Reactivating an old Nest speaker is weirdly complicated — here’s how I did it

Google Nest speakers control your smart home devices, play music, and broadcast personal messages with only your voice. However, if you have an old Nest speaker, it might need to be reactivated before you can use it. Of the three Nest Mini 2 speakers I own, only one needed additional activation steps. A little-known issue affected a small group of Nest devices with outdated firmware, which required reactivation. I share my experience with the Nest Mini 2 and explain how I reactivated my speaker, allowing me to use it again as if it were brand new.

Why did I have to reactivate my old Nest Mini speaker?

I mostly use Google Assistant on my Google Pixel Watch to control my smart home devices and basic tasks like timers. I use Google’s AI-powered Gemini chatbot on my Pixel, Samsung, iPhone, and Windows PC for everything else. My digital assistants always travel with me. I also have three Nest Mini 2 speakers for various smart home tasks, like adjusting lights. However, I recently brought them all back online. All three Nest Mini speakers have been offline for many years without being updated. They were sitting in a drawer collecting dust.

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When I heard that Google was bringing Gemini to Nest speakers to improve Google Assistant, I thought about my three unused speakers. I wanted to use them again, but I ran into an issue when I powered them on and factory reset them. During the setup process using the Google Home app, one speaker wanted me to reactivate it and wouldn’t let me continue. I was directed to the old Device Utility app on the Google Play Store. It said the app wasn’t compatible with my Google Pixel 6 Pro phone.

The issue only affects modern Android phones and Nest devices that were offline for an extended period with old firmware installed. It appears to occur with Nest devices initially set up with the original Device Utility app, which I remember mine being. Before Google Home was the standard for all things smart home, Nest devices needed the Device Utility app for the initial setup.

Fast-forward to now. Reactivating a Nest speaker on Android can be easy but complicated for the average user. It’s simple, but only if you know how to sideload an app. It doesn’t work on modern Android phones by default, which could throw many people off. They might think there is nothing more they can do and throw the Nest speaker away, which isn’t helpful.

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So, what’s the deal with reactivating an old Nest speaker?

According to Google, this reactivation issue only affects a small group of users. Still, I had one of those devices in my Nest Mini 2 speaker collection. At the same time, I knew my Nest speaker had been set up with the old Device Utility app and had old firmware since it was offline for many years. However, that may not be the case if you got the device from someone else or forgot.

You can’t tell if it needs to be reactivated if you don’t know how long it’s been offline or if you used the Device Utility app during the setup process. You’ll only find out when you factory reset the speaker and set it up again using the Google Home app. The activation tool it links you to in the Google Play Store during the setup process isn’t compatible with modern Android phones. Things might get complicated if you only have a new Android phone, like a Pixel 9 or Samsung Galaxy 24.

The problem isn’t necessarily with the activation part. It’s the lack of official support for modern Pixel and other Android phones with the Device Utility app. Google makes Android and Nest devices, and this reactivation issue is still a problem for new Android phones after all these years. If you have an old Nest Mini speaker that has been offline for a long time, there’s still hope to bring it back online. The sections below explain how to factory reset your Nest speaker and get around the reactivation issue.

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How to factory reset your Nest Mini 2 speaker

Due to its price, small form factor, and availability, the Nest Mini 2 is likely the most popular Nest speaker Google has released. Since you last used your Nest Mini speaker some time ago, performing a factory reset is a good idea. Wiping the device helps you get the most out of your device with a fresh start. I cover my experience with the device and show you everything you need to know about reactivating it.

You may be unsure how to factory reset your Nest Mini 2 or what steps to take. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Open the Google Home app on your primary phone.
2. As needed, remove the old Nest speaker from your Google Home. To do so, tap the Nest device, tap the Settings cog icon in the upper-right corner, and tap the Remove device button.
3. Plug in your Nest Mini speaker to power it.
4. Flip the speaker over.
5. Slide the mic switch to the off position. It will say, “The mic’s off,” and the four lights on top will be a solid orange.
6. Long press the middle of the speaker where the four orange lights are.
7. Hold it for a few seconds until you get the factory reset message. It will say, “You’re about to completely reset this device. Release to cancel.”
8. Continue holding it until you hear a chime sound.
9. Release your finger and wait for the factory reset process to finish.
10. When it’s done, you’re greeted with a welcome message. It tells you to download the Google Home app on your phone or tablet to get started.
11. Slide the mic switch to the on position.

