You are sitting at home, listening to some music on your new Google Nest Audio and suddenly, you notice it stopped playing music and is now just showing red lights.  We have all been there when a beloved device suddenly stops working. It can be frustrating to try and troubleshoot a modern device, but it is usually easier than many people expect.

The red lights on the front of the Google Nest Audio mean that an update is taking longer than expected.  You may need to reconnect your device to your wi-fi or reset the power on the Google Audio Nest.

These easy to read and follow instructions on how to troubleshoot your problems will help you to survive and solve any errors or bumps along the way all by yourself!  The research is done here so you don’t have to do it yourself. Just try each step in sequence, get your device fixed, and people will be coming to you for their tech needs in no time!

First Try A Simple Reset

Sometimes, a simple power cycle can be the most powerful tool in a troubleshooters tool box.  Many modern devices, especially smart devices attached to the internet, can get stuck in a loop or just stuck in general.  The only fix is to turn them off and back on again.

To power cycle the Google Nest Audio:

  • Unplug the power from the back of the Google Nest AudioWait 5 minutesPlug power cable back into the Google Nest AudioWait for the device to come back on fully (usually wait 2 minutes or so)Test the device to see if that fixed it

Make Sure The Google Nest Audio Is Connected To Your Wi-Fi

Another problem many modern smart devices face is the dreaded router.  A router, just like any computer, can be moody and not always want to play nice with other devices.  Sometimes, if a power cycle doesn’t do the trick, all that may be needed is to make sure that the device is connected to your router and that your router is functioning properly.

Like we tried before, a simple power cycle can work wonders on all of your connected smart devices.  The home router can easily lose a single device or have any number of problems when connecting to so many devices on any given day. 

For this fix attempt, we are going to power cycle the router that is supplying the wi-fi signal to your Google Nest Audio.  Make sure no one is using the internet.  If so, before you attempt this make sure everyone has saved anything they were working on before you disconnect the power to the router.

  • Unplug the power from the Google Nest AudioCheck to see the configuration of the lights on the router supplying wi-fi internet to the Google Nest Audio for reference laterUnplug the power from the router supplying wi-fi internet to the Google Nest AudioWait 5 minutesPlug the power back into your wi-fi routerWait for all the lights to come back on the router and for them to be steady as they were before – when you referenced them before pulling the power to the routerOnce the router is back up, plug the Google Nest Audio back in and see if the update finishes and the Google Nest Audio continues working normally.

If that doesn’t solve the problem, we can reset the Google Nest Audio back to factory settings and try to connect it to the wi-fi as if it had just come out of the box.

Reset The Google Nest Audio Back To Factory Settings

If none of our fixes have helped at all, you may be in need of resetting the Google Nest Audio back to its factory default settings.  Sometimes the only way to get a smart device to work properly is to just completely start over and reset it.

In this fix, we will reset the Google Nest Audio back to factory settings and reconnect it to our wi-fi using the Google Home app on a smartphone.

Reset Google Nest Audio To Factory Settings

On the back of the Google Nest Audio there is a switch that turns off the microphone.  Flip that switch.  The lights on the front should turn solid orange. 

On the front of the Google Nest Audio there is an area in the center top of the Google Nest Audio where there is an invisible button.  Press and hold your finger near the center top of the Google Nest Audio and after fifteen seconds, the Google Nest Audio will make a sound confirming that the device is resetting.

Some troubleshooters have had better luck resetting the Google Nest Audio back to default factory settings twice.  Just follow the above directions one more time to reset it again.

Connect Google Nest Audio to Home Wi-Fi

Now that you have reset the Google Nest Audio back to factory settings, you can set up the device through the Google Home App as a new device.

  • Open the Google Home AppTap the + symbol in the upper left corner Tap Set up deviceTap New DeviceFollow the prompts to add your Google Nest Audio back to your Google Home AppThe Google Nest Audio should now be connected to your home wi-fi

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this solved your problem with the red lights on the front of your Google Nest Audio.  If this didn’t solve your problem, it may be time to contact Google Support and see if they can assist you in fixing your problem.