Picture of the Google Home Mini smart speaker, oiginal box, and included accessories, completely unpacked.

How to Reset Google Home Mini Speaker

You may decide to offer your Google Home Mini speaker for sale, or to link it to a different Google account.   Then again, you might just want to connect it to a different Wi-Fi network. To do any of these things, you must first reset it, which removes it from its current Google account. Further, it must forget the Wi-Fi connection information and any multi-room groups it’s in. When you reset Google Home Mini speaker, you accomplish all of that.  You restore it to fresh out of the box values.  This prepares the speaker for a new setup and configuration.  To reset the Mini, perform the following procedure.

How to Reset Google Home Mini Speaker: But First, a Reset May Not be Needed

Note.  If you’re just correcting erratic behavior of the speaker, then don’t reset yet.  In fact, a complete factory default reset might be too drastic a measure. So, before complete reset Google Home Mini, try powering off the unit for fifteen seconds. Next, wait fifteen seconds.  Then power it up again. Often, this power cycling restores proper operation. Or, move the speaker closer to the host WiFi network.  However, if none of this does not fix the problem, then do the hard reset, described next

Warning!

Once reset, you lose control of the speaker until setup again.  That is, you can no longer control the Mini from the Google account where you controlled it before. To get control back, run  through the setup procedure again.  Doing so relinks the Mini to that account once more.

How to Reset Google Home Mini Speaker: Step by Step

1. Connect the Google Home Mini to AC Power 

After boot completes, go on to step 2.

2. Next, Press and hold the Reset button 

Find this button in the orange area on the bottom of the Mini, near the power cord USB plug.

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

 

Picture of starting a reset of Google Home Mini, by 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, the Google Home Mini speaks a message.  It warns you that you’re about to reset.   It then offers that if you wish to abort the reset, then release the reset button now. But to proceed, continue holding the button in.

The first yellow light glows. Further, one more turn on every few seconds until the entire row of four is lit. The Google Home Mini reset begins shortly thereafter. Continue depressing the reset button.

Do not power off the Google Home during reset.  Why?  Doing so could render it unusable (bricked).

Picture of Reset of the Mini starting, showing the three orange lights.
Reset of the Mini starting, showing the three orange lights.

3. Release the Reset Button

When the Mini chimes and glows yellow, let go of the reset button.

4. The Reset Operation Starts

Reset Google Home Mini really gets underway once the lights go out, as shown next.

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

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

Picture of the reset in progress, showing scanning bright white lights.
Reset in progress, showing scanning bright white lights.

5. Google Home Mini then Reboots

After some seconds, the Mini again goes dark as the Google Home reset completes. A reboot then starts, as shown next.

Picture of Reset Google Home Mini finishing up, showing its lights completely dark.
Reset Google Home Mini finishing up, showing its lights completely dark.

After roughly ten seconds, the lights reappear, this time, colored dim gray. Specifically, they display a scanning sort of pattern, as shown next.  This means that a reboot after the reset is in progress.

Picture of the Mini speaker with reset In progress, showing scanning white lights on top.
The Mini speaker with reset In progress, showing scanning white lights on top.

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

Picture of the multi colored lights displaying during reboot.
Multi colored lights displaying during reboot.

6. Reboot Finishes Next

Subsequently, you hear the startup complete music and then the speaker speaks and says something like, “Welcome to Google Home. So to start, download the Google Home app on a phone or tablet.”

7. The Speaker Then Enters Setup Mode

In other words, the speaker can now accept directives from the Google Home App. When in setup mode, the Mini displays the four white blips across its top.  These gradually dim and brighten. For example, see these lights as shown in the next picture.

Picture of the dimming white lights across the speaker top.
Now in setup mode, displaying the dimming white lights across the top of the speaker.

 

8. Finished with How to Reset Google Home Mini Speaker

Thus, feel free to give your Google Mini to another.  Have no fear therefore, that they’ll access your Google account speaker preferences, settings, or other personal information. Or, you may then set it up again on your existing account.  Perhaps this time, you’ll connect to a different Wi-Fi network or set a new device name.

Then, the light row turns white with the four dots glowing. Finally, the speaker enters setup mode.  It remains that way until someone executes the published setup procedure. While in setup mode, the Mini will not function further, until properly set up and linked to a Google account.

Done!

Other Posts About the Google Home Mini Speaker

    1. How to Reboot Google Home Mini Speaker
    2. How to Use Google Home Mini as Bluetooth Speaker

References for How to Reset Google Home Mini Speaker

    1. Google Home Official Help and Support Page
    2. Where to Buy a Google Home Mini Speaker