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Imagine you're cooking a new recipe and need to set timers with Alexa. You can set a timer with Alexa and stream your favorite songs on Google Home simultaneously. Using these devices together often provides better results than using them individually. Depending on your location, you may be able to stream music from other services, too. You can use Alexa and Google Home or Google Mini under the same roof.
Goes from here forward, the Dot has an important hardware feature that the Mini surprisingly lacks -- a line-out jack. You can plug the Dot into your own speakers to make up for its own lack of sound quality. One other point worth mentioning is the Google Home Mini's array of far-field microphones.
Amazon Echo vs Google Home: verdict
With Google Home, you can say, "OK, Google, turn off the lights, set the volume to five and play my bedtime playlist" to accomplish that same series of tasks, all in one breath. If you set up a new Nest device after you enabled the Google Nest skill for other devices, you’ll need to turn on permissions for the new device in the Google Home app. This feature will only work on Alexa devices that have a display. The feature won't work on Alexa devices that don't have a display . Both devices essentially "wake up" when the accompanying wake word is spoken, so you can use them to accomplish different tasks simultaneously. To prepare both devices for pairing with a voice command, use "Pair Bluetooth" on both Google Home and Alexa.
Unless you hook up a Dot to another speaker over Bluetooth or the 3.5mm jack, it's just too thin and harsh to fully enjoy. Recently Google launched a follow up to its smallest smart speaker; the Google Nest Mini comes with three speakers (that's one more than the original), and is made from recycled materials. Like the Echo Dot, the speaker is puck shaped, if a little more pebble-like with softer edges, and has a top side covered in a fabric speaker mesh. You can pick up the Google Home Mini in a range of colors, with four flashing LED lights illustrating when it's listening to your commands and showing the volume level. However, lots of users who have put the two devices head-to-head believe Google Assistant could be the smarter of the two.
How do I know if Alexa is recording me?
The Mini is louder, sounds smoother with music and has decent bottom end for a device the size of a hockey puck. Of course, we wouldn't use either of these if we had a choice -- the Oontz is the better of all three and makes music sound like music, plus it's portable and will accept a line-in. Again, your location may determine what other music services you'll be able to access on your Google Home. Remember, each device can stream music with a simple voice command, as long as you say the right wake word. This way, you can control the different features and a string of voice commands that will benefit most from each device. Nonetheless, these two smart speakers may coexist in the same house or room as long as you can control their jobs, voice instructions they would react to and accomplish, and ideal position.
For example, if I ask Google Assistant, "Where is Blade Runner 2049 playing near me?" it will give me movie showtimes, automatically. For Alexa, you have to specifically "Ask Fandango." I can ask Google Assistant directly for a fried chicken recipe; with Alexa, you need to remember to enable the Allrecipes skill. That said, Alexa's recipes then come from Allrecipes, a reliable source; Google's came from some site I'd never heard of. Google's demand that its speakers play only with other Google-compatible equipment continues to be the platform's weakest aspect, and the primary reason the Echo Dot remains our Editors' Choice. The Google Home Mini puts all of the smarts of Google Assistant into a small and affordable package.
Can Google Home and Alexa Work Together?
Arlo might be exactly which company you’re looking for if you’re intending on outfitting your entire home with smart technology. The good news is that there are plenty of cameras that work great with Google Home. Blink cameras are great when used exclusively in their own ecosystem, but there are better options if you want to use a camera with Google Home. Its already gigantic library of supported apps and products is still growing. It was created by Samsung, and it’s designed to work with a large variety of different devices. And, Reolink, one of the top-rated security camera brands, has upgraded itsArgus 2,Argus Eco, Argus PT, Reolink Lumus, E1 Pro, E1 Zoom and E1 to work with Google Assistant and Alexa now.
Google Assistant works with thousands of smart devices, including smart plugs, security cameras, video doorbells, and smart locks. All you have to do is ask your Google Nest speaker to dim the lights, control your thermostat, lock your doors, turn on the news, or change the volume on your television. For starters, the Google Nest Mini is the second-generation version of the popular Google Home Mini.
Which is better: the Google Home Mini or Echo Dot?
It's the first product to come out under the converged brand name of Google and smart home security brand Nest. Having said that, Alexa tends to be better when it comes to support for a wider range of devices, as well as better smart home integration. So if you have a lot of smart home devices already, Alexa might be your best bet. Once activated, your smart speaker will listen for sounds like breaking glass and alarms. It can also periodically turn your smart lights on and off to make it look like someone's home. While you can’t use Blink cameras and Google Home devices together, with SmartThings, you can control them from the comfort of a single app.
Still, Google made a point of saying that people would be surprised by how much sound the Mini can put out. Sure enough, it sounded stronger than I expected -- and noticeably stronger than the Echo Dot -- as I began testing it out. Despite the lack of physical buttons, the Home Mini still has touch controls you can use. To adjust the volume, you tap the sides of the device, or you can long press the sides to play and pause music. I wasn't a huge fan of the touch controls — they aren't quite responsive enough when you want to use them, and yet it's hard not to activate them by mistake whenever you pick the thing up. Communicating with other assistants can sometimes feel like talking to a small child who can only pay attention to one thing at a time.
The difference is clear when you listen to the two assistants speak. With the Echo Dot, Alexa's voice is a little tinny-sounding, and music playback not much better than what you'd get from your phone. By comparison, the Home Mini makes the Google Assistant sound warmer and more natural. Music playback was more passable with the Home Mini, too -- though, like the Dot, you really shouldn't plan on using it for anything more than close-range, casual listening.
Wherever you find the "thermostat name" in the examples below, you should say the thermostat's name as it appears in the Alexa app. Have Alexa announce when your doorbell or camera detects motion. Scroll down until you see Default Music Speaker and click that. Now click Pair Bluetooth speaker and you should hopefully see your Echo there waiting to be selected. If you find yourself stuck between the two devices, consider using both to improve your life at home. It's best to place each of your devices in a separate area to prevent any instances where they begin communicating with each other.
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