Google Stereo speaker / speaker group will not connect

[Bardickson]

Plan

Premium

Country

UK

Device

(Samsung Galaxy S22, Microsoft Surface Pro 😎

Operating System

(Android 14, Windows 11)

My Question or Issue

Google Stereo group is not working with Spotify. As of this evening (12 June 24) the two stereo speakers (2 x Google nest minis 2nd gen) will no longer connect.

Spotify can 'see' the group, it can be selected and it attempts to connect but is forever "connecting."

From troubleshooting, it is an issue only with

(a) Speaker groups

(b) Spotify

Escalating troubleshooting has included, cache clearing, resetting (speakers / phones), unpairing (speakers), uninstalling (google home and spotify), reinstalling (apps), regrouping (speakers),

And yes, it has included factory resets, and 'clean' reinstallation of spotify.

I have also tested with a new spotify basic account

Casting from other apps to the speaker group continues to work (e.g. from YT music, radio, audiobooks news etc.)

Casting from spotify to other speakers / devices continues to work (e.g. chromecast on TV, soundbar, the individual speakers when not paired into a group).

So it is only an issue with speaker groups. But that's a pretty big issue. I tend to like having both left AND right working! And being able to run spotify on smart speakers as part of a routine is a daily occurence.

Any help appreciated.

[Maria]

Hey there @Bardickson,

Thanks for reaching out on the Community!

Just to confirm, does this happen on all devices that you use Spotify on? Or just with a specific one? 

Also, do you notice any difference when starting the playback using a voice command?

If possible, it would be great if you could connect the speakers to a different internet connection to see if you experience the same thing. For example, you can create a hotspot on your phone and then reconnect the speakers.

Keep us posted on how it goes.

[1166927724]

I am writing to report a recurring issue I am experiencing with my Google Home stereo group setup. Despite troubleshooting various potential causes, I have been unable to resolve the problem.

Key Observations:

• Individual Speakers: Streaming to individual Google Home devices (e.g., Google Homes, Minis, Nest Audios) works as expected.
• Group (Mono): Creating a group in the Google Home app allows for successful streaming to both devices, but the audio output remains in mono.
• Stereo Group (Error): Attempts to stream directly to the stereo group consistently result in connection errors or prolonged connection times. However, the Spotify app occasionally indicates a connection to one of the speakers, and playback may or may not commence.

I have verified that this issue is not related to internet connectivity, speaker device functionality, or any other external factors.

Please let me know if you require any additional information or troubleshooting steps.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

BR
M.

[Vasil]

Hey @1166927724,

Thanks for posting in the thread!

Has the stereo audio worked with a group before? Groups are not directly integrated with Spotify and rely on additional apps, so stereo might not be an option that currently works with groups in general. With this in mind, there's no harm in going through the Google Home app to see if making some changes in there would make things work!

See if switching up the left/right devices would make a difference. You can also try renaming the group as I just saw this workaround had worked for a different group issue in the past. Make sure to also check for firmware updates on all the respective devices just in case.

Hope this helps! Let us know how things go 🙌🏼

[1166927724]

Dear Vasil,

Thank you for your prompt response.

Regarding the creation of stereo groups in Google Home, I would like to clarify the following:

• Standard Groups: These are mono groups, allowing the inclusion of any compatible speaker device.
• Stereo Groups: These are designed to work exclusively with two identical devices (e.g., two Nest Audios). In the Google Home app, you can designate one speaker as the left channel and the other as the right channel.

Based on my recent testing, I have made the following observations:

• Connection Issues: Connecting to a stereo group can sometimes result in a timeout. This may be due to the app awaiting responses from both devices, which can lead to failure. However, I have found a workaround: if you hear a connection sound on one speaker while the app displays a "connecting..." status, initiating playback can result in the music playing on both devices in stereo, even if the app subsequently shows an error. I believe that the codebase is close to supporting stereo groups on Android, with the addition of one more condition.
• Workaround: For users experiencing this issue, I recommend creating a stereo group first and then adding it to a standard group. Using the name of the standard group in the Spotify app will enable stereo playback.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Best regards,