How to connect Google Home/Nest devices to Bluetooth speakers
While some Google Home and Nest devices deliver seriously strong audio in their own right, some of the smaller speakers and smart displays don’t pack quite the same oomph. Luckily, you can pair them with most ordinary Bluetooth speakers, letting you use the Google device for its smarts, and your more powerful Bluetooth speakers for their sound quality.
It’s probably of particular interest toGoogle Home MiniorNest Miniowners, but is possible with any Google Home speakers.
Though you will still need to talk to the Google Assistant on your Google Home device to control playback, that audio can now be streamed through alternative speakers when set as the default playback device. You can also add those speakers to a homegroup for multi-room audio, albeit one at a time – and you may need to adjust the latency within the Google Home app to make sure the slight lag from Bluetooth doesn’t leave them out of sync.
In order to be compatible your Bluetooth speakers must have Bluetooth 2.1 or higher. Make sure they’re in pairing mode, then follow the steps below.
Connect Bluetooth speakers to Google Home
Once you’ve got this set up, if you want to upgrade your audio even further then you might want toset up multiroom audio on Google Homeorset up music content filters on Google Home.
You can also always check out our ranked guide to thebest Bluetooth speakersaround if you want to make sure you’re getting the best sound possible out of your Google Home.
Author: Marie Black, Editorial Director, International
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for almost 20 years, covering all types of consumer tech from smartphones and their accessories to smart home gear. These days she manages our international editorial teams and leads on content strategy, having witnessed first-hand Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
