Google Home update appears to be bricking older (gen 1) devices

[Giles Wells]

Summary

Older Google Home (gen 1), and Google Home Mini (gen 1) devices appear to have issues with a recent firmware update that's being pushed out to devices. The devices are unable to reboot after the update and will, in most cases, get to the step in the bootup process with 4 white lights turned on and then hang there indefinitely.

 

My thoughts

This personally happened to one of my Google Home Mini devices and through my attempts to reboot, factory reset, and even reached out to the Google Home support live chat I was able to learn that the Google engineers are working on the issue but I am unsure if there will be a self-service solution to those that have bricked devices because the device locks up seemingly before they connect to the wifi. The earliest reports of this bricking appear to have happened this past Tuesday (12/05/2023).

 

Unfortunately, while not everyone has confirmed this, it appears that those which have mentioned it do report that they had opted into the Preview Program where our devices could get firmware updates and new features pushed out earlier. While I understand there are risks to opting into a program such as this I do also firmly believe that Google should be responsible enough with a preview program to not push firmware updates to devices that are out of warranty and/or aren't in their list of validation devices for new firmware updates.

 

I'd like to see Google provide a solution to this through sideloading of a new firmware through the micro-usb port (if that's even possible), opt to provide an out-of-warranty replacement ( unlikely) or even provide us early adopters with a discount code to buy a new device. It's an unfortunate situation but something that I don't see Google having no fault in causing. There were many ways they could have prevented this and it doesn't seem that any of them were put into place.

 

Sources

Sadly it doesn't look like any traditional news sites have picked up on this as of yet. We just have my own personal experience, responses from chat support, and lots posts in the Google Nest Community support forums. Update below

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Google-Home-stuck-with-4-white-lights/td-p/557532

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/google-home-mini-all-4-lights-on/td-p/555963

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/My-Google-Home-mini-suddenly-died/td-p/557160

Edit: Adding Actual News Sources

It appears that smaller tech news sites are starting to report on the issue:

https://www.androidauthority.com/google-home-mini-bricked-2-3393591/

https://www.howtogeek.com/google-is-looking-into-bricked-google-home-speakers/

Edited December 14, 2023 by Giles Wells
Updated with actual news sources

[Forbidden Wafer]

That's why they call it the bleeding edge. Sometimes you get cut. 

[Giles Wells]

3 hours ago, Forbidden Wafer said:

That's why they call it the bleeding edge. Sometimes you get cut. 

Yep. I just think that Google should have done more to provide at least minimal guard rails for older devices.

[wanderingfool2]

19 hours ago, Giles Wells said:

It's an unfortunate situation but something that I don't see Google having no fault in causing. There were many ways they could have prevented this and it doesn't seem that any of them were put into place.

If it happens to everyone on the preview program with the device then yea, Google probably will have to step in and do something as at that point I'd imagine one could argue gross negligence (preview program or not, they still have a basic duty of care to not be reckless unless they specifically inform you that it could brick your device; not just the general waiver)...however if it was just a subset of devices, like a random handful of ones that got bricked they might be in the clear (depending on wording, but I'd imagine they have a limited liability waiver).

[MrMeetoo]

It's not technically true. I've never signed up for the preview program and one of my device got bricked like thousands of others. I don't think it has a relation with the preview program at all. Just a major snafu from Google. That should make the news so we could pressure them to replace all the devices they bricked with their update. The population needs to know before Christmas and get away from Google home all together. I have 4 of them (now 3) and I was actually thinking of how they would support theses products over time. I mean 35$ for the device and then you get infinite cloud support to make them work. I don't think so. They will make sure they have a short lifespan and they are proving it!

 

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/HOME-mini-UNRESPONSIVE-thread-quot-Google-home-mini-4-dots-stuck-problem/m-p/561591/emcs_t/S2h8ZW1haWx8dG9waWNfc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9ufExRNEJDWUhHNURMV0dOfDU2MTU5MXxTVUJTQ1JJUFRJT05TfGhL#M101383

[Giles Wells]

22 hours ago, MrMeetoo said:

It's not technically true. I've never signed up for the preview program and one of my device got bricked like thousands of others. I don't think it has a relation with the preview program at all.

I've only seen one other person explicitly state they weren't on the preview program so if this is truly a general availability firmware that's bricking devices, yikes doesn't even start to cover how badly they fucked up.

[Fred2620]

I'm not on the preview program, and my Google Home (1st gen) speaker has also stopped working in the same manner. A lot of posters in the Google Nest Community support forums are also not in the preview program, so by now I think it would be safe to assume it's a general availability firmware issue. I'd be curious to see if there's still a single 1st gen speaker out there that still works today, although people owning a working device wouldn't be compelled to visit support forums.

[NavyCobra1417]

Well shoot. I'm on the preview program, but my 1st gen Google Home is still working fine. At this point is it better to remove it from the preview program or just leave it?

[Giles Wells]

11 hours ago, NavyCobra1417 said:

Well shoot. I'm on the preview program, but my 1st gen Google Home is still working fine. At this point is it better to remove it from the preview program or just leave it?

I'd say remove it just to be safe. I'd hope that Google has paused the roll out of the new firmware but better safe than sorry. Also, it's also looking like maybe the preview program is a red herring and it could be affecting everyone the same so who knows.

[luci_flash]

I have two Google Home Minis.

One is bricked, one is not.

I'm not in the preview program.

The faulty firmware was pushed one week ago.

There are some people with Google Nest Mini with the same issue.

 

Last time this happened Google sent out replacements. I think people should sue them if Google doesn't take responsibly. 

 

[Ydfhlx]

On 12/11/2023 at 10:41 PM, Forbidden Wafer said:

That's why they call it the bleeding edge. Sometimes you get cut. 

In this case, people got shot not cut (figuratively of course). Installing preview firmware shouldn't brick your device, in the same way as installing Windows preview program or Firefox nightly shouldn't brick you PC.

[Giles Wells]

On 12/16/2023 at 8:52 AM, luci_flash said:

Last time this happened Google sent out replacements.

Google started the process with my out of warranty mini to offer me a replacement and provided 2 options on how to proceed. Still waiting for the actual mailing instructions on how to send them the old device but it looks like, for at least the US, they're going to be offering replacements. I saw someone in their forums from Canada that said they got a $25CAD credit to their Google store account to used toward the purchase of a new device but that doesn't help too much when a new one is like $70CAD.