24-07-2025
Survey: 7 in 10 Google Home users say their devices are no longer reliable
A few days ago, we highlighted a Reddit thread packed with complaints about Google Home speakers and hubs. A clear theme emerged: Google's smart home devices are no longer working as they should. Users are increasingly frustrated as core features like controlling lights, running routines, and using speaker groups have become unreliable. Simple voice commands that once worked flawlessly now frequently fail.
While the Reddit thread gave us a strong sense of the widespread frustration, Google eventually acknowledged the issues, apologized for the degraded experience, and promised major improvements this fall. To gauge just how far-reaching the problem is, we also ran a poll on our website asking readers whether they have also noticed a decline in performance.
The results are in and, unsurprisingly, they paint a troublesome picture. Google is facing a serious issue. If it doesn't deliver on its promise to fix things soon, it risks losing even more users, many of whom have already given up and left the ecosystem altogether.
Are your Google Home or Nest speakers and hubs still working as expected?
The question we asked our readers was simple: Are your Google Home and Nest speakers and hubs working as expected? The overwhelming response was a resounding no. Of nearly 10,000 voters, 55% reported frequent glitches and failed commands, while another 16.5% said their devices have become nearly unusable. Combined, that's 71.5%, or roughly 7 out of 10 users reporting serious issues. And in saying that, we're not considering the 19.8% of voters who said they're experiencing minor issues.
One survey participant told Android Authority:
Yea I have a lot of Google smart home devices and they're all over the place. Lights randomly turning down to 1% brightness, not turning on when asked, turning random colours, light routines not running as expected… asking to play a certain album or artist generates random responses & more 'Sorry it looks like that device hasn't been set up yet' responses than I can count.
This kind of frustration could be heard across hundreds of responses. Another user commented on a broader issue with Google's direction for its smart home ecosystem:
The entire Google Home ecosystem has stagnated. They no longer appear to be serious about improving the smart home as much as shoveling AI into everything… My intention is to replace [Google devices] with open source hardware solutions as they improve.
That growing sense of abandonment is evident in many longtime users who once swore by the platform:
I used to be such a fan. I think I own 8 or 9 Google smart home devices. They have gotten so much worse… Now, at least half the time, I'm forced to go to my phone or desktop for information or controls. My guess is sabotaging Assistant to improve the perception of Gemini.
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Surprisingly, only 4% of respondents said they've completely stopped using their Google Home devices. While it's likely that some who reported degraded performance have also reduced usage or switched to alternatives, the fact of the matter is that many users have heavily invested in the ecosystem over the years and now feel stuck.
'Google are happy to flush all their customers and all the goodwill we once had. I will never buy another Google product, and suggest that we all do the same. My house full of 'home' products that are basically useless now. I'm not happy, I'm angry,' a user noted.
Another user shared a similar frustration, saying, 'I'm done with Google for smart home products, just a rapidly accumulating crate of e-waste as I'm replacing everything. Just a few smart speakers and one useless Nest floodlight camera left to replace.'
Comment after comment echoed the same sentiments. Perhaps most concerning is how many users described years of reliable performance before things began to fall apart.
'Today is the worst it's ever been. I have 11 lights, a smart thermostat, and a smart door lock — all supported and controlled by Google Home. Things have been working nearly perfectly for years, but in the last few months, controlling these items has become almost futile… And this whole house of cards is crashing down lately,' a long-time user noted.
The data from our survey and the flood of personal stories paint a grim picture for Google's smart home products. Despite the company's acknowledgment of the issues and a promise of improvements, trust has already been eroded. Users aren't just experiencing bugs, they're questioning whether Google is still committed to the smart home space. And with many already replacing their devices or considering alternatives, the company is quickly running out of time to turn things around.
