Google Assistant smart speakers and monitors are designed to listen to voice commands and respond with answers. However, you may not want Google Home or Nest to listen all the time. This is where the damper switch comes in.
Before we get started, it̵
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A smart speaker or screen is like a dog. It can hear you when you speak, but it only recognizes certain commands. Google Assistant does not really start “listening” (recording) until it hears “OK Google” or “Hello Google.”
That said, it is possible to stop the device from hearing you at all. Google has included physical attenuators on all Google Assistant enabled devices. When you slide this switch, the microphones are muted and the device will not listen or answer.
These damping switches are located on the back or bottom of the units. We’ll help you find the switches on some of the standard Google Assistant-enabled devices.
Tips: When the switch turns orange, you know the microphone is off.
On the Google Nest Mini / Home Mini, the switch is located on the bottom.
On Google Nest Audio, the switch is located on the back.
On the Google Nest Hub, the switch is located on the back of the screen.
To turn on the microphones again, turn the switch on again. It may feel cumbersome to need a physical switch for this, but it’s the best way to really make sure the microphones are off.
