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How to broadcast voice messages with Google Nest

A blue Google Nest Mini mounted on blue/gray wall.
Google

If you happen to have multiple Google Nest speakers in your home, it’s possible to broadcast a message to all of them simultaneously. This is a great way to let the whole family know that dinner is ready without needing to scream upstairs, downstairs, or into your garage. Instead, you can use a simple voice command to dish out notifications to your entire Google Nest ecosystem.

If you’ve never used the feature before – or just need a reminder on how it works – here’s a look at how to broadcast voice messages with Google Home and Google Assistant.

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Difficulty

Easy

Duration

10 minutes

What You Need

  • Multiple Google Nest devices

  • Smartphone (optional)

Nest Mini 2nd Gen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to broadcast voice messages with Google Nest

There are two ways to broadcast messages to your Nest devices – using a speaker or using your phone. Both follow the same basic instructions, although the requirements vary by method.

For example, if you want to use your smartphone to broadcast a message to your connected Google Nest speakers, you’ll need Google Assistant on your phone and at least one connected Nest speaker or display.

If you want to broadcast a message by talking to a smart speaker, you’ll need to make sure the other speakers you want to broadcast to are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and that a member of the household is signed into each one. Regardless of which method you use, ensure that all speakers are running the latest firmware.

With that out of the way, here’s how to quickly broadcast a message with Google Nest:

Step 1: To create a custom message, say “Hey Google, broadcast [message].” This will send the broadcast to all Nest devices on your network.

Step 2: If you want to send a message to a specific room, say “Hey Google, broadcast to [room name + message].”

Step 3: A similar command works to broadcast to a specific device – “Hey Google, broadcast to [device name + message].”

Step 4: A variety of preset messages are also available to you. After saying, “Hey Google, broadcast …” you can issue the following commands:

  • Wake up everyone
  • It's time for breakfast
  • It's lunch time
  • It's dinner time
  • It's time to leave the house
  • I'm home
  • Let's go to the movie
  • We should go to bed
  • The show is about to start

Step 5: Once you’ve issued your broadcast, people can reply by saying “Hey Google, reply [message].”

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
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