Click here to visit the Welcome page that includes a comprehensive overview of the entire system plus additional pages with more product information.
Click here to see a list of the best 12 devices recommended by GoodHouseKeeping in May 2022.
Before getting into all the rest of the information on this site, here are a few quick tips that are really worth remembering ...
Did you know that you can easily use your voice, with your Google Home Smart Speaker / Google Assistant, to process things as you are thinking of them.
When does something happen?
To create a calendar event / reminder say, “Hey Google, add to calendar.” Your Google Assistant will respond by asking you the details about the event, such as the title, date, and time.
You can come back later and ask to check your calendar date and it will respond with the details you saved. You can also get each event to send you an e-mail reminder.
Alternatively just say commands like, "Tell me what time my next event is," or "What is my agenda for today?"
What / Where is something ?
Just say, “Hey Google, remember that I put my USB flash drive on the kitchen counter.”
When you wish to recall that information at a later date, you can ask your device and it will respond with the location you asked it to remember.
How to get things done, the easy way
Click here for a HowToGeek article from April 2023 called "All the Most Useful “Hey Google” Voice Commands" that can help you remember a wide selection of things you are most likely to do day by day.
Main Google Nest Help support page @ Help Centre:
Explore the family of Google smart products, and other 3rd party smart devices, to see how to use the Google Home App and Google Assistant App to optimise your experience.
The original Google Home [pictured above middle] and the later Google Home Mini and Google Home Max devices, all operate in a similar way using the built in power of the Google Assistant.
The Google Assistant is also available to run independently as an App that runs on a selection of compatible Android Smartphones and Apple iPhones.
See this Pocket-Lint guide if you need help in deciding which devices may suit you best.
If you need a hand for setting up your device these articles from How To Geek and AndroidPit will step you through the process.
If you have a Google Nest Home then this CNET guide will help you to get started.
If your device becomes 'bricked' you should take a look at this CNET guide that may help you fix it [using factory reset] and if not return it to Google for a replacement.
Google partner with 3rd party suppliers to bring the technology behind 'Home' and 'AI' to new hardware products.
Click here for a CNET article featuring a "Smart Display" from Lenovo that provides visual output in addition to the normal audible responses from the Google Assistant.
You will find many entries on the "Assistant" & "Commands" & "Services" & "Tips" pages of this site that have been carefully selected from numerous sources and, hopefully, together they will provide you with a smooth learning curve.
The information on the "Geeky Stuff" page is, as the name suggests, a little deeper but you may want to consider taking a look at it once you get the hang of the other more basic stuff.
The sections below also provide several links to more professional, external, web pages whose content is well presented. However the sheer volume of all of this information can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you are new to some of the topics, so hopefully the other pages on this site will provide you with an easier learning curve.
Click here for "Google Home Help Centre" that provides Getting Started and other articles with instructions.
Click here to "Explore what you can do with Google Home"
Click here to "Explore what you can do with Google Home"
Click here for "Supported Partners and Services on Google Home"
Click here for "Home Control Partners" [Manufactures & Products]
Click here for "Control Your Home"
Click here for "Overview For Your Home"
Here is a handy reference page for Google Assistant - especially all the examples provided on the “What it can do” tab, and here is another page called What Can I Do For You that lets you explore loads more.
Click here for an article "Feed your Google Home obsession with these 8 next-level tips and tricks" that is updated regularly.
Click here for an article "Everything you need to know about Google Home" that is updated regularly.
Click here for an article that shows how to link your Google Home to "iDevices"
Click here for an article entitled "Smart Home Buying Guide For Home Automation" that covers all kinds of topics
Click here for an article entitled "Google Home Quick Tips" for an introduction to some popular uses
Click here for an article for "12 tips and tricks to get you started"
Click here for an article for "32 tips to get you started with a new Google Home, Nest Mini or Nest Hub"
Click here for an article about "9 ways to use Google Home in the bedroom"
Click here for "9 Google Home tips for music lovers"
Click here for a lists of popular devices that can be controlled by your connected Google Home
Click here to see how to link your Google Home device to a number of other services
Click here for a continuously updated page entitled "Google Home : The Smart Person's Guide"
Click here for a continuously updated page entitled "Google Home : A Cheat Sheet"
Click here for hundreds of "Google Assistant" articles
Click here for hundreds of "Google Home" articles
Hey Goo Goo ! Click here to watch an adorable Italian grandma attempt to operate her new Google Home Mini
Or simply say "Ok Google Tell Me A Joke" or "Hey Google Tell Me A Joke"
Here a a few more fun "Hey Google" alternatives that really do work ...
Hey Boo-Boo. Grab yourself a picnic basket, and you'll basically be Yogi Bear.
Egg noodle. Be sure to emulate the same cadence you'd use with "Hey Google," then try not to think about how much you're craving egg noodles as a result.
OK girl. The more sass you put on it, the better.
OK Hugo. Bonus points if there's someone named Hugo in your house.
OK frugal. Or, if you're a Google history buff: OK Froogle.
I hate Google. Uh, Google? Might wanna look into this one.
And finally:
Cocaine poodle. Wait — you mean to tell me this isn't the phrase everyone uses to wake their devices?
For a while Google have provided a premium streaming service called “YouTube Music” costing $9.99 a month in the US [which is approx £7.68 in UK] but occasional users probably don’t fancy paying for the privilege every month.
The good news is there is a cut down version that you can use FREE on your Google Home speaker using Google Assistant voice commands. Read how to easily set it up at the YouTube Officila Blog.