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To factory-reset a Google Home or Nest speaker or display, use the device’s physical buttons or touch controls. You cannot factory-reset these devices by voice command or from the Google Home app. The correct button sequence depends on the model, and the reset permanently erases the device’s settings and returns it to setup mode.
Before you begin, identify your exact model and confirm that a factory reset is necessary.
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Factory reset or reboot?
Try a reboot first if the device is temporarily frozen, unresponsive, or experiencing an intermittent connection problem. Unplug it, leave it disconnected for one minute, and plug it back in. If the device is accessible, the Google Home app may also offer a Reboot option.
Use a factory reset when setup repeatedly fails, the device is being sold or given away, it belonged to someone else, or you need to erase its device configuration. Do not reset solely to change Wi‐Fi unless the normal re-setup process fails; Google Home and Nest speakers remember only one Wi‐Fi network at a time. See Google’s reboot guidance for the distinction.
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Quick model selector
| Model | Reset control | Approximate hold time | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Home Speaker | Top-center touch area | About 5 seconds, then 10 more | Turn off the microphone first |
| Nest Audio | Center near the top | About 5 seconds, then 10 more | Turn off the microphone first |
| Nest Mini, 2nd gen | Center of the top surface | About 5 seconds, then 10 more | Turn off the microphone first |
| Google Home Mini, 1st gen | Button underneath, near the power cord | About 5 seconds, then 10 more | Use the etched reset-button circle |
| Google Home Max | Rear button near the power cord | About 12 seconds | Wait for the reset confirmation |
| Original Google Home | Rear microphone-mute button | About 15 seconds | Do not use the newer top-surface method |
| Nest Hub or Nest Hub, 2nd gen | Both rear volume buttons | About 10 seconds | Press both simultaneously |
| Nest Hub Max | Both rear volume buttons | About 10 seconds | Save video history and remove it from the app first |
These procedures and timings come from Google’s official factory-reset instructions. Timings are approximate; the audible announcement, sound, or other confirmation is the decisive signal.
Before resetting
- Save important Nest Hub Max video history before continuing.
- If you use a Nest Hub (2nd gen), review any Sleep Sensing data you need to retain.
- Make sure the device is powered on.
- Confirm that you are resetting a speaker or display—not Google Wifi, Nest Wifi, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, or a Nest camera.
- Remember that removing a device from the Google Home app is not generally a substitute for the required physical reset.
How to reset each Google Home or Nest model
Google Home Speaker
- Turn off the microphone using the switch on the bottom. The lights turn orange.
- Press and hold the top-center touch area.
- After approximately five seconds, the reset begins.
- Continue holding for about 10 more seconds, until the device sounds or announces that it is resetting.
Do not confuse the current Google Home Speaker, which uses the top-center control, with the original Google Home, which uses the rear microphone-mute button.
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Google Nest Audio
- Turn off the microphone switch on the back. The lights turn orange.
- Press and hold the center of the speaker near the top.
- Hold for about five seconds until the reset begins.
- Continue holding for roughly 10 more seconds until the device confirms the reset.
Google Nest Mini, 2nd generation
- Turn off the microphone switch on the side. The lights turn orange.
- Press and hold the center of the top surface, where the lights are located.
- After about five seconds, the reset begins.
- Continue holding for approximately 10 more seconds until the device confirms the reset.
Google Home Mini, 1st generation
- Turn the device over and locate the small factory-reset button underneath, below the power-cord location. The button is marked by a circle etched into the base.
- Press and hold that button.
- After approximately five seconds, the reset begins.
- Continue holding for about 10 more seconds until the device confirms the reset.
The first-generation Home Mini’s reset button is underneath the device. The second-generation Nest Mini instead uses the top-center touch area.
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- Locate the factory-reset button on the back near the power cord.
- Press and hold it for approximately 12 seconds.
- Release it after the device announces or otherwise confirms that it is resetting.
Original Google Home
- Locate the microphone-mute button on the back.
- Press and hold it for approximately 15 seconds.
- Release it when the device announces that it is resetting.
Nest Hub and Nest Hub, 2nd generation
- Locate the two volume buttons on the back.
- Press and hold both buttons at the same time for approximately 10 seconds.
- Wait for the display to announce that it is resetting.
If you use Sleep Sensing on a Nest Hub (2nd gen), address any data you want to keep before resetting.
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- Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
- Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
- Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
- Do more with device pairing – Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, or create a home theatre system with Fire TV.
- Say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering - With eero Built-in, Echo Dot doubles as a mesh wifi extender, adding up to 1,000 sq. ft. of wifi coverage to your existing eero network.
Nest Hub Max
- Save any video history you may need.
- Remove the Nest Hub Max from the Google Home app.
- Press and hold both rear volume buttons for approximately 10 seconds.
- Wait for the device to confirm that it is resetting.
How to know the reset worked
The device should provide a spoken message, sound, or model-specific visual confirmation. It should then return to its initial setup condition rather than displaying your previous home, Wi‐Fi, or personalization settings. If you release the control before confirmation, the reset may not complete.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Set up the device again
- Open the current Google Home app on a supported phone or tablet.
- Connect that phone or tablet to the Wi‐Fi network you want the device to use.
- Choose the option to add or set up a device, then follow the on-screen instructions.
- Reconnect the device to Wi‐Fi and assign it to the appropriate home and room.
- Reconfigure routines, media services, Voice Match, preferences, and other settings.
Google’s current setup guidance lists Android 9.0 or later and iOS/iPadOS 16.0 or later in the cited setup context, but app and operating-system requirements can change. Check Google’s current setup troubleshooting guidance if the app cannot find the device.
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- Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
- Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
- Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
- Do more with device pairing – Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, or create a home theatre system with Fire TV.
- Say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering - With eero Built-in, Echo Dot doubles as a mesh wifi extender, adding up to 1,000 sq. ft. of wifi coverage to your existing eero network.
If the reset does not work
- Confirm that the device is powered on.
- Check the model and make sure you are using the correct control.
- For Google Home Speaker, Nest Audio, and Nest Mini, switch off the microphone first and look for orange lights.
- Hold the control for the full approximate period and continue until you hear or see confirmation.
- Unplug the device for one minute, reconnect it, and try the correct reset sequence again.
- Keep the phone, device, and router close together during setup.
- Force-close and reopen the Google Home app, or try another supported phone or tablet.
- If a physical button or touch control appears defective, contact Google support.
“This device is already linked to a user”
This message usually means the speaker or display was previously configured by someone else. Google’s guidance says the device may need a factory reset before a new person can set it up. Perform the model-specific physical reset above, wait for confirmation, and then configure it with the recipient’s own Google Account. Do not assume that simply removing the device from an app completes the hardware reset.
See Google’s guidance for the “already linked to a user” error.
What this guide does not cover
Google Wifi and Nest Wifi have separate reset procedures and data-retention behavior. Chromecast and Google TV Streamer devices also use different instructions. Nest cameras and doorbells have their own reset process and may require saving footage first. Use Google’s separate Wifi reset guide or camera and doorbell reset guide instead.
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