How to setup and use Google Home with your iPhone or Android device

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Google HomeBeck Diefenbach/Reuters

  • Google Home is a smart speaker with Google Assistant built in. It’s similar to Amazon Echo and its Alexa personal assistant.
  • Google Home works with iPhone and Android.
  • You can set up, customize, and control your Google Home speaker using an iPhone or Android device.
  • There are three models in the Google Home family, differentiated mainly by size and speaker quality. All three devices are set up and work the same way.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Google Home is a line of smart speakers, similar in many ways to the Amazon Echo.

While the Echo relies on an AI personal assistant called Alexa, Google Home uses Google Assistant. Google Home can perform many common tasks, such as answering questions, playing music, and controlling smart home devices, all via voice commands.

The Google Home speaker is set up and controlled using a mobile app, available both on Android devices and iPhones. From an iPhone (or Android device) you can customize all of the Google Home’s settings and options, add new smart home devices, control music playback, track your Google Assistant activity history, and much more.

Check out the products used in this article:

Google Home (From $99.99 at Best Buy)

 

home 1Dave Johnson/Business Insider

Google Home models

There are several models in the Google Home family, though they are all fairly similar, with essentially the same key features and setup process. Google Home is the original version of the product and is shaped like a squat cylinder with a mute button on the back, and invisible touch controls for media playback and volume on top.

The Google Home Mini is much smaller than the standard Home, standing just about two inches high. The device is covered with fabric, available in a handful of colors, and features a mute switch rather than a button; otherwise, its capabilities are similar to the original Google Home.

Finally, the Google Home Max is a larger version of the Home (and is shaped like a traditional rectangular speaker) with more powerful and higher fidelity stereo speakers.  It also includes an auxiliary audio input, and can be set up with wired Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi.

Google Home MaxGoogle/YouTube

How to set up a Google Home speaker using an iPhone

1. Plug in the Google Home speaker and let it boot up. When it’s ready, it’ll tell you to run the Google Home app on a mobile device.

2. Install Google Home for the iPhone or Google Home for Android and start the app when it’s ready.

3. Tap "Get Started" on the app’s welcome screen.

4. You need to connect your Google Home to a Google account. If you’re logged into more than one account on your phone, choose the account you want to use and tap "OK" or tap "Use another account" to log into another.

home 3Dave Johnson/Business Insider

5. Complete setup by following the instructions in the Google Home app. You will need to choose a Wi-Fi network, pick a voice for Google Assistant, add your favorite media services like Spotify and Pandora, and answer a few other questions to finish the installation.

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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Dave Johnson)

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