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The two biggest differences between the Google Home and the Google Home Mini are size and price. The Home Mini is significantly smaller and fades more readily into your home decor, and it also costs a lot less. The Home Mini can also do everything the regular Google Home can do, but the larger device does provide richer sound that does a much better job filling a room. Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. We're seeing more Alexa-enabled speakers than Google-enabled speakers coming down the pike in the next few months, and Alexa has maintained its lead in third-party services. Set up your Nest Wifi and Google Wifi in minutes using the Google Home app. Run speed tests, set up a guest network, and easily share your Wi-Fi password with family and friends.
Original Google Home speaker
For instance, you can ask your Nest Mini smart speaker to remind you to pick up milk or to remember where you hid the password for your computer. However, it’s a good idea to fine tune the content settings for your kids by enabling parental controls on your smart speaker. As a smart speaker, your Google Nest Mini can connect to your Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube music, or TuneIn playlists to keep your space jamming all day long. Typically, you can find the Google Home Mini for slightly cheaper than the Google Nest Mini since it’s an older model, but the second-generation version offers faster response times and better sound quality. If you already have one or more Google Home devices, then the Home Mini is a great way to extend the same functionality you're familiar with into every room in your house. This is especially important if you have a lot of smart devices in your home, as the Home Mini represents an affordable way to control those devices from every part of your house.
The lights on your HomePod will change and your iPhone or iPad will prompt you to use the camera to scan the animation that appears on the HomePod's top display. As for the Mini, it’s not quite meant for music listeners, but rather Google Assistant aficionados that want a dedicated voice assistant in more rooms in their house. The low price point makes the barrier to entry a smaller pill to swallow, much like the Echo Dot compared to its bigger brother. However, it still provides a pretty robust music-listening experience. So it’s still worth buying if you’ll use it for that, especially with the price tag of the Max being so much higher and not really worth it for most casual users anyway. Google Assistant, an intelligent personal assistant, is included as the main and only assistant in Google Home.
lights your way.
To learn what the lights on your device means, choose your device below. Enter your address if you want to get customized local data for traffic, weather, and other services. Google Home Mini lets you select between several voices; you can play samples of each and decide on the one you want. For a limited time, you can play Google Assistant in John Legend's voice. If you want personalized results, follow the instructions to train the Google Home Mini to recognize your voice. (If you've already trained another Google Home to recognize your voice, you can just tap Yes I'm In.) Once training is complete, tap Continue.
We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. The Nest Mini is the obvious champion between these two smart speakers. The best part is it’s only around $10 more than the Home Mini and offers improved sound quality, updated hardware, and a broad spectrum of mounting possibilities. The Nest Mini is a prime choice for any homeowner desiring excellent audio quality. The only reason you should choose the Home Mini is if you can snag it when it’s on sale.
Protect what’s personal
They answer all the same queries and commands, and they work with all of the same devices and apps. Unlike the Home Mini, the Nest Mini comes with a built-in wall mount. It also provides better sound, with improved bass response, although the physical speakers in both devices use 40mm drivers. The Google Home has a single speaker with two passive radiators, which really help it produce decent sound for a device of its size. The Home Mini, on the other hand, has a smaller speaker and lacks the passive radiators. While the Home Mini can still be used to listen to audio content like music and podcasts, it doesn't sound as good.

Alexa can connect to your YNAB home budget or tell you TV schedules. In general, Google Assistant is better at interpreting loose, natural-language queries than Alexa is. Alexa gets more powerful when you include its library of third-party skills, but you often need to know the specific wording to make things work. For example, if I ask Google Assistant, "Where is Blade Runner 2049 playing near me?" it will give me movie showtimes, automatically.
Google Home vs Mini: Microphones
Google Home still offers less support for third-party services than Alexa. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more. When using the Google Nest Mini, there is a toggle switch on the bottom of the device to mute the mic. If you’re concerned about a sensitive conversation being recorded, just manually power off the microphone. The colors of the lights and how they move depend on the device.

On May 7, 2019, during the Google I/O keynote, Google announced that all of their smart home products will henceforth be marketed under the Nest brand. Nest had been subsumed by Google's home hardware unit in July 2018. When it comes to speakers, Google has the $50 Mini, the $129 Home, and the $399 Max. Google Assistant is also available on every recent Android phone, without you having to hunt down an app. Google's demand that its speakers play only with other Google-compatible equipment continues to be the platform's weakest aspect, and the primary reason the Echo Dot remains our Editors' Choice.
Is it possible that adding this second account has somehow negatively impacted Google Home functionality? I really need that second account on my phone, but I do not want it to have really any interaction at all with my home devices, if that's possible. Google Pixel has started telling me to setup devices in the Home app which are already setup.

You can use the Home app on an iPhone or an iPad to set up your HomePod. Just unlock your iPhone or iPad and keep it near your HomePod Mini. Once you plug in the HomePod, wait for the light that says it's powered on. If you've just gotten a HomePod for your home or have just reset your current HomePod, we'll walk you through the ins and outs of setup to get you started. Sonos is now offering itsin-house refurbished One SL AirPlay 2 Smart Speaker for$119.