/Nest device(s), select it, and then cast audio from your computer through to your Google Home/Nest device.

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Google Home/Nest information tips and tricks

How to follow stocks and set Stock preferences

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Tap on the profile icon in the top right > Assistant Settings > Stocks.

You can add your favourite stocks to a watch list for quick access to them. There is a search bar at the top if you know what you're looking for, as well as local market, world market and market summary tabs, all of which offer suggestions.

How to change your news sources

Say "Ok Google, listen to the news" and your Google Home/Nest devices will reel off news from various sources. You can change which sources you want the news to come from, as well as the order.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Tap on the profile icon in the top right > Assistant settings > News.

To add a news source, tap the "+ Add News Sources" at the bottom of the list. To change the order, select "Change Order" at the top of the list. To get rid of a source, tap the "X" on the right of the source.

How to manage your sleep, exercise and nutrition data

Google Home and Nest devcies are compatible with certain services, like Fitbit. If you link your Fitbit account to Google Home for example, you can then ask your Google Home or Nest devices to tell you how you have slept. If you have the second generation of the Nest Hub, it offers sleep tracking.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Tap on the profile icon in the top right > Assistant settings >  Wellness > Select what you would like to manage > Connect your account.

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Google Home Smart Home Control tips and tricks

Google Home/Nest devices can control internet-connected appliances around your home, including lightbulbs from Philips Hue, Hive and Ikea, cameras from Nest and Netatmo, plugs from TP-link and Wemo, thermostats from Nest, Honeywell, Tado and Hive, and plenty more.

You can not only turn devices on and off using either your voice or the Google Home app, but you can also separate devices by room and control everything from the Home app, making smart home control super simple. You can also leverage IFTTT recipes to get the most out of Home and your devices, but that's not required.

How to add third-party smart home devices

Google Home relies on third-party services to provide you with a richer experience, especially when it comes to smart home control. There are a huge number of compatible smart home devices and the list is continuously growing. If you already have smart home devices set up, or you want to know if a device you're looking to buy is compatible:

Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Click on the Add icon at the top > Tap on Set up Device under the Add to Home section at the top > Choose the 'Works with Google' > Search for the manufacturer of your device and follow the instructions.

Add a device to a room within your home

Once you have set up a third party smart home device, it will appear at the bottom of the Home tab in the Google Home app. There will be a "Add to Room" icon you can tap on to place the smart home device into a room within your Home but if that icon doesn't appear:

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left > Click on the room you want to add your new device to > Click on the Settings cog in the top right > Click on Choose Devices > Select the device you want to add to that room > Next.

You can also access a list of your devices and where they are via the Home tab in the bottom left of the Home app > Profile icon in the top right > Assistant settings > Home control.

Change the room a device is in

You might move your Nest Hub from your kitchen to your bedroom, or your smart plug from your office to your living room, for example. Placing devices into rooms within your Home makes it easier to control them. For example, you can then say "Ok Google, turn the living room lights off" and all lights linked to the living room will turn off.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left > Click on the device you want to move > Click the settings cog in the top right corner > Click on Room > Choose a Room > Save.

Rename a smart home device

Naming a device makes it easier to control through Google Assistant. For example, you might name a smart plug controlling the lamp in your living room to "Living Room Lamp" rather than it be called "TP-Link Smart Plug 45688", allowing you to ask Google to turn the living room lamp on or off, rather than have to remember the name.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left > Click on the device you want to rename > Click on the Settings cog in the top right > Click on Name > Choose a name > Save. 

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Nest Audio tips and tricks

How to factory reset Nest Audio

To factory reset the Nest Audio speaker, first switch the microphone off on the back of the Nest Audio speaker. You'll then need to press and hold the top of the speaker in the centre for around 10 seconds. After around five seconds, the speaker will tell you that you are about to factory reset it.

How to reboot Nest Audio

You don't have to completely factory reset the Nest Audio to give it a little kick if it isn't doing what it is supposed to. Google has built a reboot option into the Google Home app.

Open the Home app > Select the Home tab in the bottom left of your screen > Select the Home devices you want to reboot > Tap the Settings cog in the top right > Tap on the three dots in the top right > Reboot.

Mute the mic

To turn the microphone off on Nest Audio, toggle the switch on the back of the device so the orange is showing. The microphone is now off and won't be listening for the wake words.

How to turn the volume up or down on Nest Audio

The Nest Audio speaker has touch controls on the top right and left corners. Tap the left side to turn the volume down and the right side to turn it up.

How to stop an alarm or timer on Nest Audio

To stop a ringing alarm or timer on Nest Audio, you can either say "Stop" or you can tap the centre of the Nest Audio speaker at the top.

How to play, pause, stop media or end a call on Nest Audio 

To play, pause or stop media, as well as end a current call on Nest Audio, tap the centre of the Nest Audio speaker at the top.

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Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max tips and tricks

How to reset Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max

Press and hold the volume up and volume down buttons on the back of the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max simultaneously for 10 seconds to reset the device. Continue to hold them down until the device has reset. A warning message will appear beforehand.

