How can you set up this magical function? We break it down for you.
Step 1: Open the Google Home app
If you haven’t done this already, download the Google Home app and open it. If this is your first time using the app, you will need to sign in and set up compatible devices. It’s important to do this first so Google Home is ready to provide device features for each user you will be adding.
2. Teach Google your voice
Before you begin, it’s a good idea to teach Google Assistant your own unique voice. This feature, called Voice Match, is what lets you share your Google Home device with other members of the household, but still get a personalized Google Assistant experience. Start by opening the Google Home app and select your profile icon in the top right corner. Then select Assistant settings.
From here, navigate to the Assistant tab and select Voice Match from the list of features. Choose Add a device to begin, and add the compatible Google smart device(s) in your home to begin. It’s a pretty straightforward process that involves you saying the phrases, “Hey, Google” and “OK, Google” out loud to help Google learn the sound of your voice. We walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to set up Voice Match here.
3. Invite others to create accounts
Once you’ve completed the voice training, you’ll have the option to tap Invite, which will send notifications to the people of your choice, inviting them to set up their own personalized accounts and voices on Google Home. New users will have to download the Google Home app on their devices to connect their music accounts and customize their preferences. Using the app, they can tweak their preferred news sources, calendar updates, and more.
If you don’t want to invite people while you are setting up Voice Match, you can do it at any other time. If you’ve never invited anyone before, Google should actually have an Invite home member tab on the Google Home screen you can select to get started. This will immediately open the contact list you have via Google/Gmail, allowing you to search for names or emails and send invites.
The person to whom you send the email will need to follow the instructions to properly connect, but this is all you need to do on your end.
4. Manage accounts
At this time, Google Home devices support up to six accounts, so everyone from your spouse to your children to frequent house guests can create accounts on the device. You can view all active accounts on your Google Home device at any time by tapping your connected device, then Settings, and then Linked Accounts.
Need to remove an account? Maybe your roommate moved out, or one of your children lost interest in the device. You can easily remove accounts using the app. Simply tap Account (the icon with the circled person), hit Settings, and select Home Members. Find the account that’s no longer needed, and tap Remove.
Have children in the house who want to be able to control your Google Home? You can control restricted content by setting up parental controls on the device. With parental controls, you can block explicit content from platforms like YouTube and Google Play Music, giving you more peace of mind when your children are home alone with the smart-home device.
5. Enjoy multi-user support
Once you set up separate accounts for each person using the device, you won’t need to manually switch between accounts. Simply speak, and Google Assistant will recognize who is speaking and automatically switch over to the correct account. For example, when you say, “Hey Google, tell me about my day,” your Google Home device will read your personalized traffic report and calendar updates. When you request music, Google Home will access your unique playlists from your linked music services, such as Google Play Music or Spotify.
If two people in your household have very similar voices, there is a small chance that one person’s voice might accidentally open up the other individual’s personalized account. If this happens, just say, “Stop” and try again, to avoid accessing someone else’s information.
For a detailed explanation on setting up things like music accounts, preferences, and the wake word on your Google Home, check out our eight-step guide.
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