Google Mini Home devices are all the rage right now. It’s a small puck-sized device that can help you make a smart home! Unfortunately, however, the sound output of this unit is not excellent. But thankfully, you can make it good by connecting it to a soundbar or any other external speaker.
You just need to follow some simple steps to connect Google Home Mini to a Soundbar:
- Set up and turn on your Google Home Mini unit and soundbar
- Soundbar in Bluetooth mode for pairing
- Check the Settings of the Google Home App
- Select Room and Devices> Local devices>Your Google Home Mini
- Device setting> Default speaker
- Select the Pair Bluetooth Speaker option
- Pair with your soundbar
This article will tell you how to go about it and talk about a few common issues that you can fix quickly.
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How to Connect a Google Home Mini to a Soundbar
Google Home Minis are great smart home devices, and soundbars can really help you enhance the quality of your music. Thus, it makes complete sense to pair the two, and it can be done in the following steps:
Set up and turn on your Google Home Mini unit and soundbar:
You can only pair the two devices when both are fully setup. You can access the Google Home Mini devices from the Google Home app and get your soundbar in pairing mode. Once both are set, you can connect them.
Soundbar in Bluetooth mode for pairing:
If you wish to use your soundbar as a Google Mini Speaker, you first need to set it up in Bluetooth pairing mode. However, the exact process for this varies. While for some soundbars, it can be done by a simple press of a button, for others, it might take pressing a series of buttons on the soundbar or on the remote control. It’s essential to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for this.
Check the Settings of the Google Home App:
Go to your Google Home Mini Bluetooth settings from your smartphone and open the Google Home app. If you don’t have the app, it’s important to download it right away so that you can access it easily.
Select Room and Devices> Local devices>Your Google Home Mini
Under this setting, navigate to Rooms and Devices. Then click on Local Devices. Once there, you will see a list of connected devices in your Home. Select Google Home Mini.
This step is pretty simple; however, if the settings vary, read the manual or make a quick Google search to understand the process better.
Device setting> Default speaker:
Under Google Home Mini, you will find General Settings, Device Settings, and Sound Settings. Select Device Settings and go on to Default Speaker.
Select this to change Google Home Mini speaker’s default speaker from internal to Bluetooth speaker, i.e., your soundbar. This tells the smart device to use the soundbar whenever possible.
Select the Pair Bluetooth Speaker option:
Select the Pair Bluetooth speaker to start pairing your soundbar. The app searches for any available Bluetooth connection. Your soundbar should pop up in no time. If it does not, turn the speaker off and on and ensure your soundbar is in the pairing mode. One way to check it is by using your smartphone’s Bluetooth and checking if it is picking up the smart home device.
Pair with your soundbar:
After the app has found all the possible Bluetooth connections, select the soundbar from the appearing list. Once the connection is made, click done. Now, your soundbar becomes the Bluetooth speaker for your smart home device.
Does Google Mini have Bluetooth?
Google Home Mini speaker does have Bluetooth, which is ideal for playing music and other Audio. The Bluetooth of Google Home Mini is particularly useful. Using Bluetooth, you can connect this device with other units like a soundbar and enhance the audio output quality.
The Google Home Mini speaker is an affordable option for using Google Assistant; however, its sound lacks depth which can be made better using a soundbar.
Can I control my soundbar with Google Home mini?
Google Home Mini is a popular smart device that is compact and affordable. You can connect and control your soundbar using Google Home Mini. All you need is a simple Bluetooth connection or some tweaks in the setting, and you can start listening to your Google Home Mini music through the soundbar.
While most sound bars these days have Bluetooth, you can also use an aux cable to control the unit if your soundbar does not.
How do I connect Google home mini to Vizio sound bar?
To start using Google Home Mini with your Vizio soundbar, you can follow the steps below:
Pair the devices:
Once you set up your Google Home Mini device, go to the Google Home app and turn on the Bluetooth. Following this, look for available devices. In the meantime setup, set up your soundbar, too, and keep it in the pairing mode.
Select the Default speaker:
Under the General settings of your Google Mini Home app, you will find Device settings under which there is something called the Default speaker. Once you select this, it will change the device’s internal speaker and start using the Vizio soundbar as its speaker.
How do I connect Google home mini to the Sony soundbar?
You can connect Google home mini to Sony soundbar in the following manner:
- Turn on the Bluetooth on your soundbar and keep it in the pairing mode
- Now open the Google Home app on your phone
- Click on the devices
- Go to the top right corner in the settings section and click Audio. Make sure you have enabled pairing
- Now tap on the default music speaker pair with Bluetooth
- Tap on the Bluetooth device name once it appears on the screen. Click on Done
Can I connect my Google Home mini to my Samsung soundbar?
