- Google Home Speaker users report teething problems
- Voice assistant takes up to 60 seconds to respond to requests
- Google has said it is working on a fix, but there have been no updates.
Google has just returned to smart centers with its new AI-powered Google Home Speaker, six long years after the company launched Nest Audio, and users are already having problems.
It’s been barely a week since pre-orders shipped and those who were excited to try out the updated Google Home Speaker were disappointed with the device’s performance.
The crux of the matter is the voice assistant itself, which according to many users takes a while to respond to their commands. A large number of Reddit posts highlight the same issue and agree that the speaker may take 30-60 seconds before responding, and others have experienced a complete audio dropout.
Google Speaker 2026 from r/googlehome
While we don’t know how widespread these delayed responses are, the top comment in the Reddit thread above says it’s happening globally. Whether this is the case or not, it has generated a lot of frustration among those who have spent a lot of money on the new device: “I’m returning mine,” writes one user, while another says “I really hope Google puts more effort into things.”
Looking at user reactions, it seems this issue is also prevalent on older devices like the Nest Audio and Nest Mini, so it’s not just the new Home Speaker that’s ringing. Fortunately, Google is doing something about it.
Amid the backlash, the official u/GoogleNestCommunity responded to the Reddit post with the following; “We are aware of an issue causing increased latency or wait time. We are working to fix it as soon as possible and will return once this is resolved. Thank you for your patience.”
Although Google’s acknowledgment provides some form of assurance that a fix is on the way, the company has not provided any details about how it intends to address the issues or when users can expect to see an improvement. At this rate, it’s still a waiting game, but this isn’t the only run-in with 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 as excited to see that a new speaker was on the way as anyone, but there is one hiccup that an early unboxing video addresses.
The Google Home Speaker has a fixed power cord, meaning you can’t unplug it like you can with most of the best smart speakers. It may seem like we’re splitting hairs here, but the unboxing video highlights the repairability issue that arises from not having a detachable power cord.
These issues aside, the Google Home Speaker is not entirely without its positives. According to the same unboxing video, the speaker’s accompanying app has a lot of appeal and the overall audio quality is pretty solid, so it’s good to see that Google has delivered on its 360 audio upgrade promises.
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