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Set up calling on your Google Nest speaker or display

With Google Nest and Home speakers and displays, you can make calls to friends, family, and businesses with your voice. Set up the calling methods you want to use, then make a call from your speaker or display.

Nest speakers and displays can make calls in 3 ways:

  • Google Meet calling (formerly Google Duo)
  • Google-supported calling
    • Available only in the US and Canada
  • Mobile calling with Google Fi and Google Voice
    • Available only in the US
    • Requires a Google Fi or Google Voice plan
Note: Support for Telstra, Taiwan Mobile, and Telecom Italia has ended.
While Google Duo and Google Meet have combined into a new Meet app on mobile devices, tablets, and computers, Google Nest displays will continue to show the Google Duo icon Duo app.

Calls are available on the following devices:

  • Displays: Google Nest Hub, Google Nest Hub (2nd gen), Google Nest Hub Max
  • Speakers: Google Home, Google Nest Mini (2nd gen), Google Home Mini (1st gen), Google Home Max, Google Nest Audio, Google Nest Wifi point

Compare calling methods

Before you can start calling on your Nest speaker or display, you need to set up your calling method.

The calling method you should use depends on where you live, who you want to call, and what types of calls you want to make.

Calling method features

Here's a side-by-side comparison of available calling methods:

Feature Google Meet calling Google-supported calling Mobile calling (Google Fi and Google Voice)
Video calls Yes No No
Audio calls Yes Yes Yes
Receive calls from others Yes, from other Google Meet users No No

Who you can call

Make and receive calls with other Google Meet users worldwide

  • Most numbers within the US and Canada, including mobile, landline, and businesses when located within these countries
  • Numbers must be in your Google Contacts
  • Depends on your mobile provider and plan
  • International calling might be available

Cost

No charge

No charge if made from within and to the US and Canada

  • Charged based on service provider's plan
  • Data charges might apply
  • Subscription required
Emergency calls No No No

Calling method availability by country

Here's where to find which calling methods are available where you live:

Country Google Meet calling Google-supported calling Mobile calling

US

Yes

Yes

Yes (Google Fi and Google Voice)

Canada

Yes

Yes

No

Other countries where Google Nest or Home speakers or displays are sold

Yes

No

No

1. Link your calling app or service in the Google Home app

Note: With Google-supported calling (US and Canada only), you don't need to link additional apps or services to call your Google contacts.

Set up Google Meet calling

To connect your Google Meet account to your Nest speaker or display:

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. Tap Settings .
  3. Tap Communication and then Video & Voice Apps and then Google Meet.
    • Depending on your device, you might need to tap Google Duo.
  4. Follow the in-app instructions for setup.
Set up mobile calling with Google Fi or Google Voice (US only)
Note: Support for Telstra, Taiwan Mobile, and Telecom Italia has ended.

Important:

  • All calls will be charged in accordance with your call provider's plan.
  • Data charges may apply.
  • You must be located within the service area of your call provider.
  1. If you haven't already, set up a subscription with Google Fi or Google Voice.
  2. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  3. Tap your account.
  4. Verify that the Google Account shown is the one linked to your Google device. If correct, tap to close the account window. To switch accounts, tap the dropdown icon , then tap another account or Add another account
  5. Tap Settings and then Communication and then Call Providers.
  6. Select your calling provider.
  7. Follow the in-app steps to link your account.

2. Adjust Google Assistant settings

Turn on personal results

Personal results allow you to call your Google contacts when you say their name, "Hey Google, call [contact name]." Learn more about personal results.

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. Tap Settings .
  3. Tap Google Assistant and then Personal results.
  4. Tap Get started and then Turn on and then Done.
Note: To call your contacts, you must also turn on Web and App Activity in your Google Account.

Turn on Voice Match

With Voice Match enabled, additional members of your home can use their own contacts to make calls on your device. To let multiple people use their contacts on the same device, each person needs to set up Voice Match.

Important: If no one sets up Voice Match, everyone can use the contacts of the device's owner if the owner has personal results turned on.

3. Sync and edit your contacts

Sync your contacts

To call contacts saved on your Android phone or tablet:

  1. Go to myaccount.google.com/devicecontacts and then sign in to the Google Account that's linked to your Google device.
  2. Turn on Save contact info from your signed-in devices.

If you have many contacts or new contacts, they can take a few minutes to sync.

If your contacts don't sync, turn on contact sync in your Android device's settings:

  1. On your Android device, open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Google and then Settings for Google apps and then Google Contacts sync.
  3. Tap Status and then turn on Automatically sync.

Edit your Google contacts

Nest speakers and displays use your Google contacts to make calls. If your Google contacts don't have enough info or contain similar or duplicate entries, your device might not be able to place calls to certain contacts.

