Google Home Mini Reset Instructions

You may decide to sell or give your Google Home Mini smart speaker to another person. Or, you want to link it to a different Google account or a new WiFi network. Well, to unlink this smart speaker from its current Google account and WiFi, a Google Home Mini reset does the trick.  Finally, a reset restores the Mini to factory default (fresh out of the box) values. Follow these instructions to reset the Mini when you need to do this.

Consider These Cautions and Warning before Resetting

Google Home Mini Reset may Not be Necessary

Note that if you’re just trying to correct erratic behavior of the Google Mini speaker, you may not need to reset. So, before resetting, try powering off the unit for fifteen seconds. Then wait fifteen seconds. Next, power it up again. This often restores proper working. But if simple OFF ON switching does not fix the problem, or you really must reset, then read on.

Warning: Resetting Erases Speaker Data

Keep in mind that once reset, you’ll no longer be able to control the Mini from the Google account where you controlled it from before, unless you run through the setup procedure again, and relink the speaker to that account once more, via the Google Home app.





Google Home Mini Reset to Factory Default Settings

1. Connect the Google Mini Speaker to AC Power 

After boot completes, go on to step 2.

2. Press and Hold the  Reset   Button

This button is located in the orange area on the bottom of the Mini, near the power cord USB plug.

Picture of the Mini , bottom, showing the reset button highlighted.
Mini Google Home speaker, bottom view, showing the reset button highlighted.

 

Picture of holding reset button in with thumb.
Holding reset button in with thumb on the Google Home Mini smart speaker.

Once one light in the row of lamps on the top glows yellow, as shown next, the assistant will warn you that you’re about to reset the device and that if you wish to abort the reset, release the reset button now.  Continue holding the button in to perform the reset to factory default state.

The first yellow light then comes on, with one more turning on every few seconds until the entire row of four is lit.  The reset operation begins shortly thereafter, as long as you keep the reset button firmly depressed.

Do not power off the unit during the reset, as doing so could render it unusable (bricked).

Picture of the speaker with factory default reset about to start, showing yellow lights turning on in slow succession, while reset button is depressed.
The Mini with factory default reset about to start, showing yellow lights turning on in slow succession, while reset button is depressed

3. Release the Google Home Mini Reset Button

Let go of the Reset button when the Google Mini plays a short chime chord sound and the yellow lights on top go dark.

4. The Factory Hard Reset Begins

Reset starts once the lights go out and the Home Mini speaker stays dark for several seconds, as shown next.

Picture of the Google Home Mini smart speaker, lights dark during reset or when powered off.
Mini Google Home speaker, lights dark during reset or when powered off.

After a short pause, the white lights come back on in a scanning marquee pattern for several seconds, as shown next.

Picture of the Google Home Mini smart speaker, factory default reset in progress, showing scanning bright white lights.
Google Home Mini smart speaker, factory default reset in progress, showing scanning bright white lights.




5. The Google Speaker Then Begins a Reboot

After some seconds, the speaker again goes dark as the factory default reset completes.

Then, the reboot after that reset starts, as shown next.

Picture of the Google Home Mini speaker, lights dark after reset, prior to reboot.
Mini Google Home speaker, lights dark after reset, prior to reboot.

After several to ten seconds, the lights come back on, colored dim gray, and displaying a scanning pattern, as shown next, indicating that a reboot after the reset is in progress.

Picture of the Google Home Mini smart speaker with factory default reset In progress, showing scanning white lights on top.
Google Home Mini smart speaker with factory default reset In progress, showing scanning white lights on top.

Several seconds into the reboot, the lights turn multi-colored as shown next.

Picture of the Google Home Mini speaker, displaying multi colored lights during reboot.
Google Home Mini speaker, displaying multi colored lights during reboot.

6. Reboot Finishes 

Then, you hear the startup complete music and then the speaker speaks, “Welcome to Google Home. To get started, download the Google Home app on a phone or tablet.”

7. The Google Home Mini Then Enters Setup Mode

This means that the speaker can now accept initialization directives from the Google Home App. The speaker shows four white blips across its top to tell us this, in a dimming then brightening pattern. See this in the next pic.

Picture of the Google Home Mini speaker, in setup mode, displaying the dimming white lights across the top.
Google Home Mini speaker, in setup mode, displaying the dimming white lights across the top.

8. Google Home Mini Reset is Done

You may now feel free to give your Google Home Mini smart speaker to another without fear that they’ll have access to the settings or other personal information on your Google account. Or, you can set it up again on your existing account, perhaps with a different Wi-Fi network or device name.

Once the light row turns white with the four dots glowing, the unit remains in setup mode until someone executes the published setup procedure. The speaker will not function until properly set up and linked to a Google account.

Other Posts About the Google Home Mini Smart Speaker

    1. How to Set Up Spotify on Google Home Mini
    2. Google Home Mini Power Adapter Specs
    3. How to Connect Google Home Mini to Bluetooth Speaker
    4. Unlink Spotify from Google Home Mini, How To

References 

    1. Google Home Official Help and Support Page

Revision History

    • 2020-05-10: Replaced some sections with the Other Posts About… section.
    • 2019-05-12: Tweaked the keyword targeting for ‘Google Home Mini Reset’ and added tags.
    • 2017-10-30: Originally published.