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  1. #1
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    Default Google Home mini annoyances

    I have 2 of these, one in the man cave and one in between the living room and the kitchen (open plan). Overall I'm really impressed but they do have their annoyances.

    Harmony integration - I have shortcuts set up so I just say "turn on plex", "turn on sky" etc. The harmony will respond immediately turning on the connected equipment but google home insists on telling me "OK, getting harmony", Harmony will then respond "Turning on plex". This means it tells me it's getting harmony about 5 seconds after the command has run.

    Not being able to share timers across the 2 home minis. - I want to set a timer in my kitchen and get the notification on the one in the man cave. I burn food a lot!

    "Hey google/OK Google" - It's a bit of a mouthful especially after a few cans, I much prefer the amazon wake words. Alexa rolls off the tongue much better.

    "youtube music is not available in your country" - If I want to play a youtube video on my chromecast I have to be very specific with the video name otherwise it thinks it's a song name. For example I watch James Bruton videos on youtube, if I say "Play james bruton on youtube" it thinks he's a music artist and gives me the youtube music error.

    The LEDs - when I first turned it on the LEDs were the google colours. Ever since then they've been white unless I turn the mic off.

    The control buttons. - The one in the man cave is wall mounted. There is no official way of swapping the orientation of the vol up/down buttons. I have run my cable out of the top of the device and along the edge of a windowsill to get around this issue. This function is available in the unofficial API which shows it has the ability to, google haven't made that feature available in the app yet. https://rithvikvibhu.github.io/GHLocalApi/

    "The mic's off" - Thanks, I know that as I just flicked the switch and the leds have gone orange.

    The shopping list - add things to your shopping list and you need to be online to retrieve it. Great, but I don't get a signal at my local Tesco making this feature useless. Why it doesn't sync with an offline shopping list on your phone is a mystery to me.

    Blocking offensive words - I'm an adult, I swear a lot and have this turned off in my google assistant preferences. I can get my phone to tell me to fuck off by saying "vaffanculo", google home beeps the word fuck. On a plus note you can swear at it, I created a duplicate room for the man cave called "fucking". Now I can say "turn the fucking lights on". It's just a shame it responds with "sure, turning 10 lights on" instead of "turning on the fucking lights".

    Lack of plex integration. - This is more of a wish than an annoyance. It would be nice to be truly lazy.

    Thanks to beerman

    piggzy (30th January 2018)  


  2. #2
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    There is a way to integrate plex. Search for phlex.

    Sent from my Philips Cellnet using a 12c508
    Just use enough water to cover your vegetables,the same goes for when you're having a bath....

    Thanks to satzzz

    beerman (28th January 2018)  


  3. #3
    DF VIP Member
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Yeah I saw that but I meant native integration.

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    DF VIP Member JonEp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by beerman View Post
    "Hey google/OK Google" - It's a bit of a mouthful especially after a few cans, I much prefer the amazon wake words. Alexa rolls off the tongue much better.
    This for me is the only reason I went with Alexa.

    They should allow you to customise the wake up call.

    Thanks to JonEp

    beerman (28th January 2018)  


  5. #5
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by JonEp View Post
    This for me is the only reason I went with Alexa.

    They should allow you to customise the wake up call.
    that's a good idea like
    "Oi biatch play sum music"

    Thanks to Mickey

    beerman (28th January 2018)  


  6. #6
    DF VIP Member
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by JonEp View Post
    This for me is the only reason I went with Alexa.

    They should allow you to customise the wake up call.
    I can see why they have google as a wake word, it's good brand recognition. If they really wanted a 3 sylable word that's associated with the brand "assistant" works better than ok google or hey google.

  7. #7
    DF VIP Member CominAtcha's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    I think my only gripe with my Google Home is when I have the music it plays or the TV on loud, 'she' doesn't always recognise what I say. Not sure that can be helped though.......?

    Thanks to CominAtcha

    beerman (30th January 2018)  


  8. #8
    DF VIP Member
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by CominAtcha View Post
    I think my only gripe with my Google Home is when I have the music it plays or the TV on loud, 'she' doesn't always recognise what I say. Not sure that can be helped though.......?
    If you are playing music through the home or a chromecast there is a setting to auto lower the volume as soon as it hears hey google.

    Thanks to beerman

    CominAtcha (30th January 2018)  


  9. #9
    DF VIP Member CominAtcha's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by beerman View Post
    as soon as it hears hey google.
    That's kinda the issue. It does't hear the 'Hey Google' part if the volume is up too loud. But I'll give the setting a try and see what happens. Ta.
    Last edited by CominAtcha; 30th January 2018 at 02:54 PM.

  10. #10
    DF VIP Member
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Looks like google may let you change the wake word soon:
    https://9to5google.com/2018/01/29/go...ight-teardown/

    2 Thanks given to beerman

    MHP (30th January 2018),  muttleymacclad (30th January 2018)  


  11. #11
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Been toying with getting one of these. I played with the Amazon one and like it but it seemed more suited to regular amazon purchasers/users which I am not at all so should I take a punt on the Google one or is there another upcoming one about to hit the markets ???