Learn how to clean up your contacts:

Tips:

  • Use a unique name for each contact. Include first and last names if available.
  • Add a phone number and, if available, an email to each contact.

Set up household contacts

With household contacts set up, you can allow anyone with access to your Google Nest speakers or displays to call specific contacts that you choose. On Nest displays, you can also use the touchscreen to call household contacts.

Set up and manage household contacts

4. Change your call settings

Turn on Only ring when home

Only ring when home allows you to receive calls on your speakers or displays when you're home and prevents calls to your devices when you're away.

To use Only ring when home, you need to turn on presence sensing with your phone's location. Once enabled, presence sensing automatically determines whether you're home or away and can be used for other features that depend on location information like Home & Away Routines.

Changes to presence sensing settings in one feature might affect other features that use presence sensing. For example, if you turn off phone location in Home & Away Routines, your home devices will ring if someone calls while you're away.

Note: You can only use one app to share phone location at a time. For example, if you've shared your phone location with the Nest app, when you enable your location in the Home app, phone location sharing gets disabled in the Nest app.

Turn Only ring when home on or off

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. Tap your account.
  3. Verify that the Google Account shown is the one linked to your Google device. If correct, tap to close the account window. To switch accounts, tap the dropdown icon , then tap another account or Add another account
  4. Tap Settings .
  5. Tap Communication and then Device & Call Settings.
    • To set up Only ring when home, tap Set up and then follow the in-app steps.
    • If you already set up Only ring when home, tap the switch to turn it on or off.

Turn on Do not disturb

To temporarily block calls to a device, turn on Do not disturb.

To create a schedule for Do not disturb, set up Night mode.

Note: Do not disturb also disables incoming broadcasts and task notifications.

Turn on or off incoming calls for a specific speaker or display

Your Nest speaker or display can only receive incoming calls on Google Meet.

To turn incoming calls on or off:

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. Tap Settings and then Communication and then Video & Voice Apps.
  3. Turn on or off the linked speakers or displays.

Unlink your calling app or service

Note: Google-supported calling doesn't use an app or service that you can unlink. To block calls to your Google contacts from your speaker or display, adjust your Google Assistant settings.

Unlink Google Meet

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. Tap Settings and then Communication and then Video & Voice Apps and then Unlink Google Meet account.

Unlink mobile calling

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. Tap your account.
  3. Verify that the Google Account shown is the one linked to your Google device. If correct, tap to close the account window. To switch accounts, tap the dropdown icon , then tap another account or Add another account
  4. Tap Settings and then Communication and then Call Providers.
  5. Tap the button next to your service provider.

Frequently asked questions

What does my Nest speaker or display record?

Google records voice commands after "Ok Google" or "Hey Google." For example, "Hey Google, call Bob" or "Ok Google, hang up" would be recorded. The recording would stop after that phrase.

Google doesn't record the phone conversation.

If I have multiple numbers associated with a contact, which one will my device call?

With Google-supported calling and mobile calling, Google Assistant asks you which number you'd like to call. Eventually, your Assistant learns which number you prefer for certain contacts so you can skip this step in the future.​ You can also edit your contacts to make them more unique at contacts.google.com.

With Google Meet calls, your device calls the number with a valid Google Meet account

Can someone call me on my Home or Nest device?

You can receive calls from someone with Google Meet.

To receive calls:

Google-supported calling and mobile calling don't support incoming calls.

Can I block calls on my Nest speaker or display?

You can only receive calls from someone using Google Meet. Learn more about how to block numbers on Google Meet.

To temporarily block all calls, turn on Do not disturb. Note: Do not disturb disables incoming broadcasts and reminder notifications. To prevent call notifications on a regular schedule, set up night mode.

What happens when you get a voice menu with options like "press 2" during a call?

If you have a Nest display, use the dial pad on the screen to navigate a phone system.

Do any content or usage policies apply to calls on Nest speakers and displays?

Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply to Nest or Home speakers and displays. Additionally, Nest speakers and displays follow the Google Voice acceptable use policy. For mobile calling on Google Nest or Home devices, the call provider's terms of service also apply. For example, Google Fi's Terms of Service apply to Fi-supported calls.

Can I change how my caller ID displays when I call someone with my Nest device?

Your phone number will show up as private or unknown when you call someone with your Nest device, unless you have a Google Fi or Google Voice phone number linked in the Google Home app.

To link a Google Fi or Google Voice number:

  1. Open the Google Home app .
  2. Tap Settings  and then Communication and then Call Providers.
  3. Tap Google Voice or Google Fi to link your phone number.

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