The Google Home and Home Mini speakers are a first-rate way to circulation song, control smart-domestic devices, and have your general queries spoke back all simply by using your voice. They’ve already proved very popular, giving Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot merchandise a run for his or her money.
To increase the talents of these first-rate devices even greater, we’ve amassed a number of the best accessories collectively currently to be had. From battery packs to clever thermostats, there’s sure to be something for absolutely everyone.
If you’ve got but to revel in Google’s voice-controlled audio system, test our Google Home and Google Home Mini reviews, then check our Best Smart Home offers.
One product that compliments the Google Home variety is Google’s own Chromecast. With this less expensive tool plugged into your TV, you’ll be able to say ‘Ok Google, Play Glow on Netflix’, and the Home will ship the guidance to the Chromecast, which in turn begins the next episode.
Chromecasts also are beneficial in their own proper, as they add streaming talents to older TVs, can display your pix on the most important display in your home, plus they can mirror your pc show on the TV as nicely.
The widespread Chromecast fees £30/$35 and has a maximum video first-rate of 1080p. For 4K and HDR, you’ll want the Chromecast Ultra, intending to set you returned £sixty nine/$69. To find out more about this excellent merchandise, read our Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra critiques.
The Google Home Mini is a groovy, compact tool, but the aesthetic can be spoiled by plugging it in and then seeking to conceal the lead in the back of plant pots, photo frames, or different homeware. One smooth solution is to apply a wall mount. These have a housing for the plug itself, plus any other for the Mini. There’s a bracket around which you could wrap the lead on the rear, making the entire unit clean and tidy.
There’s also the brought benefit of releasing up space to your table or shelves, and without difficulty being able to circulate the Google Home Mini between rooms. A brief and easy way to exchange the appearance of your Google Home is to change the mesh base for one among a distinctive coloration. Google gives several types, with the contemporary crop inclusive of copper, black, and coral to accompany the ordinary gray choice.
Each base costs £18/$20 and maybe interchanged in some seconds, making it easy to alter the arrival of your Google Home to fit your temper. Due to the dimensions and form of a Google Home Mini, you’ll think that it might be transportable. But, unplugging it from the included strength supply instantly converts the speaker into a pricey paperweight.
Thankfully, it is an issue that can be solved by the addition of a battery case, including this one from Kiwi. Attach the charging cable positioned in the case, pop for your Mini, and you may be capable of roaming around the residence for numerous hours without the encumbrance of a lead. Just make sure to live within a variety of your Wi-Fi connection.
It’s no longer simply Google Home Minis that can turn out to be transportable. Battery cases additionally exist for the larger Google Home, too, including this one from Ninety7. The Loft Portable battery case offers eight hours of energy from a unmarried fee, connects magnetically, and might use the prevailing Google Home charger to re-power the base.
Having your Google Home Mini using your bedside or on your desklets in you enjoy music from Spotify, Deezer, Google Music, and others simultaneously as you work or rest. There’s one downside, even though, in that the speaker is pointing at the ceiling in place of at you.
This is remedied with the aid of the cheap and joyful Google Mini Desk Stand from Sportlink. For around £10/$10, you can place your tool into the cradle and gain a more most advantageous perspective for audio.