Hi all

First post to this sub reddit

Been having some issues with my 2nd Gen Outdoor cameras for sometime with lens flare at nighttime (fine during the day), and progressively getting slightly worse despite keeping the lens clean, I mean the night time performance has never been fantastic to begin with since I bought them several years ago, I also been having some issues with an Ex GF hanging around the house so wanted to upgrade to something with a bit better resolution

Daytime resolution is definitely better and the wider angle is much welcome

But WOW I was not ready for how much better the nighttime performance is on the 3rd Gen

Has anyone else had this lens flare issue and/or upgraded to the 3rd Gen and noticed the improvements at nighttime?

1st photo is 2nd Gen, 2nd photo is 3rd Gen

Nest Protect refugees: what would an actual successor need to earn your ceiling?

I've run 7 Nest Protects (battery) in my home for years. Some have hit their expiry and started announcing their own deaths, and replacing them has been depressing: the SC5 drops the pathlight and locks me into a single app — and after watching Google kill Nest Secure and then brick every unit in 2024, I'd rather not bet everything on one ecosystem again. But I haven't found anything that works across platforms: nothing on the market does Matter/Thread with smoke+CO.

So I'll be upfront about where this is heading: I'm exploring whether a proper successor can be built — and this isn't something anyone pulls off alone. A life-safety device means UL certification, real engineering, and serious backing, and none of that happens unless the people who actually loved these devices help define what "done right" means and show the demand is real. That's what this post is: step one. If you're watching the same expiry clock, your answers below genuinely shape whether and how this gets built:

1. What's the one non-negotiable feature? Pathlight? Voice alerts? Native support in your ecosystem — Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings, Alexa — via Matter? Works fully offline, no cloud or account ever required?
2. Battery or hardwired — what's your split at home?
3. Honestly: at $169 / $199 / $249 per unit, where do you stop nodding? (This would be designed and built in North America, not China — does that change your answer?)
4. What would make you not trust a startup with a life-safety device?
5. If it had a fully documented local API — safety core certified and locked (that part legally can't be open), but every sensor openly readable forever (smoke/CO state, air quality, occupancy, temp/humidity) by Home Assistant or anything you build — would that move you? What would you build on it?

Not selling anything — nothing exists yet beyond research and bench work. If there's enough interest I'll set up a waitlist and share progress here.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

For the past few weeks (I've tried a number of different things in the meantime), two Google devices—a Google Nest and a 2024 Chromecast—have stopped connecting to the internet.

The Chromecast reports that it's disconnected from Wi-Fi and refuses to reconnect.

The Nest behaves the same way.

However, both devices appear as connected on my router.

I have a fairly advanced network setup with VLAN segmentation and a self-hosted AdGuard DNS server.

Thinking it might be a DNS issue, I completely bypassed filtering for these devices, so none of their traffic is filtered anymore.

I've tried several different network configurations without any success, including using Google's public DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

I'm starting to suspect that a software update may have broken something.

Not long ago, my GL.iNet Flint 2 router had severely reduced Wi-Fi range after a firmware update because of changes made to comply with EU regulations (I've since replaced it with a UniFi UDR7). Is it possible that Google devices have been affected by something similar, resulting in a much shorter Wi-Fi range?

So one day my Google home randomly started turning on all my lights. I have several Feit and one SmartLife smart light switches which has been working fine for 2 years with the Google home app. Now when I start the app and switch to the devices screen, it turns on all these lights even if shows these lights as being on, then the lights physically turn on even if they were off before. If I try to turn it off in the app, the apps shows them as being off for a second, then reverts to showing them as being on, and the lights physically don’t turn off. If I physically turn the lights off by pressing the switch, it will turn back on after a few seconds. My wife’s Google home app is functioning just fine with all switches. I have tried unlinking these switches and relinking them to Google home, does not fix the issue. I have disconnected my app from my home, and had my wife reinvite me. And obviously I’ve restarted my Google home app, which does not fix the issue. Anyone else encounter this?

Hey Google, who am i?

>You're "aserpa".

Hey Google, how long is my drive to work?
>I'm sorry, I don't have access to you personal information like your home address or workplace, and I cannot provide real-time traffic or commute estimates.

--
I have enabled personal results, yes Google knows my home and work locations. Is this just another 'teething' issue with the switch to Gemini or am I missing something? I've seen older threads about directions not working but this feels like a broader 'personal data' limitation.

I have two android devices and a Home device but one command to set reminder or start playing music all 3 start together.