    Why MS didn't make a standalone version of the Cortana/Kinect things is beyond me. Something that doesn't require a PC/Laptop or Xbox. Surely they should have been ahead of the others ??!?!?!?

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    I don't see a real need for one myself
    tooo many lazy fckers that cant press a button to play music or even use a remote.

    things have gone lazy when times were olde, when you had to get off your fat @ss and turn over TV to another channel


    bring back the good old days
    Last edited by Mickey; 31st January 2018 at 12:50 AM.

  13. #13
    DF VIP Member
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by piggzy View Post
    Been toying with getting one of these. I played with the Amazon one and like it but it seemed more suited to regular amazon purchasers/users which I am not at all so should I take a punt on the Google one or is there another upcoming one about to hit the markets ???

    Why MS didn't make a standalone version of the Cortana/Kinect things is beyond me. Something that doesn't require a PC/Laptop or Xbox. Surely they should have been ahead of the others ??!?!?!?
    Unless you have any home automation in your house there isn't really much point. I have lights, a nest, a harmony hub and wall sockets so shouting at it to change things makes more sense than using all the different apps (yes mickey I'm a lazy fuck ). I do listen to music in the kitchen now though.

    Thanks to beerman

    Mickey (31st January 2018)  


  14. #14
    DF VIP Member muttleymacclad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by beerman View Post
    Unless you have any home automation in your house there isn't really much point. I have lights, a nest, a harmony hub and wall sockets so shouting at it to change things makes more sense than using all the different apps (yes mickey I'm a lazy fuck ). I do listen to music in the kitchen now though.
    I'm thinking of getting nest in my new place, is the integration with Google home OK? I've got a Mini and a Home.

    Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk
    "When a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butchers knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross." - 'Dirty' Harry

  15. #15
    DF VIP Member
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by muttleymacclad View Post
    I'm thinking of getting nest in my new place, is the integration with Google home OK? I've got a Mini and a Home.

    Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk
    Yeah it works well. My only complaint would be if I say "what is the temperature" it gives me the outside temp. I have to say "what is the temperature in the living room".

    Thanks to beerman

    muttleymacclad (1st February 2018)  


  16. #16
    DF VIP Member DavidF's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Quote Originally Posted by Mickey View Post
    I don't see a real need for one myself
    tooo many lazy fckers that cant press a button to play music or even use a remote.

    things have gone lazy when times were olde, when you had to get off your fat @ss and turn over TV to another channel


    bring back the good old days
    Another lazy bugger here im afraid. Amazon alexa for my sins coupled with samsung smartthings I just shout random shit at the thing and stuff happens, at this rate the misses is becoming less useful I think I may have automated her out of a job....lol Glad she isn't a member on here haha.

    Thanks to DavidF

    Ashley (25th February 2018)  


  17. #17
    DF VIP Member CominAtcha's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    You don't really need a Google Home, but I sure as hell wanted one and now I have, I find myself using it a fuck tonne.

    From turning on the lights, to setting timers for cooking, to shopping lists, to reminders, to telling it to cast Netflix to the TV. It's also damn good as a talking Wiki while I'm watching a TV show or a film. Not forgetting being able to play practically any music I want of course.

    And looking at the Google Home app, I can see that I'm barely scratching the surface of what it can do and what I could ask it.

    I could live quite happily without it for sure. But I don't wanna!

    Thanks to CominAtcha

    muttleymacclad (1st February 2018)  


  18. #18
    DF Admin Teajunkie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    Mickey you old fart lol

    get an echo and you will see for yourself how good they are.
    we love ours and I swore I would never have one.

    it is a big outlay though the bulbs and bridge for the lights and the music subscription.
    we want to add a nest thermostat but it looks like you need to pay a sub for that too so won’t be bothering with that now.
    Have you joined the DF discord server. https://discord.com/invite/YajVGQxDaw

  19. #19
    DF VIP Member DavidF's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    One thing we use a lot is shopping list. Just tell alexa when you notice you have run out of something and it is added to the shopping list. We both like to cook with a full range of herbs and spices - this is invaluable for us as we kept running out of stuff and forgetting to replenish. Now we just stick stuff on the list when we are at a days supply left. Either one of us ever in the supermarket we check our mobile on amazon app to see what's on the list and you can strike them off as you go along.....Simple little thing but brilliant from the point of view just saying alexa add tarragon to the shopping list...from that one action we react and replenish.
    Now I don't need to worry so much about loosing my marbles lol.

  20. #20
    DF VIP Member DavidF's Avatar
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    Default Re: Google Home mini annoyances

    For music I just split 6 ways for a family sub on hotukdeals.....went on their because of numbers...people are always setting them up. Think it was £30 for the year - own login details ect ect ect. Brilliant.

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