Before you recycle an old Google Home Mini speaker, the new Nest Home Mini, or hand either over to a pal because you've bought the next upgrade — it's always a good idea to reset the speaker so it's longer connected to your voice, and keenly your account.
Certainly, Google Home Mini speakers are fairly inexpensive items, so too the newest Google Nest Mini. You can pick one up for just $49, and sometimes, during holiday shopping specials, for even less. But there's nothing wrong with recycling a smart speaker, or even passing one along to a family member or friend when you've upgraded to the next, bigger, speaker.
Crucial, though, is ensuring no one can pull up your details. And while the Google Home Mini and Google Nest Mini can be set with Voice Match, so that only your calendar and personal information comes up when you specifically ask, not everyone makes use of this feature.
In any event, just as you would with a computer or a smartphone, it's never wrong to reset any piece of technology before you pass it forward. With the Google Home Mini and Nest Mini, that step is fairly simple, and we've outlined how to do it in just two to three steps.
It's crucial though that you take care of a reset before you hand off either one of these — and the steps needed are done on the speaker themselves. And you can't reset the devices using your voice with Google Assistant either. While the steps are similar to resetting the Google Home speaker, here's how to find the buttons on the Mini speakers specifically.
Google Nest Mini Gen 2
Pick up your Google Nest Mini (Gen 2) which you can identify for the mount space on the back, allowing you to attach this device to a wall. Don't see it? You have the Google Home Mini (Gen 1) and can skip to the next set of steps.
Steps:
- Now that you know you have a Gen 2 speaker, first flip the switch on the side that controls the mic to off, which will turn the lights to orange. The switch too should show a bit of orange color indicating it's in the off position.
- Now, press down the top of the speaker, in the very center of the lights.
- In 15 seconds, you'll hear a chime that lets you know the speaker has been restored to a factory setting.
Google Home Mini Gen 1
Steps:
- Locate on the bottom of the speaker, a button — which looks like a depressed, indented circle — that is right below where the power cord is plugged into the speaker.
- Press and hold this button for 15 seconds until you hear a chime, which indicates the speaker has been reset to factory settings.
