You mightn’t be aware, but your Google Home devices (Google Home, Google Home Mini, and so on) automatically update new firmwares every so often and install them, almost entirely without your involvement (or even knowledge).
Usually, this process is entirely seamless, and they’ll reboot silently at a time when you’re not likely to notice (usually sometime around 2 or 3 in the morning from what I’ve seen of mine). However, it seems a firmware update has been doing the rounds which has bricked a few devices, according to 9to5Google.
Reports on Google’s forums indicate a number of users have had their devices suddenly stop working. What users have seen is all four LED lights lit, and rebooting / power cycling the devices isn’t helping.
Google has acknowledged that the problem exists, advising that its team is working on the issue. However, that was last month, and there’s been little further movement.
If you’ve had a device bricked by this update, sadly it appears there’s not much hope that it can be fixed. Most of the affected devices appear to be Google Home and Google Home Mini, which are now almost certainly out of warranty but – if you’ve bought them in Australia, at least – your Australian Consumer Law protections may assist you to resolve any issues with Google in Australia (or with the retailer where you bought your gear from).
Let us know if this has affected you.
Update on 9 to 5 Google says that Google has agreed to replace all bricked units whether they’re still under warrant or not. There’s also an update being rolled out to ensure it doesn’t happen to more units.
Not sure if it’s the same issue but my Home stopped working last week. 4 solid white lights in a diamond shape or 2 vertical white lights on startup. Mic button wouldn’t reset it. I bought it 2 years and a month ago. Got onto Google support and it’s in the process of being replaced.
Haha.. you can’t just brick devices with an automatic update and then claim they’re permanently broken.
If the device is suddenly not responding and it’s not caused by you then it’s up to Google to fix it – doesn’t matter whether it’s in warranty or not. (otherwise that would lead to a pretty serious investigation as to whether this is a scam to get users to buy the new nest mini!!)
That said.. all my google home and google home mini’s are fine.