Google Home/Nest speakers are a common choice in the smart speakers market. The assistant’s capabilities make them better than the competition but, it seems that alternative uses are often lacklustre. Many users claim that Amazon Dot is doing a better job as a smart home hub, and that’s a better Bluetooth/Wi-Fi speaker. Google Home connectivity issues bother users on all platforms, including iOS. Namely, some users report that their iPhone keeps disconnecting from the Google Home speaker while both on Bluetooth or while casting music.
If you are among the affected group, make sure to check the steps we listed below.
Table of contents:
- Check Permissions and allow Background App Refresh
- Update your iPhone
- Remove Bluetooth pairing and add it again
- Reset Google Home to factory settings and set it up again
Why does Google Home keep disconnecting from iPhones?
1. Check Permissions and allow Background App Refresh
Firstly, make sure that Google Home has all permissions if you are using some alternatives to Bluetooth, like Spotify Connect or Google Cast. Chances are that the system kills off the process in the background when you lock your screen. And the iPhone disconnects from Google Home which leads to a playback halt.
Here’s what you need to check on your iPhone:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Google Home.
- Make sure that Google Home has all permissions enabled and that Background App Refresh is enabled, too.
2. Update your iPhone
The next thing to do is to ensure that your device is running on the latest (or at least recent) firmware version. Google Home/Nest speakers update on their own so that’s one thing less to worry about.
You can check for updates on your iPhone by following these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Select Software Update.
- Download and install updates.
3. Remove Bluetooth pairing and add it again
This fixed the problem for some users. If you are, instead of Wi-Fi sharing, rely on Bluetooth, make sure to remove your iPhone from paired devices and add it again. Removing other pairings of active devices (paired speakers, PCs, etc.) can help too, reducing the chances of possible conflicts.
Here’s how to remove your iPhone from the list of paired devices by using the Google Home app:
- Open the Google Home app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the Google Home and then tap on the cog icon to access Settings.
- Select Paired Bluetooth devices.
- Tap on the X sign to remove the pairing.
- Now, get back and open system Settings.
- Tap Bluetooth.
- Enable Bluetooth, and tap “i” on the right, next to the Speaker.
- Remove the Google Home speaker from the list of paired devices by tapping Forget this device.
- Now, get back to Google Home > Speaker > Settings (cog) > Paired Bluetooth devices.
- Tap Enable Pairing Mode.
- Once again, get back to system Settings > Bluetooth and pair your iPhone with Google Home/Nest speaker.
4. Reset Google Home to factory settings and set it up again
Finally, if nothing helps, you can try restoring your Google Home/Nest speaker to its factory values. It won’t take too long to set it up again, considering that it relies on cloud-based settings. Basically, besides the voice, there are only some small details that might require some tinkering.
Here’s how to reset your Google Home/Nest to factory settings:
- On the bottom of your smart speaker, you’ll find a small reset button. Press and hold until you hear a prompt informing you that your device is about to be restored to factory settings (approximately for 15-20 seconds).
- Once the Google Home/Nest speaker restarts, open the Google Home app and tap on the + icon to add a new device.
- Tap Set up device.
- Tap New device.
- Follow further instructions.
If your iPhone still keeps disconnecting from Google Home speaker, make sure to send a ticket to Google. Especially since this is an overlying issue that’s not a novelty.
And, on that note, we can call it a wrap. Thank you for reading, check our social media (Facebook and Twitter), and share your experience with us and other readers in the comments section below.
