Google Nest Minis are great to have in any home and can allow you to use many smart home automation features. They also allow you to cast and stream directly from your Android phone or iPhone using the Google Home app.
In general, the process for connecting the Google Nest Mini to your iPhone or Android phone is similar. Below, we'll walk you through the steps you need to take to start using the Google Nest Mini with any device.
The steps below describe how to connect first and second generation Google Nest Minis to your iPhone or Android device. If you need help finding out what device you have or need to connect to your phone with a different device, you can refer to this article.
Here are the items you need before setting up your phone:
The Google Nest Mini
The latest version of the Google Home app on your phone
Sign in to your Google account
an internet connection
A secure wireless network
You will also need a phone with the following capabilities:
An Android 6.0 or later or an iOS device running 12.0 or later
Works with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (you have to have both and you can't be using a WPA-2 Enterprise network)
Bluetooth that is turned on
Connect to a secure wireless network
Once you have set up and updated all these features and apps, you can follow the steps below for Android and iPhone:
Connect your Google Nest Mini. Please note that if you purchased the device from a previous user, you need to perform a factory reset first.
Open the Google Home app on your iPhone or Android.
Tap the (+) icon.
Select Set up device.
Select New device.
The app will now guide you through all the steps you need to complete.
If the Set up devices option does not automatically appear on the screen, you can follow these steps instead:
From the Google Home app, tap Get Started.
Tap Set up new devices.
Tap Create another home.
Select Next.
Enter your nickname and home address.
You can then select New Device and the app will guide you through the remaining setup steps.
The above steps almost always work, but if for some reason your phone is having trouble connecting, the troubleshooting steps are very simple:
First, make sure that your Wi-Fi is working properly and you are not experiencing any issues.
While setting up your phone, keep your Nest Mini and your phone in the same room so they can detect each other.
Make sure your Google Nest Mini is turned on and not flashing orange or red.
Check that your Google Home app is running on the latest version of the software.
Make sure your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network you want your Nest Mini to use.
If all of these items seem to be working correctly, you may need to reset the Google Nest Mini:
Unplug the Nest Mini.
Wait about 10 seconds.
Plug the Mini back in.
You may also need to restart the Google Home app. Completely close the app and then reopen it. You may also need to force close it to close completely before rebooting.
Once you've linked the Google Nest Mini to your phone, you can use the Google Home app to access many apps and stream content. Here are just some of the things you can do through the app:
Stream music from the cloud.
Stream podcasts and songs from a variety of apps.
Use Google cast.
Stream content from Netflix, Hulu and other streaming platforms.
For a complete guide on using the app to control all your media, please watch this video.