Owners of the Google Home Max have long been able to wirelessly connect a couple of Home Max speakers together to create a stereo pair, and the new Google Nest Minis can also perform the stereo-pair trick. Now comes word that you can also make stereo pairs using two of Google’s older smart speakers, too.
AndroidPolice reports that a stereo-pair setting for the original Google Home and the smaller Google Home Mini popped up over the weekend.
You’ll find the setting in the Google Home app for iOS or Android. Just tap on a compatible Home or Nest speaker on the main Google Home screen, and then tap Device settings > Speaker pair. You’ll be asked to pick the “home” in which your speakers reside (which should be easy if you only have one smart home), and then you’ll need to pick another nearby speaker to begin the pairing process.
It’s worth noting that you can only pair two Google speakers of the same type, e.g. two Google Home Minis or two Google Homes. I tried pairing a Google Home Mini with my new Nest Mini, but the Home app wouldn’t cooperate.
Ben Patterson/IDG
You can create a stereo pair using a couple Home or Nest speakers of the same type, but not with (for example) a Nest Mini and a Home Mini (pictured above).
Once you’ve turned two Google smart speakers into a stereo pair, they’ll appear as a single entity in the Home app, and any tweaks to Assistant, device, or sound settings will apply to both speakers. Also, while chatting with Google Assistant over a stereo pair, it will listen and respond to you over the left speaker only.
Creating a stereo pair is one of the easiest ways to boost the audio quality of your Home or Nest speakers, particularly the Google Home Mini and its iffy, bass-deprived driver. No, creating a stereo pair of Home Minis won’t magically crank up their bass response, but a wider soundstage is always a plus.
You can also add Home or Nest stereo pairs to a speaker group, or you can disable a stereo pair by tapping on it in the Home app, then tap Device settings > Speaker pair > Separate.