What Is Google Home and What Can It Do?

Google Home is the app that manages all Google Nest devices. Google Assistant is the voice assistant that responds to 'Hey Google' commands. Together they let you:

• Ask questions: "Hey Google, what is the weather this weekend?" or "Hey Google, how do I get to the nearest pharmacy?"
• Play music: "Hey Google, play some country music" — works with YouTube Music, Spotify, and other services
• Set reminders and timers: "Hey Google, remind me to call the doctor at 2 PM" or "Hey Google, set a timer for 15 minutes"
• Control smart home devices: "Hey Google, turn off the porch light" or "Hey Google, set the thermostat to 68 degrees"
• Get answers from Google: Google Assistant is particularly good at answering factual questions and giving directions
• Manage your calendar: "Hey Google, what is on my schedule tomorrow?" — works with Google Calendar

What You Need Before You Start

Have these things ready before you begin.

• Your Google Nest or Google Home speaker (any model — Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub, etc.)
• The power adapter that came with the device
• A smartphone (iPhone or Android) with the Google Home app installed — download it free from the App Store or Google Play
• A Google account (Gmail) — if you do not have one, you can create one free at google.com
• Your home Wi-Fi network name and password

Setting Up Your Google Nest Speaker

The Google Home app guides you through the entire setup process.

1. 1Plug the Google Nest speaker into a power outlet and wait for it to play a startup sound and show a pulsing light
2. 2Open the Google Home app on your phone and sign in with your Google account
3. 3Tap the plus (+) button in the upper left corner
4. 4Tap Set Up Device, then New Device
5. 5Select your home (or create one if this is your first Google device)
6. 6The app will search for nearby devices — your Nest speaker should appear. Tap it.
7. 7The speaker will play a sound to confirm it is the right device — tap Yes
8. 8Select your home Wi-Fi network and enter your password
9. 9Choose a room for the device (Kitchen, Living Room, Bedroom, etc.) — this helps with voice commands like "Hey Google, turn off the kitchen lights"
10. 10Follow any remaining prompts to complete setup

Linking Your Google Account for Personalized Responses

For the best experience, link your Google account so the speaker can access your calendar, contacts, and personalized information.

1. 1In the Google Home app, tap your profile picture in the upper right corner
2. 2Tap Assistant Settings
3. 3Tap Personal Results and turn it on
4. 4Follow the prompts to link your Google Calendar, contacts, and other services

Connecting Google Home to Smart Home Devices

Google Home works with thousands of smart home devices from brands like Nest, Philips Hue, Ring, and many others.

1. 1In the Google Home app, tap the plus (+) button
2. 2Tap Set Up Device, then Works with Google
3. 3Search for the brand of your smart home device (Philips Hue, Ring, Nest, etc.)
4. 4Tap the brand and follow the instructions to link your account
5. 5Google Home will discover all compatible devices automatically
6. 6You can then control them by voice: "Hey Google, dim the living room lights to 50 percent"

Useful Voice Commands to Get You Started

Here are some commands that most homeowners find immediately useful.

• "Hey Google, good morning" — gives you a daily briefing with weather, news, and calendar events
• "Hey Google, what is the weather today?" — current conditions and forecast
• "Hey Google, set a timer for 20 minutes" — great for cooking
• "Hey Google, play NPR" — streams your local NPR station
• "Hey Google, turn off" — stops whatever is playing
• "Hey Google, what can you do?" — Alexa will explain its capabilities