Yes, it’s possible to connect your Google Home Mini device to your Samsung soundbar by following the simple steps below:
Pairing:
To connect your Samsung soundbar to your Google Home app, you first have to keep your soundbar on the pairing mode. Mostly these soundbars have a pairing button on the remote control. It also has a Bluetooth icon which you need to hold on to.
Google Home app:
Once the soundbar’s Bluetooth is turned on, open the Google Home App from your phone. On the home screen of the app, you will see a monitor-like icon at the top-right corner. This is the device option, and you need to click it.
Pairing with Samsung:
Now, identify your Samsung soundbar from the list of visible devices. It may not be on the top of the Menu, so scroll down to find it. Once you do find it, click on the three vertical dots right next to it. A drop-down menu appears. Now click on Settings.
Select the Speaker:
From the Menu, select the Default music speaker option. Now choose the Samsung soundbar from the list. Once complete, select Done.
Now your Google Home device is connected with the Samsung speaker.
How do I connect Google Mini to surround sound?
Though Goggle Home Mini is a great smart device, it produces a compressed sound that lacks an edge. But thankfully, you can pair it with your home theater and create a surround sound.
Aux port is not an option in this case. But google chromecast is a very handy device to stream audio and video to a surround sound system using the google home app on your smartphone.
Pro tip: the surround sound system has to use the same wifi network as your google home mini. And if you only want to cast audio, you can always use the 3 ½ mm Audio jack of the google chromecast.
Does Google Mini have AUX OUT?
Unlike Amazon Alexa, Google Mini does not have a built-in aux port. Thus, it’s not possible to plug your speakers into this device. A way around this issue is the use of Chromecast Audio, using which you can connect this smart device to other speakers.
Some users and reviewers have also inserted a port themselves.
You will first have to remove the rubber base of the Google Mini device. This requires a bit of heating so that the adhesive keeping the rubber together loosens a bit. After that, you can unscrew the bottom cover easily.
Now you will come across a few wires, chips, and switches. Add the new aux port to the wire that plays music on the Home Mini device. Next, measure the voltage and add a 10-to-1 voltage divider. Following this, drill a hole at the device’s base and finally use some adhesive to keep the new additions in place.
Now you can plug the aux into any other device and play the funky music!
Common issues with Google Home Mini devices and how to fix them:
Though Google Home Mini is one of the most popular smart home devices, a tough challenger to Amazon Alexa, it does suffer from a few issues. However, thankfully, you can fix them easily.
Connection Issues:
Google Home Mini works at its best when it has a valid network connection. So in case you don’t have a strong Wifi connection, you can face multiple troubles. For instance, there can be issues with buffering, music audio playing, and a lot more.
To fix such issues or to allow Google to get the best connection, enable the Guest mode.
Random answers:
In some situations, the Google Home Mini device might speak frequently. Unfortunately, you cannot do much about it since the replies might be to misinterpreted questions it hears from the TV or the radio.
Since its trigger phrase is “Ok Google” or “Hey Google,” saying something similar in a conversation might stir it up. Thankfully, you can check its sensitivity to these phases from the Google smart app. The Google Mini device might also get activated if moved too often; thus, keeping it on a sturdy base is essential.
Not playing music:
This is a very common Google Home issue, and it can happen for many reasons. One of the most common problems can be songs starting but stopping mid-way. It might also take the music forever to load, which is, of course, very annoying.
To fix these issues, you can try the following options:
- Rebooting your device
- Check the volume of your speaker
- Have your music service linked to Google Home
- Check the number of songs in the album. Sometimes, if there are fewer songs in an album, the music stops after playing them. This might seem like a problem, but in reality, the album itself might not have many songs for Alexa to play
- Change the way you talk to Google Home
- Clear the cache of your music app
- Make sure your network connection has enough bandwidth
Google Home device not responding to you:
It might so happen that the Smart Home device does not respond to your voice. Thankfully, there are quick fixes to it.
- Make sure the device mic is on. It might get turned off accidentally. Also, check the indicator light located on the speaker; four lights mean the speaker is on.
- If the mic is on and the device is still not responding, you need to change the device’s physical location. Sometimes the speaker fails to hear you due to noise interference
- Google Home devices can now take commands from multiple users. For this, open the Google Home app and select the card that says Multi-user is available. If you don’t see it, click on the icon on the top-right side to see all connected devices. Click link to account and follow the instructions to set it up
Conclusion:
Setting up your Google Mini Home device to soundbar or external speakers is relatively easy and does not take a long time. When done, it takes your entertainment experience to the next level. With all the instructions provided above, you should be able to set up your Google Mini Home device in no time and also solve the common issues if they occur.
