Skip to main content

How to broadcast voice messages with Google Nest

If you happen to have multiple Google Nest speakers in your home, it’s possible to broadcast a message to all of them simultaneously. This is a great way to let the whole family know that dinner is ready without needing to scream upstairs, downstairs, or into your garage. Instead, you can use a simple voice command to dish out notifications to your entire Google Nest ecosystem.

If you’ve never used the feature before – or just need a reminder on how it works – here’s a look at how to broadcast voice messages with Google Home and Google Assistant.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

10 minutes

What You Need

  • Multiple Google Nest devices

  • Smartphone (optional)

Nest Mini 2nd Gen.

How to broadcast voice messages with Google Nest

There are two ways to broadcast messages to your Nest devices – using a speaker or using your phone. Both follow the same basic instructions, although the requirements vary by method.

For example, if you want to use your smartphone to broadcast a message to your connected Google Nest speakers, you’ll need Google Assistant on your phone and at least one connected Nest speaker or display.

If you want to broadcast a message by talking to a smart speaker, you’ll need to make sure the other speakers you want to broadcast to are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and that a member of the household is signed into each one. Regardless of which method you use, ensure that all speakers are running the latest firmware.

With that out of the way, here’s how to quickly broadcast a message with Google Nest:

Step 1: To create a custom message, say “Hey Google, broadcast [message].” This will send the broadcast to all Nest devices on your network.

Step 2: If you want to send a message to a specific room, say “Hey Google, broadcast to [room name + message].”

Step 3: A similar command works to broadcast to a specific device – “Hey Google, broadcast to [device name + message].”

Step 4: A variety of preset messages are also available to you. After saying, “Hey Google, broadcast …” you can issue the following commands:

  • Wake up everyone
  • It's time for breakfast
  • It's lunch time
  • It's dinner time
  • It's time to leave the house
  • I'm home
  • Let's go to the movie
  • We should go to bed
  • The show is about to start

Step 5: Once you’ve issued your broadcast, people can reply by saying “Hey Google, reply [message].”

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
How to improve Ring video doorbell battery life
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus installed outside a front door.

Most battery-powered Ring video doorbells will last between six to 12 months, with a wide degree of variability depending on your climate, usage, and specific model. If you find your video doorbell falling below that range (or want to optimize its performance), there are several steps you can take to improve your Ring video doorbell's battery life.

From changing your motion settings to adjusting your Wi-Fi settings, here’s how to get a bit more juice out of your battery-powered Ring video doorbell.
Update your motion settings

Read more
How to fix a Ring doorbell that won’t chime
Person installing Ring video doorbell

When working as expected, Ring video doorbells are a great addition to most smart homes. Offering just about everything you’d find on a traditional doorbell, plus the addition of video alerts and customizable settings, it’s easy to see why they’re so popular. However, every so often, Ring doorbells will misbehave and stop working as intended – and one of the most common issues is that your Ring video doorbell won’t chime properly.

Read more
How to set up Ring motion zones
Ring Video Doorbell 4

If you’re getting too many unwanted Ring alerts, it might be time to customize your Ring motion zones. This feature lets you tell your Ring video doorbell which areas of your front yard to monitor -- if motion happens beyond these zones, it’ll be ignored. It’s most useful for homes in busy neighborhoods with bustling sidewalks or a constant flow of traffic, but almost every location can benefit from a few tweaks to Ring motion zones.

Read more