Google Home users are currently facing severe issues with their smart speaker. The Google Home is not responding properly to commands and the problem escalated over the weekend.
The Google Home was at the Google I/O event back in 2016 and since then has faced stiff competition from the Alexa-powered Amazon Echo. The Google Home outage will only make matters worse for the product and its popularity.
Google Home Not Responding Properly
Several Google Home users complained on the support forum that a glitch did not allow the Assistant to take any voice-issued commands from owners. For instance, when the Google Home user says "OK Google," the smart speaker interrupts them by responding "Sorry, something went wrong," or "There was a glitch, try again in a few seconds."
This Google Home outage persists even though the Wi-Fi connectivity and all other connections are fine. Many users have tried resolving the issue by unplugging their Google Home and then replugging it. However, after just a couple of commands the issue persists.
"I just set up my Google Home, but it will not respond to my 'Ok Google' command. I've checked to make sure the mic is turned on. I can tap and hold the top to ask questions, but I cannot use 'Ok (or Hey) Google' to wake it up. I've already tried restarting it several times and did a factory reset," a distraught Google Home user reported on the company's support page.
Some Google Home users also tried recording their own voice while issuing the command through the mic and found an unusual amount of static distorting their voice. This may possibly be restricting the Google Assistant from picking up commands and has resulted in the Google Home not responding.
Some owners are already wondering whether they would have been better off with Amazon's smart speakers as Google is yet to come up with a solution to the problem.
"All the while my Amazon Echo Dot which is further from router than GH (Google Home) never had an issue; perfect responses and recognition and so is now our primary device since GH has become almost unusable," a user facing the problem noted.
Google Home Glitch: The Company's Response
Google representatives are trying to minimize the damage caused by this latest Google Home glitch. However, the company has been unable to come with an effective solution to counter the Google Home not responding properly problem.
"We are actively investigating this matter and we greatly appreciate all the feedback and reports from everyone. Please bear with us while we continue to work on this," the company officials stated.
Google said it would replace the smart speakers of particularly distraught customers who have mailed them the feedback, and for whom the device has become completely unusable. Even if the company succeeds in finding a solution to the Google Home glitch soon, the current issue will not help the speaker's reputation.