Adjust the display to fit with your home

Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max feature a display and a speaker. The display can be adjusted in a variety of ways to enable it to blend into its surroundings better, from choosing when low light mode is activated to setting the minimum brightness. You can even set the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max's displays to adjust their colour to match their environment.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on your Hub device > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Scroll down to display > Adjust the settings according to your preferences. 

Turn night mode on

Night mode will reduce the volume of responses during specific times.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on your Hub device > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Night mode > Toggle on or off.

Change what the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max display shows when not in use

You can change what your Hub display shows when it isn't being used to control your smart home devices, present you with news snippets or play a YouTube video on how to make the best cocktails.

You can select between Google Photos, Art Gallery, Full Screen Clock and Experimental. You can also select to hide or show the weather for your area, whether or not to show the time when in ambient mode and the speed at which images change when in ambient mode.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on your Hub device > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Photo Frame > Select your preferences.

Change the clock format between 12 and 24-hour

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on your Hub device > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Time Format.

Using the Nest Hub touchscreen navigations 

Swipe from the left edge to the right to display the clock screen. Double tap the clock screen to return to ambient mode. Double tap the display again from ambient mode to show calendar, weather, news information, or whatever you have set to appear.

Swipe up from the bottom to access display brightness, volume, alarms and settings. You can also turn do not disturb on from here.

Tap on the tabs at the top of the display when in ambient mode to see and control your linked smart home devices, as well as see your day, media controls, communication controls and discover controls. 

Mute the mic 

Like Google Home, there is a microphone button on the back of the Nest Hub's display at the top. Simply toggle it off to turn off the microphones. As the Nest Hub Max also has a camera, toggling this switch will also turn off the camera with the microphone.

How to use Sleep Sensing

The second-gen Nest Hub features sleep tracking as a feature. You'll be invited to set the feature up with the connect your Nest Hub for the first time. It's a simple process that requires calibration, so give yourself a few minutes to get everything sorted out. 

Sleep Sensing detects your motion through the night and gives you pointers to your sleep patterns and conditions, with feedback on how to make things better after about a week of sleep. You'll also have the option to sync data to Google Fit, so you can check the stats on your phone.

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Google Home Mini and Nest Mini device tips and tricks 

Mute the mic

Both the Google Home Mini and the Nest Mini have a microphone mute button on the rear. Toggle it to switch the microphone on or off.

Change the volume

You can of course ask Google to turn the volume of your Home Mini or Nest Mini up or down, but you can also do it on the devices themselves too. Tap on each side (on the material) of the Nest Mini or Home Mini and your volume will go up or down depending on the side you tap. You'll be guided with small LED lights on the Nest Mini, but you'll need to guess on the Home Mini.

Play or pause 

The Nest Mini offers on device control for play and pause as well as volume. Tap the four lights in the middle of the Nest Mini when a song is playing on your Nest Mini and it will pause. Tap again to play.

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Reset Google Home

To conduct a factory reset and restore your Google Home to a good-as-new state, hold the microphone button for about 15 seconds. From there, you can link it to a different Google account using the Google Home app.

Reboot Google Home

What do you do when some gadget stops working? You restart it, or "reboot" it. Google has included this in the Home app and it works for all Google Home devices, as we mentioned above.

Open the Home app > Select the Home tab in the bottom left of your screen > Select the Home devices you want to reboot > Tap the Settings cog in the top right > Tap on the three dots in the top right > Reboot.

Touch your way through things

Aside from your voice, you can control Google Home with your touch. Tap the top of the speaker once to awaken your Google Home or to pause and play a broadcast. You can also slide your finger along the centered circle at the top to change the volume.

Mute the mic

If you want to stop Google Home from "always-listening", look for the button on the back of the speaker. It's the only button, and it has a microphone on it. Press it and Home will turn off the microphone (four amber lights will light up on top). Press it again, and it'll tell you the microphone is on.

When it's on, Google Home is in the always-listening mode and will listen for and respond to your commands.

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Google Home Easter eggs

Looking for some fun things to do with Google Home devices? These are technically Google Assistant easter eggs, but you'll find they really give your Google Home device some personality:

• Say "Be my (insert language) interpreter to get real-time translations. 
• Say "I'm feeling lucky" to start up a multiplayer game show.
• Say "Give me a random number between (x) and (y)" to hear a random number between the two - with beeping sounds to boot.
• Ask it to "Roll (insert number)-sided dice": It'll give you a random number, complete with sound effects.
• Say "(Contact name) is my (relationship)" to ask Assistant to associate certain relationship information with a contact for future reference.
• Say "Good morning" to hear a rundown of your day's agenda, along with the current weather and news.
• Say "Send a message to (Contact name) on (messaging service like WhatsApp)" to dictate a message to a contact.
• Say "Wubba lubba dub dub" to get Assistant to respond with: "Are you in pain? How can I help?" or "Sorry, I don't speak Birdperson" (a reference to the show Rick and Morty).
• Say "Beatbox" to hear a clip of someone beat-boxing.
• Say "Sing a song" to hear a horrible, brief song.
• Say "Read a poem" to hear a random poem from Google search.
• Say "Tell me a joke" to hear an age-appropriate joke from Pixar.
• Say "F*** you" to submit a bug report.

Writing by Britta O'Boyle.

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