My wife and I have had a Google Home Mini for quite a while now and we have been pretty happy with it. It can answer most questions that we ask it. It can do anything from telling jokes to controlling smart appliances and devices. Usually the Google Home Mini is quick and easy to set up. And after setup it just works. Unfortunately there are those rare instances when things don’t go according to plan. What should be quick and easy can become complicated and what should just work runs into errors. Getting a “No Devices Found” or “Could not communicate with your Google Home Mini” error can be frustrating. It is almost equivalent to a blue screen of death on Windows.
How to Fix No Devices Found and Could Not Communicate with Your Google Home Mini Errors
For your Google Home Mini to be set up successfully it needs:
- Power and turned on.
- Bluetooth turned on.
- Location access on.
- A working network.
- A device that isn’t malfunctioning.
Make sure your phone’s Bluetooth is turned on. Your settings may be set up differently than mine. If so, look around to find your Bluetooth settings.
- Open your phone’s settings.
- Tap “Connected devices”.
- Toggle on “Bluetooth”.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Make sure your phone’s Location is turned on. Again, your settings may be set up differently than mine. If so, look around to find your location settings.
- Open your phone’s settings.
- Tap “Location”.
- Tap the setting to toggle on “Location”.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Restart the Google Home app. Sometimes simply restarting an app can solve minor problems.
- Close the Google Home app.
- Open it again.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Restart your phone. Just like with a Windows computer, a system restart can solve many minor issues.
- Hold down the power button.
- Tap restart.
- Tap it again if necessary.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Make sure it is plugged in and turned on. I know this sounds pretty obvious but we’ve all accidentally not turned something on or plugged it in. Plugs can work loose at times as well.
- Check to make sure it is plugged into a power outlet.
- Make sure it is turned on.
- Plug something else into the power outlet to check to see if the outlet itself is working.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Update the Home app. By keeping software up to date it can patch security holes, fix bugs, add features, and preserve compatibility.
- Open Google Play on your phone.
- Tap your profile picture in the upper right corner.
- Tap “Manage apps & device”.
- Tap “Manage”.
- Tap “Updates available”.
- Check the list and if there is an update available for Home install it. It is a good idea to check periodically and keep your apps updated anyway.
- Restart your phone.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Make sure your home network is working. For the Home Mini and Home app to communicate you need a working network and access to the internet.
- Try to connect to your WiFi with another device and see if the connection is successful.
- Open a Command Prompt.
- Type in “
ping google.com“. Make sure it says that all packets were sent and received with no losses.
If your network isn’t working then you will need to fix it before your Google Home Mini will be able to work. If your network is working move on to the next step.
Clear the Google Home app cache. If your phone’s settings are set up slightly different than mine just look around and you will find where you need to be.
- Open your phone’s settings.
- Open Apps settings.
- Open app info.
- Open Home.
- Open Storage.
- Tap “Clear cache”.
- Restart your phone.
- If that doesn’t fix the issue go back in and tap “Clear data”.
- Restart your phone.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Power down the speaker.
- Unplug your speaker.
- Plug it back in.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Try to set your speaker up with a different device. Perhaps something is going on with your phone that is preventing you from setting up your Home Mini.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Move your speaker to a different location. Maybe something is interfering with the wireless signal or you tried to set it up in an area where your WiFi isn’t strong enough.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Factory reset your speaker. How you go about resetting your Home Mini will depend on whether it is a first or second generation.
First generation:
- Press and hold the factory reset button located below the power cord on the bottom of the device. Look for a circle etched into the base.
- Continue to hold until a sound confirms that it is resetting.
Second generation:
- Switch the mic off. The lights will turn orange.
- Press and hold the center of the Home Mini, where the lights are on top.
- Continue to hold until a sound confirms that the device is resetting.
If your Google Home Mini still doesn’t work…
Contact support. They may be able to help you.
If you would like to skip the following support steps just call 1-855-971-9121 anytime 24 hours a day.
- Go to the Google Nest Help page.
- On the “Please select your product family drop-down select “Google Home”.
- Under “Tell us what we can help with” type in what your issue is.
- Follow the prompts.
- Under “Contact options” you have a choice between get a call, call us, chat, Facebook, and Twitter.
If you are willing to go this far factory resetting your phone could help. If you choose to do this make sure you backup whatever is important to you first.
And if you have come this far and all else failed you may need to replace your speaker. Just like factory resetting your phone, this one might seem drastic but if you want a working Google Home Mini there may be no choice.
I hope the above steps were able to help you get your Google Home Mini back to work answering your questions, telling you the weather forecast, controlling your smart appliances, giving you reminders, and whatever else you use it for. Let me know down in the comments how it all worked out for you.