You can call a Google Nest or Google Home speaker or display from your phone using Google Meet. First, set up calling on the speaker in the Google Home app and link the Google account you want it to use. Then open the Meet app on your phone and call that account, and the speaker rings. If you only need to send a quick message to the house, use Broadcast instead: tell Google Assistant on your phone “Hey Google, broadcast” followed by your message, and it plays on your home’s speakers.
Below are the steps for setting up calling, placing and answering calls, using Broadcast, and fixing common problems.
What you need
- A Google Nest or Google Home speaker or display that’s set up in the Google Home app.
- The Google Meet app on your phone, signed in with a Google account.
- Calling turned on for the speaker, linked to a Google account (yours or a household member’s).
- Both devices connected to the internet.
Step 1: Set up calling on the speaker
- Open the Google Home app on your phone.
- Select the speaker or display, then open its settings.
- Look for the calling or communication settings (wording varies by app version), and follow the prompts to set up Google Meet calling.
- Link the Google account the speaker should use for calls. If several people use the speaker, set up Voice Match so each person’s calls use their own account.
You can also add household contacts, a short list of people anyone at home can call by name without Voice Match.
Step 2: Call the speaker from your phone
- Open the Google Meet app.
- Start a new call and choose the contact whose Google account is linked to the speaker.
- Tap the audio or video call button. Speakers take audio calls; displays such as the Nest Hub can show video calls (the Nest Hub Max can also send your video back).
The speaker rings along with that person’s other Meet devices. If the account is linked to a phone too, the call may also ring there.
Step 3: Answer or end the call on the speaker
- Answer: Say “Hey Google, answer the call,” or tap the top or center of the speaker (tap the screen on a display).
- Decline: Say “Hey Google, decline the call.”
- End: Say “Hey Google, hang up,” or tap the device (on a Nest Mini or Nest Audio, tap the center).
Google notes that speakers and displays support one-to-one calls. Displays can also receive incoming group calls, but speakers can’t.
Alternative: Broadcast a message to your speakers
Broadcast is a one-way announcement, handy for “Dinner’s ready” or “I’m on my way.”
- On your phone, open Google Assistant or the Google Home app.
- Say or type “Broadcast” followed by your message, or “Broadcast to [room name]” for one speaker.
- Your message plays on your home’s speakers. People at home can reply by saying “Hey Google, reply,” and the reply comes back to your phone.
Calling vs. Broadcast
| Google Meet call | Broadcast | |
|---|---|---|
| Two-way conversation | Yes | No; replies are separate messages |
| Someone must answer | Yes | No; plays automatically |
| Video on displays | Yes | No |
| Plays on all speakers at once | No | Yes, or one room |
| Setup | Calling setup in Home app | Works once speakers are in your home |
Troubleshooting
- The speaker doesn’t ring: Check that calling is set up on that speaker and linked to the account you’re calling. Make sure Do Not Disturb isn’t turned on for the speaker.
- Only your phone rings: You may be calling your own account. Call the household member whose account is linked to the speaker, or set up Voice Match for that person.
- Poor audio: Move the speaker closer to your router, and restart both the speaker and your phone.
- Broadcast doesn’t play: Check that the speakers are in the same home in the Google Home app and that their volume isn’t muted.
Related: How to play music on Google Home from your phone.
Related: How to play music on all your Google Home speakers.
Related: Set up Google Wifi or Nest Wifi.
Frequently asked questions
Can I call my Google Home from an iPhone?
Yes. Install the Google Meet app from the App Store, sign in, and call the linked account the same way as on Android.
Can I call my Google Home from any phone?
You need to call through Google Meet using the account linked to the speaker. A regular phone call to a phone number won’t reach the speaker.
Can I use my Nest speaker as a baby monitor or intercom?
Broadcast works like a one-way intercom. For continuous monitoring, a dedicated baby monitor or a Nest camera is a better fit, because Broadcast only plays short messages.
Are Google Meet calls on Nest devices recorded?
Google says it doesn’t keep the call audio, only details such as call duration and the voice command used to start the call.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.