Turn on Ultrasound sensing

Ultrasound sensing helps make daily interactions with your Google Nest display, Google Nest Mini, and Google Nest Wifi point easier. Have your touch controls automatically appear when you get close to your speaker or display. Get a view of your cooking timer with easy-to-read numbers when you're across the room. Whether you're near or far, you can get more help and control at a glance when Ultrasound sensing is turned on.

How Ultrasound sensing works

Ultrasound sensing uses your Google Nest device's speakers and microphones to determine whether a person is approaching the device. Your device's speaker will emit soft, inaudible ultrasonic pulses. These pulses are reflected off of nearby objects in the room and the microphones detect these reflections.

Note: Occasionally, other things in your home environment may cause ultrasonic noise and may disrupt Ultrasound sensing for a brief period. This disruption should discontinue as soon as the ultrasonic noise stops.

Explore Ultrasound sensing features

Google Nest displays

Easily view your notifications

If you have personal results and Home screen and notifications on your Nest Hub display turned on, Ultrasound sensing will show pending notifications on the ambient screen if you're nearby. For Nest Hub Max displays, if you have enrolled in Face Match and have personalization turned on, notifications will show when you are Face Matched by the device. If you're not enrolled in Face Match but you do have notifications and personalization turned on, Ultrasound sensing will show pending notifications if you're nearby.

Get a better view and control of your timers

When you set a timer and Nest display detects that you're nearby, it will automatically show your touch controls so you can easily control your timer. If you're across the room, your timer will be displayed in a larger font to help you view it more easily.

Stay updated on the daily weather

When you ask for the weather, you can get detailed weather information and an hourly forecast when you're near the display. You can also get a view of the day's weather in larger letters if you're farther away.

Control and view your media

Your Nest display gives you easier control when you play audio by automatically showing your touch controls when you're nearby.

Google Nest Mini

Control your volume

Your Nest Mini gives you easier control of your audio by detecting the presence of your hand and lighting up the volume LEDs while media is playing.

Nest Wifi point

Control your volume

Your Nest Wifi point gives you easier control of your audio by detecting the presence of your hand and lighting up the volume LEDs while media is playing.

Ultrasound sensing and your privacy

The Ultrasound sensing feature is performed on your device and is used to adjust your speaker or display to make it more glanceable and easier to control based on your proximity to the device. No motion, proximity, or presence sensor data is sent to the cloud.

Learn more about Nest and our privacy commitments. You can also learn more about our sensors guide.

Turn off Ultrasound sensing

Google Nest displays

This setting is on by default, but you have the ability to turn it off (and then back on as you like) at anytime on your Google Home app. When Ultrasound sensing is turned on, your smart display will detect that you're nearby if you're within approximately a 4 ft range (1.2 m) of your device.

To turn Ultrasound sensing on or off, follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Favorites or Devices ..
3. Tap and hold your device's tile.
4. Tap Settings Recognition & sharing.
5. Turn Ultrasound sensing off.

Note: Ultrasound sensing also turns off when the microphone on your Nest display is muted.

Google Nest Mini

This setting is on by default, but you have the ability to turn it off (and then back on as you like) at any time in the Google Home app. When Ultrasound sensing is turned on, your Nest Mini will detect that you're nearby if your palm is 2 to 6 inches above your device during media playback.

To turn Ultrasound sensing on or off, follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Favorites or Devices ..
3. Tap and hold your device's tile.
4. Tap Settings Recognition & sharing.
5. Turn Ultrasound sensing off.

Note: Ultrasound sensing also turns off when the microphone on your Nest Mini is muted.

Nest Wifi point

This setting is on by default, but you have the ability to turn it off (and then back on as you like) at any time in the Google Home app. When Ultrasound sensing is turned on, your Nest Wifi point will detect that you're nearby if your palm is 1 to 6 inches above your device during media playback.

To turn Ultrasound sensing on or off, follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Favorites or Devices ..
3. Tap and hold your device's tile.
4. Tap Settings Recognition & sharing.
5. Turn Ultrasound sensing off.

Note: Ultrasound sensing also turns off when the microphone on your Nest Wifi point is muted.