Google is completely removing touch-to-wake on google home mini

[RadiatingLight]

Following reports of some Google Home Minis activating randomly, google has decided to permanently disable the touch-to-wake on Google Home Mini. (instead of, you know, fixing the affected units). 

 

https://www.androidcentral.com/google-disable-touch-activated-listening-home-minis-following-always-listening-reports?utm_source=ac_tw&utm_medium=tw_card&utm_content=63338&utm_campaign=social

 

Quote

Google has said it will permanently disable the touch-sensitive function of all Google Home Minis — including touching it to pause/play audio, we suppose — following reports this week that issues with the software and hardware were causing the devices to constantly record and send audio back to Google.

 

The official statement from google is:

Quote

We take user privacy and product quality concerns very seriously. Although we only received a few reports of this issue, we want people to have complete peace of mind while using Google Home Mini.

We have made the decision to permanently remove all top touch functionality on the Google Home Mini.

 

 

 

IMO, this is a really bad choice, since I was going to get a google home mini, and while I will still get one, this really discourages me. I really wanted to have the full functionality (especially touch to pause music), and it kinda sucks that Google's taking this cheap approach of neutering everything, instead of fixing what's broken.

[Himommies]

I think this was posted before

[RadiatingLight]

Just now, Himommies said:

I think this was posted before

This was:

but that was a bug, not a permanent feature removal

[Himommies]

 

[DocSwag]

IMO they should've just made it disabled by default and if the user chooses to they can enable it.

[Eduard the weeb]

I kinda don't care much about the touch, just kinda creeped out that google will always being listening and waiting for me to say "Ok google" but I am probably still going to get one for my room being a heavy google user having a chrome book and using mostly android smart phones

Edited October 12, 2017 by Eduard the weeb
wouldn't show my reply

[RadiatingLight]

2 hours ago, Eduard the weeb said:

I kinda don't care much about the touch, just kinda creeped out that google will always being listening and waiting for me to say "Ok google" but I am probably still going to get one for my room being a heavy google user having a chrome book and using mostly android smart phones

Your phone does that too, so nothing's really different.

again, it's local processing, so google's not really listening.

[Eduard the weeb]

3 minutes ago, RadiatingLight said:

Your phone does that too, so nothing's really different.

again, it's local processing, so google's not really listening.

hope so lol

 

maybe were being spied on

Spoiler

 

[RadiatingLight]

26 minutes ago, Eduard the weeb said:

hope so lol

 

maybe were being spied on

  Hide contents

 

Nah that'd get discovered real quick (constant uploads can totally be tracked)

only way I can think it would ever work is if all word processing was local, and then the plaintext of what you're saying was sent to google. but that would suck because local word processing isn't very good, and it would probably still get discovered.

[Sniperfox47]

Considering how much they talked up the touch controls in their PR event, their store pages description of it, and I assume it will be on the retail packaging unless they're calling back all units, I'm wondering if this is putting themselves in a position for a potential class-action? I don't know much about US law outside of that people love to sue other people.

[GOTSpectrum]

1 hour ago, Sniperfox47 said:

Considering how much they talked up the touch controls in their PR event, their store pages description of it, and I assume it will be on the retail packaging unless they're calling back all units, I'm wondering if this is putting themselves in a position for a potential class-action? I don't know much about US law outside of that people love to sue other people.

You know I was just thinking the exact same thing. Misrepresentation of the devices features and functionalities. Would be interesting to see the outcome of such a case anyway. 

[ZimFreak]

I was also excited for the home mini. While this isn't a deal breaker, it's definitely discouraging. Mostly it'll just constantly annoy me knowing that there's touch sensors in there but I can't use them.

 

Edit: Not sure if the article was updated after this thread was created but the touch for volume will still work. Thank god

 

Quote

To make things incredibly clear, Google offered the following statement on the situation:

We take user privacy and product quality concerns very seriously. Although we only received a few reports of this issue, we want people to have complete peace of mind while using Google Home Mini.

We have made the decision to permanently remove all top touch functionality on the Google Home Mini. As before, the best way to control and activate Google Home Mini is through voice, by saying "Ok Google" or "Hey Google," which is already how most people engage with our Google Home products. You can still adjust the volume by using the touch control on the side of the device.

(emphasis mine)