My trusty Google Home Mini started showing this weird glitch where it keeps telling me the mic is off, even though the mic switch is clearly turned on.
This is very annoying, as this is the main Google Home Mini I use to set alarms for the day, along with various hacks throughout my daily life.
So I decided to make this troubleshooting guide by compiling all the fixes I could find on the internet so that you can fix the Google Home Mini mic off error issue.
If your Google Home Mini says the mic is off even when it is on, check the hardware of the device and power cycle the Google Home Mini. If the issue persists, factory reset the Google Home Mini.
You can try these troubleshooting steps if your Google Home Mini mic is not working. I have also mentioned another fix that involves removing the mic switch altogether from the device.
Check for Faulty Mic Switch on Google Home Mini

The Google Home Mini mic error, in most cases according to users facing the issue, is caused by a faulty mic switch of the Google Home Mini.
It is important to check the hardware and ensure that nothing is wrong from your end, be it in the form of accidental damage or usually wear and tear over time.
Any sort of outside physical deformity of the Google Home Mini can make the internal components susceptible to damage, including the mic switch.
Do a thorough check of the hardware, especially near the mic switch, and try to find any ruptures or wear on the body of the Google Home Mini.
If you find any issues, then get it checked by an authorized Google service center.
Here's a video walkthrough to help you troubleshoot mic issues with your google home mini.
Perform a Power Cycle on the Google Home Mini

A power cycle is an effective process that can help clean out any hardware bugs that might have latched onto the system, triggering the mic switch to malfunction.
This is also one of the recommended methods by Google technicians in order to fix the Google Home Mini mic-off issue.
Contrary to its intimidating name, a power cycle is a rather simple process that is effectively a hardware reboot for your Google Home Mini.
Once performed successfully, it gets rid of any misbehaving charge inside the internal components of the Google Home Mini and recharges them all in a balanced manner.
Idle charges left inside the internal components of the Google Home Mini can result in an unbalance of charges inside the system, leading to hardware malfunctions.
But before moving on to performing a power cycle, it is always safe to first do a traditional software reboot.
Just like the hardware reboot, a software reboot will clean out any misbehaving temporary bugs that might have latched onto the system during its daily functioning process.
In order to do a software reboot on your Google Home Mini, just follow the steps below:
- Connect the Google Home Mini to your smartphone or tablet running Android or iOS, and pair the device with the Google Home app.
- Open the Google Home app on a smartphone or tablet.
- Select the Google Home Mini device from the home screen.
- Tap on the Settings option.
- On the resultant screen, tap on the menu button in the top right corner.
- Select Reboot.
This triggers the software reboot process.
Now that the software is clean and rid of temporary bugs, the next step is to do a similar process with the hardware of the Google Home Mini.
In order to do a power cycle or hardware reboot on your Google Home Mini, just follow the steps below:
- Remove the Google Home Mini from its power socket.
- Let it sit idle for a full minute powered off.
- Plug the Google Home Mini back into its power socket.
- Let it sit idle for a full minute powered on.
This completes the power cycle or hardware reboot for the Google Home Mini.
Google technicians recommend doing this process over and over again about 10 times for the best results in solving the mic-off error on Google Home Mini.
Factory Reset the Google Home Mini

A factory reset is a next step when it comes to a software reboot on your Google Home Mini. If the power cycle didn't help, then a factory reset can potentially help.
A few users on Google forums who faced the issue with their Google Home Mini screaming out the mic off when the mic switch is clearly on, got their issues fixed with a factory reset.
That being said, this is still not a one-stop solution, but a solution nonetheless.
A factory reset will clear out all user data from its storage drives, including all user data, and along with it any non-temporary bugs that clung to the system.
These bugs might have entered from a system firmware update, or even from one of the millions of processes the Google Home Mini runs every day.
Do note that this will unlink your Google Home Mini from your Google account, so you might need to log in again and deal with the pairing process from scratch.
In order to perform a factory reset on your Google Home Mini, just follow the steps below:
In order to do a software reboot on your Google Home Mini, just follow the steps below:
- Connect the Google Home Mini to your smartphone or tablet running Android or iOS, and pair the device with the Google Home app.
- Open the Google Home app on a smartphone or tablet.
- Select the Google Home Mini device from the home screen.
- Tap on the Settings option.
- On the resultant screen, tap on the menu button in the top right corner.
- Select Reboot.
Contact Google

