All of the smart speakers in the Google Home family, including the Original Google Home, the Mini, and the Max, can be easily reset to factory default state in order to restore proper operation or to prepare the speakers for transfer of ownership to another person. Here, we discuss how to reset Google Home speakers, including the original and the Mini models.
How to Reset Google Home Original Speaker
1. Connect the Speaker to AC Power
After boot completes, go on to step s.
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, located on the back near the top of the Google Home speaker, for approximately five seconds.
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 pictured next.
3. Confirm Reboot by Continuing to Hold Mic Mute Button In
After approximately five seconds of holding in the button, the speaker says in its female voice, “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 no longer wish to erase all speaker settings.
4. Keep the Mic Mute Button Depressed
to continue with the factory default reset. Orange ring goes out. Then turns white in a spinning pattern while factory defaults are being restored, as pictured next.
5. Reboot Begins
After about ten seconds, that goes dark, then a system reboot begins, with a multi-colored pattern emerging after the hard reset is complete, as shown next.
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. Original Google Home 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 indicates this by displaying the four white blips in the light ring in a gradually dimming and then brightening pattern, as shown in the next picture.
8. Factory Default Reset Done
You may now give your Google 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.
The light ring turns white with the four dots glowing. The speaker has now entered setup. Then, the unit remains in setup mode until someone does the setup procedure. The speaker will not function until properly set up and linked to a Google account.
For more details, see our post: How to Reset Original Google Home Smart Speaker to Factory Default State.
How to Reset Google Home Mini
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.
Once one light in the row of lamps on the top glows yellow, as shown next. Then, the assistant warns you that you’re about to reset the device. It tells you that if you wish to stop the reset, release the reset button now. Keep holding the button in to perform the reset to factory default state.
The first yellow light then comes on. Then one more lights every few seconds until the entire row is lit. The reset operation starts shortly after, as long as you keep pressing the reset button.
Do not power off the unit during the reset, as doing so could render it unusable (bricked).
3. Release the Reset Button
Let go of it when the unit emits a short chime chord sound and the yellow lights go dark.
4. The Reset Operation Begins
Reset starts when the lights go out and the unit remains dark for several seconds, as shown next.
After a short pause, the white lights come back on. They scan in a marquee pattern for several seconds, as shown next.
5. The Speaker Then Begins a Reboot
After some seconds, the speaker again goes dark as the factory default reset completes. The reboot after that reset then begins, as shown next.
After several to ten seconds, the lights come back on. They are colored dim gray, and display a scanning pattern. See this in the next picture. This color pattern meand that a reboot after the reset is in progress.
Several seconds into the reboot, the lights turn multi-colored as shown next.
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 Mini then Enters Setup Mode
The speaker is now ready to accept initialization directives from the Google Home App. The speaker shows this by lighting the four white blips across its top. These do a slowly dimming and then brightening pattern. See this in the next picture.
8. How to Reset Google Home is Done
You may now feel free to give your Google Home Mini smart speaker to another. Do not worry 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.
Then, the light row turns white with the four dots glowing. The speaker has entered setup mode. It remains in setup until someone runs the setup procedure. Note that the speaker will not function until properly set up and linked to a Google account.
For more details, see our How to Reset Original Google Home Smart Speaker to Factory Default State post.
Related Posts
- Factory Reset Google Home
- Google Home Mini Bluetooth Speaker Pairing Instructions
- How to Pause and Resume Music Playback on the Google Home Mini Smart Speaker with a Touch
References
Revision History
- 2018-02-12: Originally published.