Find out what testers had to say about the new Google Home. £300 voucher to be won!NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for those MNers who tested the new Google Home worth £129.

Here’s what Google has to say about the product: “The time we get to spend at home with our family and friends is pretty special. So what if technology could help us make the most of those moments, instead of sometimes pulling our attention away from them? Google Home is a hands-free smart speaker powered by the Google Assistant that does just that. Whether you want to get answers from Google, enjoy your music*, manage your everyday tasks and control compatible smart devices around your home, all you have to do is say “Ok Google”.

*Google Home is optimised for selected music services only. Subscriptions/payments may be required.

Below is a video about the product:

Testers:
These are the feedback questions Google would like you to answer:

1. Was Google Home able to answer all the questions you had?
2. What do you think about the music playing functionality?
3. Has anything in your home routine changed since using Google Home?
4. What are you finding most fun about using Google Home?
5. Is there anything you're finding frustrating about using Google Home?
6. What do you wish Google Home could do that it doesn't do currently?

Everyone who posts will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher.

Many thanks,

MNHQ

Standard T&Cs apply

Thank you for sending us the Google Home to try out.

1. Was Google Home able to answer all the questions you had?

It was able to answer about 3/4 of our questions. We had to rephrase some of them to find the answer though. As we are Scottish, we thought that it might have a problem understanding us but it didn't seem to.

1. What do you think about the music playing functionality?

I could not get the Google Play to link up and play any music. However, I linked it to my husband's Spotify account and it is working great now.

1. Has anything in your home routine changed since using Google Home?

Yes, I check the weather now on Google Home instead of my phone or asking my DH!! We have listened to a bit more music too - now we have got it working.

1. What are you finding most fun about using Google Home?

Asking it silly question or jokes. The children like to change my name on it too which they find hilarious!

1. Is there anything you're finding frustrating about using Google Home?

Initially I had a few problems when I was setting it up - it seemed to be set up then said it wasn't. This problem seems to have sorted itself out now. As mentioned, setting the music up was frustrating too. I also forget to say OK Google before the question and then have to re-ask it but I just need to get used to this.

1. What do you wish Google Home could do that it doesn't do currently?

I would like it to be able to do price comparisons for certain products, send e-mails and be wireless. I would also like to be able to call it something else.

1. Was Google Home able to answer all the questions you had?

Mostly, once we'd worked out how to answer the questions in such a way she could answer.

1. What do you think about the music playing functionality?

Fab, but I wish I could sync it to my Sonos.

1. Has anything in your home routine changed since using Google Home?

Yes! It is used as our timer, and nobody had bothered to replace the battery in the clock on the mantelpiece because we use google home instead #lazy.

1. What are you finding most fun about using Google Home?

DD loves playing quizzes on it when her friends come over. And the crystal ball is hilarious!

1. Is there anything you're finding frustrating about using Google Home?

Only that I haven't yet works out how to sync to other apps u use e.g. Tesco online shopping, Sonos, google calendar etc.

1. What do you wish Google Home could do that it doesn't do currently?

As above.

Whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT ask google to "play fart sounds".. There is a whole album on google play that I've had to listen to for the last 3 mornings as the kids keep requesting it. It is literally just an hour of all different kinds of fart noises. I worry its become tradition. It was playing yesterday when the Morrison's man dropped off the shopping and I wondered why he was looking at me strangely as by that time I'd kinda tuned it out

Thanks for the tip

Why are these home servants women?

Id like to change mine to a male voice just to have a subservient man in the house.

1. Was Google Home able to answer all the questions you had?

Not all.. It's great with weather, animal sounds, jokes. But we've had a lot of "sorry I don't know the answer to that yet" my 5 year old has tried asking it loads of questions about thomas the tank engine that it couldn't answer.

1. What do you think about the music playing functionality?

Absolutely fantastic! It's brilliant! Best thing about it!!! Finds the songs instantly, speaker is of a really good quality. It's converted me! I do wish that it linked with iTunes, as I don't think I'd want to pay 9.99 for something I can't use with my phone. But I may consider Spotify.

1. Has anything in your home routine changed since using Google Home?

Yes - we are listening to a lot more music, not having the tv on and spending more time talking to each other whilst listening to music. My 5 year old boy keeps asking it to play "spinning around" so I'm getting a little fed up of that one - but he's having a wonderful time dancing to it so I can't complain!!

I'm also finding that I'm using my phone less for looking things up, and I'm just asking google! It can usually tell me what I want to know about 50% of the time, but that could be more my fault for asking it obscure questions.

1. What are you finding most fun about using Google Home?

Again - the music. It's revolutionised how I listen to music. I can listen to whatever, whenever - it's brilliant for music. I also like the jokes.
Also asking for the weather is great. I like not having to pick up my phone and look for an answer.

