Google Nest Hub - User Manual

Introducing Google Nest Hub
Google Nest Hub provides help at a glance in any room at home. With the Google Assistant
built-in, you’ll always get your best and latest shots from Google Photos. Plus, view and
control your connected devices from a single dashboard.
Simply use your voice to watch YouTube and play songs from YouTube Music on a crystal
clear speaker. And with Voice Match, get your personalized calendar, commute, answers
from Google, and more. Hub helps with the little moments so you can enjoy the big
moments.
The ultimate digital photo frame
With Google Photos, get your best and latest pictures of loved ones, automatically. Plus, use
your voice to show your photos.
Control your connected home
View and control compatible lights, cameras, TVs, and other devices from a single
dashboard. Works with Nest along with thousands of smart devices from popular brands.
Play videos and songs from YouTube
Watch YouTube, and play songs and music videos from YouTube Music, and listen to
Spotify and Pandora.

Summary

Google Nest Hub Features

Digital Photo Frame

Display your best and latest pictures of loved ones automatically.

Connected Home Control

View and control compatible lights, cameras, TVs, and other smart devices.

YouTube Video and Music Playback

Watch YouTube and play songs from YouTube Music, Spotify, and Pandora.

Getting Hands-Free Help and Room Integration

Hands-Free Google Assistant

Get personalized schedule, commute, reminders, and visual answers from Google Assistant.

Designed for Any Room

Nest Hub fits naturally with Ambient EQ to match room colors and lighting.

Setting Up Your Google Nest or Home Device

Android User Setup

Requirements and steps for setting up on Android devices.

iPhone and iPad Setup

Requirements and steps for setting up on iOS devices.

Post-Setup Actions

Explore device capabilities, change settings, and set up Voice Match.

Connecting and Controlling Your Device

Plugging In Your Device

Instructions for connecting the power cable and adapter to a wall outlet.

Controlling Your Google Nest Display

Overview of display screen functions and interaction methods.

Using Display Pages

Navigate and access information like schedule, wellness, and media.

Removing On-Screen Cards

Manage display cards by pressing and holding to dismiss them.

Adjusting Screen Settings

Customize brightness, volume, and notification settings.

Managing Alarms

Set alarms, customize defaults, and adjust alarm volume.

Advanced Device Features and Troubleshooting

Motion Sense Control

Turn Motion Sense on or off for movement detection and gestures.

Sleep Sensing Control

Pause or unpause Sleep Sensing for uninterrupted sleep tracking.

Factory Reset

Reset your Google Nest or Home device to default factory settings.

Connecting to New Wi-Fi Network

Steps to reconnect devices to a new Wi-Fi network after changes.

Overview

The Google Nest Hub is a versatile smart display designed to integrate seamlessly into any room of your home, offering hands-free assistance and control over your connected devices. At its core, the Nest Hub functions as a central hub for your smart home ecosystem, powered by the Google Assistant. This device is engineered to provide information at a glance, manage your daily schedule, and entertain, all while blending into your home decor.

One of the primary functions of the Google Nest Hub is to serve as an "ultimate digital photo frame." It automatically displays your best and latest photos from Google Photos, allowing you to relive memories of loved ones. You can also use voice commands to specifically request certain photos to be shown. This feature leverages Ambient EQ, which adjusts the display's colors and lighting to match its environment, ensuring that photos blend in naturally and appear as if they are part of your home's aesthetic.

Beyond its role as a photo display, the Nest Hub offers comprehensive control over your connected home. It allows you to view and manage compatible smart devices such as lights, cameras, and TVs from a single, intuitive dashboard. The device works with Nest products and thousands of other smart devices from popular brands, making it a central control point for a wide array of smart home technologies. This unified control simplifies the management of your home environment, enabling you to adjust settings and monitor devices with ease.

Entertainment is another key aspect of the Google Nest Hub. You can use your voice to watch videos from YouTube, play songs and music videos from YouTube Music, and listen to other streaming services like Spotify and Pandora through its crystal-clear speaker. This makes the Nest Hub a convenient device for enjoying media in any room, whether you're cooking in the kitchen or relaxing in the living room.

The Google Assistant is deeply integrated into the Nest Hub, providing personalized help. With Voice Match, the device can recognize individual voices and deliver tailored information, such as your personalized calendar, commute details, reminders, and answers to your questions from Google. It can also provide visual answers and play helpful videos from YouTube, enhancing the utility of voice commands with visual feedback.

For communication, the Nest Hub supports Google-supported calling for domestic calls in the US and Canada (excluding 911 calls and premium numbers). In the UK, audio or video calls can be made through Duo. The device also allows you to broadcast messages to other speakers and displays in your home and check your household contacts, facilitating easy communication within the household.

The Nest Hub's screen is highly interactive, displaying a wealth of information including notifications, weather forecasts, activities, and alarms. Most actions can be controlled with either your hands or your voice. You can wake up the screen by tapping it or saying "Hey Google." Swiping gestures allow you to navigate through different pages and menus. For instance, swiping right from the left edge of the screen or saying "Hey Google, go back" takes you to the previous screen. Swiping down from the top opens Home Control, and swiping right from the Home screen starts the Photo frame. To turn off the screen, you can say "Hey Google, turn off."

The device features various "pages" that provide touch controls and important information. These include "Your morning, your afternoon, or your evening" which shows your schedule and weather, "Wellness" for sleep sensing information (available on Nest Hub 2nd gen), "Home control" for managing smart devices, "Media" for controlling music and videos, "Communicate" for calls and messages, and "Discover" for new content and features. Cards on these pages can often be dismissed by pressing and holding them, though not all cards can be removed. Dismissing cards for alarms or timers will end those activities.

Maintenance features for the Google Nest Hub are straightforward. Adjusting brightness and volume can be done through the Quick settings menu, accessed by swiping down from the top of the screen. Brightness can be adjusted with a slider, and Ambient EQ can be toggled on or off. Volume can also be adjusted via a slider, with separate controls for media and alarm volumes. Voice commands like "Hey Google, turn it up" or "Hey Google, turn it down" also control media volume. The Nest Hub (2nd gen) also has physical buttons on the back for volume control.

The "Do Not Disturb" feature, accessible from the Quick settings menu, allows you to silence incoming calls and notifications, though alarms and timers will still function. Setting alarms is also done through the Quick settings menu, where you can customize repeat settings, alarm tones, and integrate sunrise alarms or morning routines.

For the Nest Hub (2nd gen), Motion Sense can be turned on or off to detect movement, enabling Quick Gestures and Sleep Sensing. Sleep Sensing itself can be paused or unpaused from the bottom of the display by swiping up and tapping "Sleep Sensing." To deactivate Sleep Sensing entirely, users can access specific settings.

In terms of setup and troubleshooting, the Google Home app guides users through the initial setup process. If a device has been used before, a factory reset is recommended before proceeding with a new setup. A factory reset can be performed by pressing and holding both volume buttons on the back of the Nest Hub for about 10 seconds. This action clears all data and restores the device to its default factory settings. It's important to note that a factory reset cannot be initiated via voice commands or the Google Home app.

Connecting the Google Nest Hub to a new Wi-Fi network is also managed through the Google Home app. If the Wi-Fi network name or password changes, or if the router is replaced, the device will need to be reconnected. In some cases, a factory reset might be necessary to facilitate reconnection. The device must always be plugged into a wall outlet to function, as it does not have a battery. It is crucial to use only the power cable that came with the device.

Overall, the Google Nest Hub is designed to be an intuitive and central part of a smart home, offering a blend of information, control, entertainment, and communication features, all managed with ease through voice and touch interactions.

Google Nest Hub Specifications