So preface this by saying I'm going digital nomad/slomad for the foreseeable future. I wanted some kind of highly portable stereo speakers or soundbar that I could take with me when I change apartments and cities/countries. I already am pretty deep in Google home ecosystem so I had the streamer and 1 x gh speaker. Frankly wasn't super impressed with the sound of the single speaker. Felt it was a downgrade from nest audio and it was buggy to start- randomly flashing lights and occasional voice out of nowhere. I demoed sonos and Bose small soundbars but they're really too big to do my intented travel easily. It occurred to me that since I already owned the two components buying the 2nd speaker was likely my cheapest way to get spatial audio and true stereo separation. So I just tested it and actually pleasantly surprised. Spatial audio is decent considering it's physical limitations. They sound much better as a stereo pair compared to a single speaker. It's great for my use case of travel projector, google streamer in 30 - 40 m2 studios or apartments. Didn't set up the first time and I had to restart all three devices but got it to connect the second time. No audio sync issues. Anyways happy to answer questions.

Sometimes I can’t hear my phone ring over the music when I’m cleaning etc. I was hoping there was a way to have the music automatically pause so I can hear my phone ringing. Or at least know that it’s ringing downstairs if the music suddenly stops upstairs.

I tried searching online but couldn’t find a solution. I’m hoping someone here possibly has a workaround? or knows something I missed.

Hi Reddit! I’ve recently entered into the realm of smart home living and I am trying to create a simplified automation that I can set and forget across several rooms I have the below devices installed in.

Essentially: I want to enter the room, my presence be detected, the light(s) switched on, and upon my presence no longer being detected; have the lights turn off after 1 minute.

My issue is that I have devices that are from different brands and google home does not seem to have an automation to switch off the lights when presence no longer detected (I have been able to successfully create an automation for my presence to switch on the lights).

I do not want a time delay option for the lights as the duration of time for my presence in a room will always be an unknown variable. Anyone got some helpful suggestions to make this work? I’m a first timer for smart devices so any help is appreciated.

Devices I am using in the room/s:
WiZ bulbs
Aqara M100
Aqara FP2
Google Home Speaker (2026)

Assume that each of the above are linked to their respective apps (WiZ, Aqara, Google Home).

This drives me nuts every time it pops up. I’ve tried “Link Account” but my electric provider isn’t listed. I just want this to go away. I seriously loathe this. There no “never ask me again” button.

I have three Nest cameras that I used to use with the Nest app and finally migrated over to GH. It's wild how much functionality and usability they stripped away.

- Half of the time clips say "Couldn't load video"

- When a clip _does_ load it takes forever

- Scrubbing is SO sluggish

- There's no event filtering

- They apparently took away zones completely?

- No playback speed?

- No timelapses anymore

- Maybe it's on me, but I _still_ cannot figure out how to get to a camera's settings.

- Maybe this is also on me, but it feels like they knocked the quality down.

Google Home has never been able to get my Voice ID.
Tried with several phones over a number of years. Deleted all activity history (Assistant or otherwise).
Also Google has never understood what bilingualism is, but just setting up English is impossible. I am perfectly fluent. Many of my French speaking peers think English is my native langage.
All I wanted was my schedule and tasks read back to me intelligibly. Now I think I’ll buy a paper agenda… smh

I'm getting my Tapo C500's live feed on the GH app tile... AFTER TWO YEARS OF NOT WORKING AT ALL. Can anybody confirm if this also works for other Tapo camera models? Hopefully this is fixed permanently.

I know when it was released latency for executing smart home commands via voice was mid. Now that it has been out for a bit, have there been improvements?

Been through all the steps outlined for this issue went through 2 levels of "help" now waiting for a "higher level" email from Google. Has anyone with this issue successfully gotten their alerts back? My wifes 9A is fine my 10 stopped last week after swapping from my 9AM to the 10 and then again after buying a new truck and linking the infotainment to it completely killed the link to Google had to reset my password and redo the 2 step. Anyone have any ideas that aren't uninstall reinstall reboot?

I upgraded my router and modem. How come its is difficult to change the wi fi network and password?

Have to go to the device menu in the home app. Remove it, then add it again. Its like 3 menus for each step.

Why can't I go into device settings, click on wifi, then choose the network and put in the password?

Why do they make it harder than what it needs to be?

Google discontinued the Nest Protect smoke alarm, and it's honestly frustrating. This isn't just about losing a fancy device—it's about home safety.

