Play media from Google Cast-enabled apps

Play music, audiobooks, and other media from Google Cast-enabled apps on your Google Nest or Home speaker or display. You can use your mobile device or tablet to control everything from playback to volume.

Cast from Google Cast-enabled apps to your speaker or display

  1. Make sure your mobile device or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi network or linked to the same account as your speaker or display.
  2. Open a Google Cast-enabled app.
  3. Tap the Cast icon .
  4. Tap the name of the speaker or display you'd like to cast to. When the speaker or display connects, it will play a chime.
  5. On your mobile device, start the desired content. It will play on your connected speaker or display.
  6. To stop casting, at the top of your mobile device, tap the Cast icon . Depending on your device and app, tap Stop casting, Disconnect, This phone, or This device.
Note:
  • Some music providers, like Spotify, require a subscription to play music from their Google Cast-enabled app.
  • To play YouTube content on speakers:
    • Use the YouTube Music app (not the YouTube app).
    • If you're casting from an iPhone or iPad, you must have a YouTube Premium account.

Control your media with voice commands

The following commands should work with almost all Google Cast-enabled apps:

To do this: Say "Ok Google" or "Hey Google," then:
Pause "Pause"
"Pause the music"
Resume "Resume"
"Continue playing"
Stop "Stop"
"Stop the music"
What's playing "What's playing?"
"What song is playing?"
"What artist is playing?"
Control volume "Louder"
"Set volume to 40%"

Advanced voice commands are available for some Google Cast-enabled apps, like Spotify.

Other ways to control your media

You can control your content from your speaker or display, mobile device, or the Google Home app .

From the Google Nest or Home device

Google Home and Nest Speakers

Important: Speaker touch controls change the volume of media and Google Assistant only. To change the volume of alarms and timers, use the Google Home app or the Quick settings menu on a Nest display.

Google Home Google Home

To do this: Touch Google Home like this: Image
Turn up the volume Swipe clockwise on the top.
Turn down the volume

Swipe counterclockwise on the top.

Note: When the volume is set to 0:

  • Media is muted
  • Google Assistant speaks at 5% volume
Start your request Press and hold on the top.

Googel Nest Mini Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)

Note: The Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) has a wall mount screw slot on the back. If your device doesn’t have a wall mount screw slot, it's a Google Home Mini (1st gen).

To reverse right and left controls, open the Google Home app Tap Favorites or Devices . touch and hold your Nest Mini's tile. Tap Settings Audio Reverse device controls.

To do this: Touch Google Nest Mini like this: Image
Pause, resume, or stop media

Tap the center of the Nest Mini.

Google Nest Mini center tap

Turn up the volume

Tap the right side of the Nest Mini.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%.

Google Nest Mini volume up

Turn down the volume

Tap the left side of the Nest Mini.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%.

Note: When the volume is set to 0:

  • Media is muted
  • Google Assistant speaks at 5% volume
Google Nest Mini volume down

Google Home Mini Google Home Mini (1st gen)

To do this: Touch Google Home Mini like this: Image
Pause, resume, or stop media Press and hold either side of the Home Mini.

Turn up the volume

Tap the right side of the Home Mini.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%.

Turn down the volume

Press and hold the left side of the Home Mini.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%.

Note: When the volume is set to 0:

  • Media is muted
  • Google Assistant speaks at 5% volume

Google Home Max Google Home Max

To do this: Touch Google Home Max like this: Image

Pause, resume, or stop media

Horizontal placement: Tap the line on the top.

Vertical placement: Tap the line on the right side.


Turn up the volume

Horizontal placement: Swipe from left to right along the line on the top.

Vertical placement: Swipe up along the line on the right side.


Turn down the volume

Horizontal placement: Swipe from right to left along the line on the top.

Vertical placement: Swipe down along the line on the right side.

Note: When the volume is set to 0:

  • Media is muted
  • Google Assistant speaks at 5% volume

Google Nest Audio Google Nest Audio

To do this: Touch Google Nest Audio like this: Image
Pause, resume, or stop media Tap the center of the Nest Audio.

Turn up the volume

Tap the right side of the Nest Audio.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 5%.

Turn down the volume

Tap the left side of the Nest Audio.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 5%.

Note: When the volume is set to 0:

  • Media is muted
  • Google Assistant speaks at 5% volume

Nest Wifi point Google Nest Wifi point

To do this: Touch Nest Wifi point like this: Image
Pause, resume, or stop media Tap the center of the Nest Wifi point. Nest Wifi center tap

Turn up the volume

Tap the right side of the Nest Wifi point.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%.

Nest Wifi point volume up

Turn down the volume

Tap the left side of the Nest Wifi point.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each tap changes the volume by 10%.

Note: When the volume is set to 0:

  • Media is muted
  • Google Assistant speaks at 5% volume
Nest Wifi point volume down

Google Nest displays

Important: To control the volume of alarms and timers, use the Quick settings menu. The volume button and media card adjust the volume of media and Google Assistant only.

Use the media card to pause, resume, play the previous or next song, or change the devices that are playing media.

Volume button

To do this: Touch Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max like this: Image

Turn up the volume

On the back of the Nest display, press the upper volume button.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each press changes the volume by 5%.

Turn down the volume

On the back of the Nest display, press the lower volume button.

The volume ranges from 0-100%. Each press changes the volume by 5%.

Note: When the volume is set to 0:

  • Media is muted
  • Google Assistant speaks at 5% volume
Quick settings menu
  1. To open the Quick settings menu, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap Volume .
    • Use the main volume control slider for media and Google Assistant.
    • If needed, tap Expand  to open the volume control slider for timers and alarms .
  3. To change the volume, swipe the slider left or right.

Media card

  1. To find the media card, swipe down from the top and then tap Media.
    • Note: If the screen shows the media that's playing, tap the screen instead.
  2. Use the controls on the card to pause, resume, or play the previous or next song.
  3. To open more controls, tap [display name] . You’ll get a list of available devices and a volume control slider for each device that’s currently playing.
    • To start or stop playing media on a device, tap the radio button next to its name.
    • To change the volume on an active device, swipe its slider left or right.

Google Pixel Tablet (Hub Mode)

When you change the volume on your Pixel Tablet while it's docked, the volume on the speaker dock will also change.

Volume button

To do this: Touch Google Pixel Tablet like this:
Turn up the volume

Press the side button closest to the power button.

Volume up

Turn down the volume

Press the side button that's farthest from the power button.

Volume down

Media widget

When media is playing in Hub Mode, you can control playback on your lock and Home screens by touch. A media widget will automatically appear with buttons to control what's playing

Some media apps have widgets you can add to your Home screen for easy touch control. Place the widget on your Home screen, then tap the widget to control the volume, pause playback, skip or change songs or podcasts, change the radio station, and more.

From your mobile device

  • Use the media controls in the Google Cast-enabled app. The available controls depend on the app.
  • To control the volume, you can also use your mobile device's volume button.

From the Google Home app

  1. Make sure your mobile device or tablet is linked to the same account as your speaker or display.
  2. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  3. Tap Favorites .
  4. Tap the current media session for:
    • Playback controls
    • Volume control (media and Google Assistant)
    • Playback device selection

Related articles

Play audio on Google Cast-enabled speakers and TVs
Play YouTube videos on TVs that work with Google Cast
Listen to radio on your Google Nest speaker or display
Listen to podcasts on your Google Nest speaker or display
Restrict content on your Google Nest speakers and displays

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