Google Nest Hub timer is currently broken, but a fix is incoming

Google Next Hub review 12
Google Next Hub review 12 (Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Setting a timer on Google Assistant-powered smart displays appears to be broken at the moment.
  • Google has acknowledged the problem and promised to release a fix as soon as possible.
  • At first, Assistant appears to recognize the command for setting a timer, but it is unable to complete the task.

If you've recently encountered a problem while trying to set a timer on Google's best smart displays with Google Assistant, you're not alone. A few users have reported a problem with the Google Nest Hub's timer.

Some Nest Hub users have had trouble requesting a timer on their smart display with Assistant. Android Central's Derrek Lee was able to get the feature to work on his Nest Hub the first time, but it failed later. Digital Trends' Phil Nickinson also voiced out his disappointment on Twitter.

Google's digital assistant responded with "Sorry, I don't know how to help with that" after he asked Assistant to set a timer on his Nest Hub. Instead, Assistant suggested other actions he could try, with a few buttons to manually set a timer.

Tapping on the appropriate button gets the job done eventually, but only after going through an annoying glitch. Android Central reached out to Google for a comment, but the company was not immediately available at the time of this writing.

Meanwhile, Android Police reports that Google has confirmed the issue, quoting an unnamed representative. In addition, the search giant is apparently working on a fix and will roll it out soon.

Nickinson also tweeted an update about his predicament, which shows that the problem has been fixed, at least on his end. However, the problem may still exist for others, and Google has yet to publicly announce a solution.

Nest Hub Second Gen

Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

With its 7-inch display and far-field mics that allow Google Assistant to hear you from across the room, Google's second-generation Nest Hub smart display makes controlling your smart home products a breeze.

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.