Skip to main content

You may be able to step foot into this massive Google Home Max

Sundar Pichai stands in front of a Google logo at Google I/O 2021.
This story is part of our complete Google I/O coverage

Ever wanted to step inside a massive Google Home Max? No? Well, there is a small chance you can, thanks to a larger than life-size, mobile Google Home Max.

Recommended Videos

The Google Home Max is a Google Assistant-powered smart speaker the company launched late in 2017; it has all the capabilities as other smart speakers — such as the Google Home Mini and the Google Home — but it is designed to elevate the audio experience in your home, with a stronger focus on sound.

The Google Home Max is designed to elevate the audio experience in your home.

The Home Max is big enough already, but Google decided to go ahead and make a massive, transportable version of the speaker. Sadly, there are no gigantic internal components. Instead, when you step inside, you will find a single Google Home Max, with a screen around you and various lighting. Push a button, and the experience kicks off. Lights start to flash, colors pop around everywhere, and then you will get the option to say, “Hey Google, play All the Stars, by Kendrick Lamar.” The music starts and the visual experience matches the intensity and pop of the song.

Songs only play for 30 seconds to prevent copyright violations, but you can then ask Google Home Max to play any other song through Google Play Music. There are different visuals to match various genres, but it is the sound that really makes the whole thing work. It’s loud and it sounds great with punchy bass.

The massive Google Home Max first debuted at Coachella a few weeks ago, and Google is considering taking it around the country to select events. There is no word on what events, or which specific cities, but the idea is for people to experience the Google Home Max’s sound.

Google is not the only company making smart speakers tailored for sound. Apple’s first smart speaker — the HomePod — puts sound before smarts, and the Sonos One is a speaker from an audio company with Amazon’s Alexa. Google also just announced we can expect more Assistant-powered soundbars toward the end of the year, with JBL kicking things off with the Link Bar.

Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
How to add a Matter-enabled device to Google Home
The Google Nest Hub Smart Display on a nightstand.

Matter continues to gain momentum, and now that you can add Matter-enabled devices to Google Home, it’s finding its way into more households than ever before. Once synced, your non-Google devices with Matter support can be controlled through Google Home without having to worry about any third-party software. And thankfully, adding a Matter device to Google Home is simple. Here’s a quick walkthrough that will take you through the entire process.

Read more
How to set up your Google Home device
The Nest Hub Max front view.

Adding a Google device to your household (such as the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max) is an easy way to join the smart home frenzy and bring a bit of automation to your life. While no one is stopping you from tossing the gadget on your kitchen counter and calling it a day, it’s definitely worth your time to take a few extra seconds to optimize your Google Home experience. From installing the Google Home app on your smartphone to syncing all your devices, here are some extra steps you should take when setting up your Google Home device.

Read more
The Google Home app finally has the big redesign you’ve been waiting for
Google Home icon on home screen.

A new, major Google Home design overhaul is coming soon to the delight of users everywhere. Many have been unhappy with the Google Home app's UI for quite some time as its streamlined approach to providing information seemingly took some agency away from smart home device owners. The new redesign, however, aims to give users more control over their devices and settings than ever before.

While the redesign certainly retains a more straightforward, minimalist look to its UI elements, the settings themselves are as abundant as ever — giving users full control over every aspect of their smart home. The newfound control doesn't end with more granular settings, however, as the redesign is meant to be fully customizable so that users can prioritize the aspects of smart home living most applicable to them.

Read more