1. Is there anything you're finding frustrating about using Google Home?

It's not overly good with current news and affairs. When asked it just doesn't know.

1. What do you wish Google Home could do that it doesn't do currently?

Give up to date news and sports reports, my husband was asking it who won the Grand Prix on Sunday but it didn't know the answer. Maybe be able to answer with what the top news stories are.

Thank you again for letting me test this - the music feature of it is absolutely amazing!

To extend mine from the two weeks I had to go to the google play website. It needed payment details to start from September.

It was a bit of a faf to do, I even had to delete the app and reinstall to get it working again. It was tricky to figure out but easy enough when I logged into the website.

gazelda what quizzes and crystal ball? Am I missing something?

At sea, ask google to play a game with you.

His many other testers children keep asking for the spinning around song off the advert? I always ignore adverts and had never seen the google home one so it took about a week of ds2 asking for spinning around, me asking google to play Kylie spinning around, then ds2 screaming "that's not right" before we worked it out

In the main it sounds like most people found this product useful wish we had tested them.

DVD Sfax

1. Was Google Home able to answer all the questions you had?

Not really, it has a lot of learning to do!!

1. What do you think about the music playing functionality?

We are an Amazon prime household - so don't use spotify and google music.....and I didn't want a further subscription. If it were linked to decent free music or even Amazon it would have been used much more.

1. Has anything in your home routine changed since using Google Home?

No.

1. What are you finding most fun about using Google Home?

We have done the trivia quiz a few times which is quite good, and my 6 years old likes getting it to make silly noises.

1. Is there anything you're finding frustrating about using Google Home?

We do not always run a wireless connection, so have to turn wifi on before she will connect. A wired version would be an alternative option. Timers don't tell you what they are for.

1. What do you wish Google Home could do that it doesn't do currently?

have calendar options, our one wouldn't/couldn't connect to bluetooth. It can't access certain apps .....

I think it will improve over time, I gather functionality is increasing - but my son has an echo dot and at the moment that has the edge.

Firstly many thanks for selecting us to do this.

1. Was Google Home able to answer all the questions you had?

No unfortunately not but I think with more questioning it could. My daughter sat with the Usbourne Questions and Answers about the World book once which may have helped!

1. What do you think about the music playing functionality?

Absolutely Fantastic. Really responsive even with a 3 and 5 year old requests. The response rate is good and great for listening to album by request. Even the currently advertised ones; as see advert on tv request google to play it.

1. Has anything in your home routine changed since using Google Home?

Yes slightly now before bedtime we have a quiz and set the timer so the kids know when they need to go to bed. Also kids kickstart their days by coming in requesting their favourite song to dance to first thing in the day.

1. What are you finding most fun about using Google Home? At the moment it's definitely music/weather/travel and news. Being able to access Spotify music and radio when you walk straight into the room is great. The kids love questioning where animals come from too.
2. Is there anything you're finding frustrating about using Google Home?

Reminders would be great especially if they are linked to calendar. Sometimes asking special requests/questions gives the stock answer of not being able to help. A bit frustrating.

1. What do you wish Google Home could do that it doesn't do currently? Set reminders linked to a calendar

If it could be linked to Sonos that would be great. If you could link your shopping list with your online Tesco app grocery shop.

After using this for a while longer now I'd add the following.
When Google music free trial ran out I don't use it as much as I did when it was there. I was actually discovering more music when i was using it as I asked for a song and then just let it play. I've found some interesting artists since then! I haven't managed to get to signing up for the two months free yet but I will be looking into it. Although I'm still not convinced 10 quid is value for how often I use the service.
I'd love to be able to ask it to do the lights and heating but I need to have more money to buy all the contraptions that gonwith it first. Is it sad I want lightbulb for Christmas?

Anyone else's GH taken the day off today? Mine is telling me it can't do everything I ask it, things like playing a radio station which it's been merrily doing for weeks. Wifi etc is fine, just GH playing up.

I've just asked mine to play R1 and it has.

Ours is working as well. Radio 2 currently playing.

Attention: Just got an email, apparently it supports multiple users as of 9pm tonight. DH is testing now, it still keeps calling him my name, fail!! Haha

I've found a new hobby -sending feedback.

To example tonight and example of anconversation we had....

Me:OK google play stand by me please
Google: OK now playing stand by me by playing for change
Me: Hey google - What the actual fuck!!!
Google: Oh dear, did I do something wrong, would you like to send feedback
Me: Yes google, When anyone in the whole world asks for stand by me they mean by Ben E King, I shouldn't have to state his name
Google: Thank you for your feedback, it will help me learn.

I feel our relationship has reached a good place. She gets me :-)

Thanks all. Mine is up and running again but it has stopped playing LBC radio.