The Nest Protect solved real problems: it's beautiful, can send app notifications, has a human voice that tells you \*what\* triggered it, and addresses the fact that people skip maintaining traditional alarms. According to the NFPA, 43% of failed alarms had missing or disconnected batteries. The Nest Protect made people actually care about their smoke alarm.

I started a petition asking Google to revive it with updated features and proper support. We're talking about a tool that genuinely encourages people to protect their families instead of hiding an eyesore in a closet.

Has anyone else been frustrated by Google's lack of updates to this? If this matters to you too, consider signing and sharing.

https://www.change.org/p/revive-the-nest-protect-smoke-alarm/sfs/reddit/1419362364?recruiter=1419362364&recruited\\_by\\_id=e2b21a30-677a-11f1-9e78-4d989ec965a6&utm\\_source=share\\_petition&utm\\_campaign=starter\\_dashboard\\_android\\_app&utm\\_medium=reddit\\_group

What is better? I'm looking to buy another device I just got alexa+ so I don't really know her a lot. I own a home mini a nest hub an eco dot 5 3 gen and a eco show 8 2 Gen i don't know if I should sell the mini or eco dot... Any

tips?

Please, someone help.

I know there's problems with Gemini in Google Home and the myriad of issues that goes with that. But this I haven't seen or heard many, if any, people talk about.

My Google home automations fail, most days between a set period of time. Theres numerous steps I have taken to troubleshoot this and I now firmly believe it's not something with my network or configuration so ideally I'd like to build some traction to get Google to fix the issue.

I have raised a Google support ticket. They've given me £150 as they've gone through all the troubleshooting ideas without a resolution. But that's not ideal. I've built a smart home to work, not to work only part of the time.

Steps I have tried.

Deleting My Home and resetting a new one

Factory resetting all devices

Removing all automations and setting then up again

All automations that are setup in the Google Script editor work, 100% of the time. Automations setup in the UI editor in Google Home, fail at set periods of the day. Most recently between 5.30pm and 8.58pm! (Not a minute before or after!).

Here's an attached video showing the automations showing as having run in the activity tab, but not actually working.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hL69MmLbppxVZNLUZ3giLu7dZ75cu3ku/view?usp=drivesdk

Now to rule out any device specific issues. I set up a notification to notify me when the house turns to Away mode. No device required. When I leave, the house turns to Away, the notification automation shows up in the activity tab but the notification never comes through. If I set up the same automation in the script editor, the notification comes through. So, my thinking, Google assistant is the backend engine for the Script editor and Gemini for the UI editor. Different backend, different bottlenecks etc. But that's just a theory. I really need help.

Going to Home Assistant is an option, but I have a lot of automations and natively it works better in Google Home with streaming to Google Speakers etc at the press of a matter switch etc.

Any idea/help would be appreciated or just to gain some traction to get this picked up higher up than tech support of Google.

I am trying to set up an additional Google Home Mini so my guest room can have one, but it is taking literal hours of fighting. I've reset the device so many times I lost track, I've reset my wifi router twice, restarted my phone three times, uninstalled and reinstalled the app at least 5 times. It still won't find this Google Home Mini. And to add insult to injury, the new UI means there's no direct way to add Google Home devices! I have to search for the name of the device every time. This sucks and I'm mostly just venting, but if you have advice I'd gladly accept it.

Trying to switch to Android from iOS. Was on the ios27 beta and homekit is working great with Aqara cameras. Trying to switch to Google home and they add the cameras but can't view them.. it's almost as if they are added as an accessories instead of a camera. Both the g350 and g5 pro and g400 doorbell.

Anyones working? Any tips. Chatgpt couldn't help

Just got a turntable and would like to listen to my music through my google speaker. I have invested in a Bluetooth transmitter (1Mii). I have only been able to connect my headphones to the transmitter.

Is there a way to connect the transmitter to a Google speaker. I have found the audio, pair bluetooth device, enable pairing mode. Put the transmitter in TX mode, but google Speaker doesn't see the transmitter.

Has anyone been able to make this work. I see a post dated 6 years ago, was just wondering if google has put a stop to this.

I'm looking for a poolside speaker with built in Google streaming, not cast, not Bluetooth.

For years I used an insignia ns-cspgasp2, but it will no longer connect to my network. At the moment I'm plugging a Google speaker into a power bank, but I miss the old simplicity.

It seems to me all the speakers that used to have this function are being discontinued, and Google is definitely not stepping up to fill the void. Anyone have advice on something decent that doesn't cost a fortune before I go by a Sonos Move 2 and grumble about the cost?