You can set up a group of contacts on your Google Nest or Home speakers and displays to allow quick access for anyone in your home to make calls. These contacts will be visible on displays and can be used by anyone with access to the device, including people who haven't set up Voice Match.
Before you start
- You will need to set up your device for calling through one of the calling methods available in your area.
- This feature is only available in English and in the US.
- Only the person who set up the home in the Google Home app can set up household contacts.
- Learn more about what happens when you set up household contacts.
Set up household contacts
You can set up household contacts from your speaker or display, or in the Google Home app.
Household contacts created from your device contacts will be added to Google Contacts. Google Contacts are available across Google services and can be managed on any signed-in device
With your display
- Say 'Hey Google, set up household contacts'.
- Select the people that you want to add to your household contacts.
- If someone is not listed, tap Can’t find someone? Then, follow the on-screen instructions.
- To allow guests to call you from your speaker or display, add yourself to household contacts.
With your speaker
- Say “Ok Google, set up household contacts”. You’ll get a notification on your phone through the Google Assistant app. To be able to receive this notification, download the most recent version of the Google Assistant app.
- Tap the notification and follow the on-screen instructions.
In the Google Home app
- Open the Google Home app .
- Tap Settings Google Assistant Manage all Assistant settings Communication Your contacts Household contacts.
- Tap the person that you want to add to your household contacts.
- If the person isn’t listed, tap Add person and follow the on-screen instructions.
Optional: Use nicknames to call household contacts
If you’d like people to be able to call a household contact with a nickname, you can add a nickname for the household contact.
- Open the Google Home app .
- Tap Settings Google Assistant Manage all Assistant settings Communication Your contacts Household contacts.
- Tap the person for whom you want to add a nickname.
- Enter the nickname.
- Tap Save.
Make a call to a household contact
Important: Calls to the person who set up household contacts may not go through. This depends on whether the phone service provider of the person receiving the calls supports calls to the same number that makes the call.
Say "Ok Google", then:
- Displays: "Call [name or nickname]" or on the "Household contacts" card, tap Call or Video call . To find all calling options, tap the person’s name.
- Speakers: “Call [name or nickname]”.
Fix calls that go to voicemail
Sometimes your calls to household contacts can appear as if they are coming from an unknown caller.
If you call a household contact with an operator or mobile setting that blocks calls from unknown numbers, your call can go to voicemail. To prevent this, the person that you want to call will need to update their settings to allow calls from unknown numbers.
Manage household contacts
Add a household contact
Say “Hey Google, add [name] to household contacts”.
Or, add household contacts from the Google Home app or on your display.
In the Google Home app
- Open the Google Home app .
- At the top right, tap your account Assistant settings You Your people.
- Tap the person that you want to add to your household contacts.
- If the person isn’t listed, tap Add person and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Turn on Household contact.
- Tap Save.
On your display
- On the 'Household contacts' card, tap Add household contacts. If you don’t see this option, at the top of the card, tap More .
- Select the people that you want to add to your household contacts.
- Tap Done.
Remove household contacts
To remove a household contact, say 'Hey Google, remove household contact'. You can also remove household contacts from your Google Home app or on your Google Nest display.
Deleting a household contact will not delete that household contact from your Google Contacts.
In the Google Home app
- Open the Google Home app .
- Tap Settings Google Assistant Manage all Assistant settings Communication Your contacts Household people.
- Tap next to the person you want to remove from your household contacts.
- Tap Remove.
On your display
- On the 'Household contacts' card, tap the person that you want to remove.
- At the bottom right, tap Remove.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
When you set up household contacts
- Household contacts will be available on all supported devices linked to the home that you set up.
- Calls by anyone to household contacts will appear to be from you and are saved to your My Activity. Learn how to view and control activity in your account.
- Anyone with access to your displays can view and call your household contacts. They can also see contact details such as phone numbers.
- Children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age in your country) who have a Google Account and Voice Match set up won’t be able to make calls with Duo calling.
Note: 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 .