ISSUE 73 • ANDROID ADVISOR 89family argument when nobody has their phone handy.
There are plenty of ways to use Google Home for
entertainment, information, or as a tool for being
productive and learning new skills. If you’re going to
lace your home with Google devices, you might as
well make them work for you.
Note: Android users can configure third-party apps
in the Google Home app (fave.co/2UD1PW5), but
iOS users will need to download the separate Google
Assistant app. Most third-party apps no longer need
to be ‘linked’ to work, though, so this might not be
necessary depending on the app.
- Link your smart speakers
You don’t need to buy a high-end amp and
loudspeaker system to fill your home with music.
Google Home has an apparently unlimited speaker-
linking feature called speaker groups.
All you need are two or more compatible devices
(Google Home, Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen), Google
Home Mini (1st Gen), Google Home Max, Google
Nest smart displays, Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra,
Chromecast Audio, or TVs or speakers with built-in
Chromecast) on the same Wi-Fi network.
To set up a speaker group, open the Google Home
app and click on the ‘+’ sign in the upper left corner.
Under the heading Add to home, tap Create speaker
group. Select the speakers you want to link together
and tap Next, give your speaker group a name and
tap Save.
To play music on your new speaker group, say, “OK,
Google, play [song/artist/playlist] on [speaker group].”