Google has finally rolled out the much-anticipated Home speaker update: Bluetooth. Until today, the only way one was able to control their audio devices was if their device was supported by Google Cast. That ends now as the Mountain View company has added support that allows users to pair their Google Home device with any Bluetooth speaker they wish to connect to.
What this essentially means is that any Google Home device, from the tiny Home Mini all the way to the powerful Home Max unit would now be able to play music on any other Bluetooth-enabled speaker or more than one. And obviously, the Home Mini is the winner here as it was known to deliver the poorest sounding audio in the whole lineup. There’s also an option to add a secondary speaker inside a group which will automatically switch on the multi-room audio feature, thus making sure you never miss a beat.
The company said in its official blog “We brought this feature to life after hearing how much you wanted to amp up the sound with your Google Home Mini. Now any of your Google Home devices can connect to other Bluetooth speakers so you can control your entertainment experience simply using the sound of your voice. These features work across the entire Home family. Note you’ll still need to talk to your Google Home device—not the connected Bluetooth speakers—for queries like asking questions, getting weather updates and using smart home commands.”
In order to pair an external Bluetooth speaker, users will have to access their device settings through the Home App on their phone and then set the device of their choice as the default speaker. On that note, routing the audio output through the Bluetooth speaker means all of the audio and not just music will now be played on your external speaker; meaning the Google Home doesn’t play them for you anymore. All the Home now does for is let you speak to it so it can do the necessary command it was asked to do. And yes, asking your connected Bluetooth device will still need you to speak to Google Home if you wish to, maybe, ask for the weather.