My experience sideloading the APK on a newer Pixel phone

I use a Pixel 6 Pro as my primary device. I also have a newer and older Samsung phone for various reasons. Plus, I keep an iPhone on the side to stay on top of the iOS-related features. Suppose you have an iPhone or an older Android phone. In that case, it might be easier to reactivate your Nest speaker with one of those devices. This is especially true if you’re uncomfortable sideloading an app on your newer Android phone.

The real problem is for those using an Android phone with the newest Android version installed. This poses an issue because the Nest speaker activation tool isn’t compatible with modern Android phones. However, you can sideload the activation app and go from there. It works fine for the most part, but the activation tool might have some technical issues you should be aware of.

How to tell if you need to reactivate your old Nest speaker

I’ll show you the process and the odd issues you’ll likely encounter when trying to reactivate your Nest speaker. It isn’t too bad when you get past the first few steps. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Open the Google Home app on your Pixel phone.
2. Select the Devices tab near the lower-left corner of the screen.
3. Tap the Add button near the lower-right corner of the screen.
4. Select Google Nest or partner device.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your Nest speaker. You don’t have to reactivate your speaker if you get to the Did you hear the sound screen during setup.

   

   

6. If you need to reactivate your speaker, you’ll see a different screen before the setup that states, “This device has a few extra steps before you can start setup.”

How to reactivate your old Nest speaker on a newer Pixel or other Android phone

Now that you’ve determined that your Nest speaker needs to be reactivated and you only have a Pixel or Android phone, I’ll walk you through the steps necessary to bring it back online. Again, it involves sideloading the Device Utility app on a newer Android phone. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Download the Device Utility 2.2.8.2 APK file from APKMirror on your phone. Scroll down and tap the Download APK button to save it to your phone’s storage.

   

   

2. Tap the download notification to start the installation process.

   

3. Tap Settings.
4. Flip the switch for Allow from this source to the on position.

   

   

5. Tap Install.
6. After it’s finished, tap Open to continue.
7. Tap the Next button.
8. Tap the Next button again to turn on location access.

   

   

9. To proceed, choose the While using the app option.
10. Disconnect your Pixel phone from your Wi-Fi access point.

    

    

11. Your Nest speaker appears on the next screen in the Device Utility app.
12. Select it, follow the on-screen instructions, and you’re set. One of the app’s few quirks is that you may need to turn on the Wi-Fi so that it can find the correct Wi-Fi access point.
13. Go to the Google Home app and set it up as usual.

What was it like using a Samsung phone or iPhone to reactivate a Nest speaker?

Source: Samsung / Apple / Android Police

I could not reactivate my Nest speaker on my newer Samsung phone because it was incompatible with the Device Utility app on the Play Store. If you check the update history, the app last received an update in 2022. It worked great on my older Samsung phone, which ran an outdated version of Android. You’ll need an older Android phone to reactivate a Nest speaker or sideload the app on a newer device.

I should also note how simple the iOS method was before I finished the reactivation process on my newer Pixel. The Google Home app on iOS never mentioned reactivation during the setup process, which is excellent news for iPhone users. I have an iPhone running iOS 18 and an older Samsung phone to choose from, but you may not have that option.

As a power user, I sideloaded the app on my newer Pixel phone and decided to go that route. Reactivating a Nest speaker has to be done only once, so it wasn’t a big deal for me. If you get the reactivation message on your Nest speaker and have an iPhone readily available, go that route to keep things simple. It’s easier than sideloading the Device Utility app on a modern Android phone or looking for an old Android phone. The Google Home app on iOS never mentioned reactivation during the setup process.

Dust off that old Nest speaker and breathe new life into it

Only one of my Nest speakers needed to be reactivated, so it wasn’t much of an issue since I had several phones to choose from. Reactivating an old Nest speaker can happen if it stays offline for long periods and has old firmware. It might be a device still in its box that you never opened. You may have gotten a Nest speaker for free with a promotion from another purchase and forgot about it. Sideloading the Device Utility app on a modern Android phone is a lifesaver when you have no other choices.

We could see a Nest Mini 3 speaker with full Google Gemini features out of the box. A custom Tensor chip may power it to boost Google’s AI capabilities of Gemini, like on Pixel phones and other Pixel-related products. The question is when or if this happens, but we might find out in the future.