The Google Home product line features interactive speakers of various shapes and sizes that are controlled by Google Assistant, a voice-activated service that responds to a seemingly endless amount of commands. In order for Google Home to listen to these commands, you must first connect it to a Wi-Fi network.
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Before connecting a Google Home device to your wireless network, make sure you have the wireless network name and password ready.
How to connect Google Home to Wi-Fi for the first time
You should have already downloaded and installed the Google Home app. If not, do so via the App Store for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch devices and Google Play for Android.
- Launch the Google Home app if it’s not already open.
- Select or enter the Google account you want to associate with your Google Home device.
- If prompted, enable Bluetooth on your Android or iOS device.
- Your new Google Home device should now be discovered by the app. Tap NEXT.
- The speaker should now emit a sound. If you heard this sound, select YES in the app.
- Select the location of your device (eg Living room) from the list provided.
- Enter a unique name for your smart speaker.
- A list of available Wi-Fi networks will now be displayed. Choose the network you want to connect Google Home to and tap NEXT.
- Enter the Wi-Fi network password and tap CONNECT.
If successful, you should see a Connected message after a short delay.
How to connect Google Home to a new Wi-Fi network
If the Google Home speaker was already set up but now needs to be connected to a different Wi-Fi network or to an existing network with a changed password, do the following.
- Open the Google Home app on your Android or iOS device.
- Tap the device button, located in the upper right corner of the screen and circled on the accompanying screen.
- You should now see a list of your Google Home devices, each with a user-specified name and image. Find the device you want to connect to Wi-Fi and tap its menu button, located in the upper right corner of the speaker’s card and represented by three horizontally-aligned dots.
- When the pop-up menu appears, select the Settings option.
- Scroll down to the Device Settings section and tap Wi-Fi.
- The Google Home device’s Wi-Fi settings should now be visible. If you are currently connected to a network, select FORGET THIS NETWORK.
- A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm this decision. Choose FORGET WI-FI NETWORK.
- After forgetting the network, go back to the main app screen. Tap the device button a second time.
- Select ADD NEW DEVICE.
- A series of instructions will now appear, asking you to access the Wi-Fi settings of your Android or iOS device and connect to the custom Google Home hotspot that appears in the network list. This hotspot will be represented by a name followed by four digits or the custom name you previously assigned to your Google Home device during setup.
- Return to the Google Home app. The speaker should now emit a sound. If you heard this sound, select YES in the app.
- Select the location of your device (eg Living room) from the list provided.
- Enter a unique name for your smart speaker.
- A list of available Wi-Fi networks will now be displayed. Choose the network you want to connect Google Home to and tap NEXT.
- Enter the Wi-Fi network password and tap CONNECT.
If successful, you should see a Connected message after a short delay.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you’ve followed the instructions above carefully and still can’t connect your Google Home device to your Wi-Fi network, you might want to consider trying some of these tips.
- Try restarting the modem and router.
- Try resetting Google Home to factory settings. This can be done by holding down the microphone button, which is typically found on the underside of the device, for about 15 seconds.
- Make sure your Wi-Fi password is correct. You can confirm this by trying to connect to another device using the same password.
- Try updating the firmware on your modem and/or router.
- Move your Google Home speaker closer to the wireless router.
- Move the Google Home speaker away from possible sources of signal interference, such as baby monitors or other wireless electronic devices.
If you are still unable to connect, we recommend that you contact the device manufacturer and/or your internet service provider.
