#BugAlert: Google Home smart speaker breaking after update
Once again, Google Home smart speakers are breaking - due to an update pushed by the company itself. The issue has rendered the device completely unusable for a number of people, and appears to be associated with a release issued as part of the company's Preview Program, according to the complaints. Here's all you need to know about it.
Update bricking the original Google Home
Over the last 24 hours, several Google Home owners, who had opted to receive early access to new features through the Preview Program, took to Reddit and Google Forums to report cases of sudden bricking of their devices. They all said that the device first began flashing an orange LED and then went completely unresponsive to "Hey Google" and "Ok Google" commands.
Exact issue remains unclear at this stage
The issue appears to have affected a number of people but its root cause remains unclear at this stage. As Android Authority reports, the problem could have something to do with a wireless connectivity error, which is keeping the device from connecting to Wi-Fi, bricking it effectively. Even resetting Google Home doesn't seem to fix the issue.
No official fix from Google yet
Having said that, Google neither acknowledged the bug nor clarified when exactly it will release a fix for it. To note, the problem in question is similar to the one that appeared last year on some Google Homes (even those not in Preview Program). It wasn't fixed and, eventually, Google had to replace the affected units of the smart speaker.
Until then, here's a potential fix to help you out
If you can't wait for Google's update, try this trick that worked for some people. Disable your home Wi-Fi, unplug Google Home, wait for a minute or so, plug it again, and reset it. After resetting, wait for the device to boot and then try reconnecting it to the Google Home app, which should set up the device and connect it to the internet.
