Google Home or Google Home Mini are great smart speakers. But you might occasionally see these errors on the companion Google Home smartphone app—“Could Not Communicate With Your Google Home,” or “Could Not Communicate With Your Google Home Mini.”
We’ll examine the best ways to fix this common issue with a Google Home or Google Home Mini.
What Causes the Error Message?
The hardware and software issues of the involved devices cause this error with a Google Home or Google Home Mini. Usually, the smartphone isn’t compatible with the Google Home app or the app isn’t updated.
From the hardware point of view, your Wi-Fi router isn’t set up the proper way or other smart speakers are interfering with Google Home.
How to Fix Could Not Communicate With Your Google Home
You need to try the following troubleshooting steps in the order they appear.
1. Smartphone/Tablet Is Compatible
The Google Home app (for Android or iOS) is the controlling interface of your Google smart speaker. The Google Home app requires that your Android device is running on Android 6.0 or later. If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, the device should be on iOS 12.0 or later.
2. Use Updated Google Home App
Ensure that the Google Home app is up to date if you’re using a compatible smartphone. Your mobile device is likely unable to communicate with the smart speaker because of an outdated Google Home app.
3. Uninstall and Re-Install Google Home App
When you have the latest version of the Google Home app, and you’re still getting the error, you need to uninstall the app from your device. Uninstalling the Google Home app will erase all existing data from your smartphone.
Now, re-install the app. You’ll need to set up the Google Home device to connect it to the home Wi-Fi.
4. Check Your Smartphone’s Connectivity
In most cases, the error occurs due to the connectivity issues of the smartphone that you’re using. If the above steps don’t solve the problem, you need to perform some quick troubleshooting. You should toggle on and then off Airplane mode on your device.
Open the Google Home app and try to set up the smart speaker if you haven’t done that yet. If you had already connected the Google Home before, open the Google Home app and tap on the speaker name to check its status.
5. Ensure the Wi-Fi Router Is Working
Your Google Home speaker and the smartphone should connect to the same Wi-Fi network. The Wi-Fi router should also be transmitting an active internet signal. Test the internet connectivity by playing a video on YouTube or by surfing any website.
Ensure that your home Wi-Fi hasn’t reached its device connectivity limits. Another smart speaker or wireless device may interfere with your Wi-Fi and Google Home’s pairing. Switch off those devices temporarily while you troubleshoot the Google Home error.
You may also want to switch to the 2.4GHz frequency if you’re using a dual-band Wi-Fi router.
6. Get All Devices Closer
Wi-Fi signals work best within a specific range. So make sure to bring your smartphone and Google Home or Google Home Mini closer to the home Wi-Fi router. Now try to set up the smart speaker or control it by opening the Google Home app.
7. Use Google Accessories
Google has designed the Google Home and Google Home Mini speakers in such a way that it works best when you only use a Google-provided power adapter. If you’re using any non-Google power source, unplug the power adapter from the speaker.
Get the Google Home’s power adapter that came with it and plug that into the speaker. You’ll hear a chime when it’s online. Now try to connect the smart speaker.
8. Restart the Devices
If the issue still persists, restart all of your devices—smartphone, Google Home, and the Wi-Fi router. You need to wait for 20 seconds after switching everything off and switch them on again. Then once again try to set up your smart speaker from the Google Home app.
9. Check the Google Account
You need to use the Google account that you had used before to set up the Google Home device. On the Google Home app, click on the profile picture to switch to another Google account that you may have used before.
If your Google account is from your work or school, it’s better that you use a personal Google account, like Gmail email to setup the Google Home device.
10. Remove and Re-Add Wi-Fi
Removing and re-adding the Wi-Fi source should resolve the issue if the error is due to Wi-Fi connectivity. Try these steps to troubleshoot:
On the Google Home app, tap on the Google Home device. On the next screen, click on the settings icon at the top right corner. Now, tap on the Device information option. Tap on the Wi-Fi option and then select Forget network. Restart the Google Home app and tap on the Plus (+) icon at the top left corner. Now, tap on Set up device to add the Google Home or Google Home Mini to your mobile.
11. Factory Reset
A factory reset is the last resort to resolve the connectivity issue of your smart speaker. Try these steps to reset your smart speaker:
For Google Home, press and hold the mute button for 15 seconds until you hear the device informing you that it’s resetting. For Google Home Mini, press and hold the reset button at the bottom of the device until it warns you that it’ll reset. Keep holding the button until you hear a chime.
Now, start over the setup process of your Google Home or Google Home Mini.
Get On With Your Smart Home Life
You can quickly resolve the above-mentioned Google Home or Google Home Mini error if you follow the troubleshooting steps outlined in this article. These are surefire steps that have been helping users to the bottom of the problem.
