- Google Home Speaker users report first problems
- Voice assistant takes up to 60 seconds to respond to requests
- Google said it was working on a fix, but there has been no update.
Google has only just returned to smart hubs with its new AI-powered Google Home speaker, six long years after the company launched the Nest Audio – and users are already facing issues.
It’s barely been a week since pre-orders shipped, and those who were eager to test out the improved Google Home speaker were disappointed with the device’s performance.
The crux of the problem lies in the voice assistant itself, which many users say takes a while to respond to their commands. Many posts on Reddit point out the same issue, agreeing that it can take between 30 and 60 seconds for the speaker to respond, and others have experienced a complete audio cutout.
Google Speaker 2026 from r/googlehome
While we don’t know how widespread these offbeat responses are, the first comment in the Reddit thread above indicates that it’s happening globally. Whether or not that’s the case, it’s caused a lot of frustration among those who spent a lot of money on the new device: “I’m returning mine,” one user wrote, while another said, “I really hope Google tries harder.”
Looking at user reactions, it seems this issue is also prevalent in older devices like the Nest Audio and Nest Mini, so it’s not just the new home speaker that’s ringing up. Fortunately, Google is doing something.
Amid the backlash, official community u/GoogleNestCommunity responded to the Reddit post with the following: “We are aware of an issue causing increased latency or timeout. We are working on a fix as soon as possible and will return once the issue is resolved. Thank you for your patience.”
While Google’s acknowledgment provides some sort of assurance that a fix is on the way, the company hasn’t provided any details on how it intends to fix the issues or when users can expect to see an improvement. At this rate, it’s still a waiting game, but that’s not the only criticism the Google Home Speaker has faced since its launch.
Repairability could be hampered
When Google officially announced the new Home Speaker in October 2025, I was excited to see a new speaker was on the way just as much as the next person, but there’s one setback that an early unboxing video addresses.
The Google Home speaker has a fixed power cable, which means you can’t disconnect it like you can with the majority of the best smart speakers. This may seem like we’re splitting hairs here, but the unboxing video highlights the repairability issue of not having the power cord unplugged.
These issues aside, the Google Home Speaker isn’t completely devoid of positives. According to the same unboxing video, the app that comes with the speaker is very attractive and the overall audio quality is quite solid. So it’s nice to see that Google has delivered on its 360 audio upgrade promises.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds.
