How to Factory Reset Google Home

Here, we show you how to factory reset the Google Home assistant speaker, the original model. Factory readies your Google Home for sale or gifting to another person by unlink it from your Google account. So to preserve your privacy and Google account, this is something you definitely want to do if someone else will use the speaker from now on.

How to Factory Reset Google Home

1. Connect the Google Home to AC Power

Once you plug the unit into AC power, wait for it to boot. After that, then move on to the next step.

2. Press and Hold the Mic Mute Button

Once the light ring finishes spinning and flashing in its multi-colored way, and goes completely dark after booting, press and hold the Microphone Mute button. Find this control on the back near the top of the Google Home, for around five seconds.

Moreover, while holding in the mute button, notice that the ring of lights on the top begin glowing orange. In varying brightness intensities and patterns, these give a visual indication of a countdown to reset that is in progress, as we see next.

Picture of the speaker, about to reboot, showing the orange light ring, indicating that a reboot is imminent. — The speaker about to reboot, It’s showing the orange light ring, meaning that a reboot is about to occur.

3. Confirm Reboot by Continuing to Hold the Mic Mute Button In

Then, after about five seconds, the speaker says, “You’re about to completely reset Google Home. To cancel, release the button.” Now is the time to release the Microphone Mute button, if you decide not to erase all speaker settings.

4. Keep the Mic Mute Button Depressed to Continue with How to Factory Reset Google Home

So this continues with the factory default reset. Then after a little while, the orange ring goes out. Next, the top turns white in a spinning pattern. At this time, the speaker restores factory defaults, as shown next.

Picture of the speaker with factory reset in progress, displaying white spinning light ring pattern. — The speaker with factory reset in progress, displaying white spinning light ring pattern.

5. Reboot Begins

Additionally, after about ten seconds, the speaker top goes dark. Then a system reboot begins, with a multi-colored pattern lighting up, as shown next.

Picture of the original Google Home speaker, booting in progress. It shows its multi colored light ring, that appears during reboot. Factory reset Google Home. — The original Google Home speaker, booting. This speaker shows the multi colored light ring, that displays during reboot.

6. Reboot Finishes

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

7. Speaker Enters Setup Mode

Then, the unit goes into setup mode, which means that the unit is now ready to accept setup directives from the Google Home App. The speaker tells us this by lighting the four white blips in the light ring in a dimming and brightening pattern, as we see in the next picture.

Picture of the speaker in setup mode. It is showing four white dots, that mean setup. — The speaker in setup mode. It is showing four white dots that mean setup.

8. Factory Reset of Google Home is Complete !

Feel free now, to give your Google Home to another without fear that they’ll have access to the settings or other personal information on your Google account. Or, you can then set it up again on your Google account, perhaps with a new WiFi network or device name.

Then, the light ring turns white with the four dots glowing, meaning setup mode. The unit then stays in setup until you run the setup routine. Note that the speaker will not work until set up and linked to a Google account.

References for How to Factory Reset Google Home

1. Where to Buy Google Home

Revision History

- 2020-08-05: First time released.

How to Factory Reset Google Home