If the above steps fail, then your only option is to contact Google and hope they send you a replacement unit.
The Google Home Mini is a rather old device and the next generation of its lineup, the Google Nest Mini has been out for a good while and making great sales.
It is doubtful whether Google would even care to send a replacement for a device that can be considered a relic in tech years.
At best, fixing the issue from Google could cost you as much as buying a newer Google Nest Mini.
So don't place too much hope on to this and it is best to give the step a try and check if it works out.
If it doesn't work out, then consider investing in a newer generation Google Nest Mini as they are available for great prices in the market.
Remove the Microphone Switch on the Google Home Mini

One advanced method of countering this mic-off issue is to simply remove the mic switch from the Google Home Mini device completely.
This step though is a DIY implementation and is for advanced users only. This can potentially render your Google Home Mini useless if not performed carefully.
That being said, the Google Home Mini is already out of warranty and if you are okay with a bit of tampering with the device, this can help in getting rid of the mic off alerts.
But still, a word of caution is that this is an advanced method and it is best to get the help of a local technician if you are not tech-savvy enough to get into the internals of the device.
What this step essentially does is remove the microphone switch from the Google Home Mini, by disabling the switch from the inside.
Prerequisites for Removing the Switch
In order to get inside the Google Home Mini literally, there are some key things you might need in order to pry open and perform the deed.
The following tools are required:
- A heat gun or a hairdryer.
- A pry tool, a guitar pick, or similar.
- Tweezers for precise cable adjustments.
- A T6 torque screwdriver.
- A small plier.
- A soldering iron.
- Solder.
How to Remove the Microphone Switch From the Google Home Mini
Now that the prerequisites are up and ready, it is time to remove the microphone switch from Google Home for good.
Do note that removing the microphone switch will result in the mic of the Google Home Mini always being on.
Make sure to follow the steps carefully as a little misplay can result in your Google Home device being rendered useless.
In order to remove the microphone switch from the Google Home Mini safely, follow the steps below:
- Unplug the Google Home Mini from the wall and detach its cable.
- Turn the Google Home Mini upside down and locate its base orange rubber cover.
- Using a heat gun or a hairdryer, slowly apply heat to the base.
- Using a pry tool, guitar pick, or anything to pry the base, remove the bottom rubber cover.
- This reveals the base of the Google Home Mini.
- Remove the 4 T6 screws and slowly detach the base.
- Do not remove it entirely as there is a ribbon cable attached to the base panel.
- To remove the ribbon cable from the base panel, lift the black tab at the base panel end using tweezers.
- Now that the base panel is removed, the remaining circuit on the base panel is the motherboard of the Google Home Mini.
- Using the T6 torque screwdriver, remove the 3 T6 screws holding the motherboard to the base panel.
- The motherboard contains a black box, which is the switch box of the Google Home Mini.
- Break or detach the black switch box carefully using the pliers, exposing the connections inside.
- You will notice three metal contacts on the exposed part.
- The two metal contacts from the right end of the motherboard, from the end where 1 and 4 are marked, are the important hot connection strips to consider.
- Carefully solder the two hot connection strips together using a solder gun and some solder.
- Connect the ribbon cable back to the speaker.
- Carefully reattach the motherboard back to the base of the Google Home Mini using the 3 T6 screws.
- Carefully connect the base panel back to the speaker unit and screw in the 4 T6 screws.
- Attach the orange rubber mat back.
- Connect the Google Home Mini back to power and test if the procedure worked.
This fix was brought to the attention of users facing this issue by Joe Cox [JoeDoesStuff], with his excellent youtube video detailing the steps clearly.
Final Thoughts

Google Home Mini, being quite old still holds up for most users due to its really subtle design and the software prowess of the Google Assistant.
That being said, tech especially on the budget end of the spectrum can age pretty badly and bugs will only pile up over time.
The constant screaming of the mic off even when the mic switch is clearly toggled on is one such bug that unfortunately got drowned with the passage of time.
If the above steps have failed to result in a legitimate outcome on your end, then it is best to go for a competitor's product like Amazon's Alexa.
I hope my troubleshooting article on fixing the Google Home Mini mic-off error has been a helpful read and has aided you with the same.
Have a good day!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the Google Home Mini discontinued by Google?
Google Home Mini, launched in 2017 was finally discontinued by Google in late 2021, with Google officially pulling the product from its product pages
Is Google Home Mini different from Google Nest Mini?
Google Nest Mini is the successor to the Google Home Mini and offers much better sound quality at a similar cost and device footprint.
Does Google always listen through the microphone on Google Home Mini?
The microphones, if enabled on the Google Home Mini using the hardware switch, are always active when powered on. But the microphone records voice information only when the hot words 'Ok Google' or 'Hey Google' are triggered.
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