Play music, audiobooks, and other media from Google Cast-enabled apps on your Google Nest or Home speaker or display. You can use your mobile device or tablet to control everything from playback to volume.
Cast from Google Cast-enabled apps to your speaker or display
- Make sure your mobile device or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi network or linked to the same account as your speaker or display.
- Open a Google Cast-enabled app.
- Tap the Cast icon .
- Tap the name of the speaker or display you'd like to cast to. When the speaker or display connects, it will play a chime.
- On your mobile device, start the desired content. It will play on your connected speaker or display.
- To stop casting, at the top of your mobile device, tap the Cast icon . Depending on your device and app, tap Stop casting, Disconnect, This phone, or This device.
- Some music providers, like Spotify, require a subscription to play music from their Google Cast-enabled app.
- To play YouTube content on speakers:
- Use the YouTube Music app (not the YouTube app).
- If you're casting from an iPhone or iPad, you must have a YouTube Premium account.
Control your media with voice commands
The following commands should work with almost all Google Cast-enabled apps:
To do this: | Say "Ok Google" or "Hey Google," then: |
---|---|
Pause | "Pause" "Pause the music" |
Resume | "Resume" "Continue playing" |
Stop | "Stop" "Stop the music" |
What's playing | "What's playing?" "What song is playing?" "What artist is playing?" |
Control volume | "Louder" "Set volume to 40%" |
Advanced voice commands are available for some Google Cast-enabled apps, like Spotify.
Other ways to control your media
You can control your content from your speaker or display, mobile device, or the Google Home app .
From the Google Nest or Home device
Google Home and Nest Speakers
Important: Speaker touch controls change the volume of media and Google Assistant only. To change the volume of alarms and timers, use the Google Home app or the Quick settings menu on a Nest display.
Google Home
To do this: | Touch Google Home like this: | Image |
Turn up the volume | Swipe clockwise on the top. | |
Turn down the volume |
Swipe counterclockwise on the top. Note: When the volume is set to 0:
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Start your request | Press and hold on the top. |
Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)
To reverse right and left controls, open the Google Home app Tap Favorites or Devices touch and hold your Nest Mini's tile. Tap Settings Audio Reverse device controls.
To do this: | Touch Google Nest Mini like this: | Image |
Pause, resume, or stop media |
Tap the center of the Nest Mini. |
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Turn up the volume |
Tap the right side of the Nest Mini. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%. |
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Turn down the volume |
Tap the left side of the Nest Mini. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%. Note: When the volume is set to 0:
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Google Home Mini (1st gen)
To do this: | Touch Google Home Mini like this: | Image |
Pause, resume, or stop media | Press and hold either side of the Home Mini. | |
Turn up the volume |
Tap the right side of the Home Mini. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%. |
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Turn down the volume |
Press and hold the left side of the Home Mini. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%. Note: When the volume is set to 0:
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Google Home Max
To do this: | Touch Google Home Max like this: | Image |
Pause, resume, or stop media |
Horizontal placement: Tap the line on the top. Vertical placement: Tap the line on the right side. |
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Turn up the volume |
Horizontal placement: Swipe from left to right along the line on the top. Vertical placement: Swipe up along the line on the right side. |
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Turn down the volume |
Horizontal placement: Swipe from right to left along the line on the top. Vertical placement: Swipe down along the line on the right side. Note: When the volume is set to 0:
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Google Nest Audio
To do this: | Touch Google Nest Audio like this: | Image |
Pause, resume, or stop media | Tap the center of the Nest Audio. | |
Turn up the volume |
Tap the right side of the Nest Audio. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 5%. |
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Turn down the volume |
Tap the left side of the Nest Audio. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 5%. Note: When the volume is set to 0:
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Google Nest Wifi point
To do this: | Touch Nest Wifi point like this: | Image |
Pause, resume, or stop media | Tap the center of the Nest Wifi point. | |
Turn up the volume |
Tap the right side of the Nest Wifi point. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%. |
|
Turn down the volume |
Tap the left side of the Nest Wifi point. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%. Note: When the volume is set to 0:
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Google Nest displays
Important: To control the volume of alarms and timers, use the Quick settings menu. The volume button and media card adjust the volume of media and Google Assistant only.
Use the media card to pause, resume, play the previous or next song, or change the devices that are playing media.
Volume button
To do this: | Touch Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max like this: | Image |
Turn up the volume |
On the back of the Nest display, press the upper volume button. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each press changes the volume by 5%. |
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Turn down the volume |
On the back of the Nest display, press the lower volume button. The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each press changes the volume by 5%. Note: When the volume is set to 0:
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- To open the Quick settings menu, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Volume .
- Use the main volume control slider for media and Google Assistant.
- If needed, tap Expand to open the volume control slider for timers and alarms .
- To change the volume, swipe the slider left or right.
Media card
- To find the media card, swipe down from the top tap Media.
- Note: If the screen shows the media that's playing, tap the screen instead.
- Use the controls on the card to pause, resume, or play the previous or next song.
- To open more controls, tap [display name] . You’ll get a list of available devices and a volume control slider for each device that’s currently playing.
- To start or stop playing media on a device, tap the radio button next to its name.
- To change the volume on an active device, swipe its slider left or right.
Google Pixel Tablet (Hub Mode)
When you change the volume on your Pixel Tablet while it's docked, the volume on the speaker dock will also change.
Volume button
To do this: | Touch Google Pixel Tablet like this: |
Turn up the volume |
Press the side button closest to the power button. |
Turn down the volume |
Press the side button that's farthest from the power button. |
Media widget
When media is playing in Hub Mode, you can control playback on your lock and Home screens by touch. A media widget will automatically appear with buttons to control what's playing
Some media apps have widgets you can add to your Home screen for easy touch control. Place the widget on your Home screen, then tap the widget to control the volume, pause playback, skip or change songs or podcasts, change the radio station, and more.
From your mobile device
- Use the media controls in the Google Cast-enabled app. The available controls depend on the app.
- To control the volume, you can also use your mobile device's volume button.
From the Google Home app
- Make sure your mobile device or tablet is linked to the same account as your speaker or display.
- Open the Google Home app .
- Tap Favorites .
- Tap the current media session for:
- Playback controls
- Volume control (media and Google Assistant)
- Playback device selection
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