Google Nest Home Hub Black Screen: How To Fix [2023]

written by

Doug Stevenson

updated October 03, 2023

The Google Nest Hub (previously Google Home Hub) became a revolution in the smart home industry, with its built-in display and speakers, after Google acquired the security solutions Mammoth, Nest.

I have had this device for quite some time, and I depend on it while in the kitchen, cooking up a new recipe, or for a quick search on the web while in bed.

And so when my Google Nest Hub screen suddenly went black, I felt helpless as it's not very common for Google products to fail, at least in my experience.

I went online and did my fair share of research to fix my Nest Hub black screen situation. Here's what I found:

If your Google Nest Hub is showing a black screen, reboot the device and check the power cable. If the issue persists, reset the device and check for updates. Black screens pop up on Google Nest Hubs because of temporal bugs that may arise after a recent update.

Read on to find out what to do if your Google Hub Max screen goes black.

Reboot the Device

This step is simple but also one of the most effective fixes. As soon as the Black screens start showing up, restart the device.

The best way to perform this step is by performing a power cycle test on the Hub.

A power cycle test will clear off any temporal inconsistencies, like bugs or errors that may have arisen after a recent update. Doing so will also make your system more efficient and faster.

Simply unplug the device, and leave it idle for a few seconds, even minutes if you may. Then plug back the device, and voila, the restart is complete. Check for the issue now.

Google recommends performing this step at least 11 times in total as a possible fix. You don't have to do it that many times at first, though.

You can also restart the device using the Home app on your smart device.

Follow these steps to restart the Hub using the Home app.

1. Make sure to connect both devices to the same network.

2. Open the Home app and click on your Nest Hub.

3. Click on the Settings icon on the top right half.

4. Click on the More icon (three-dot icon) and then select Reboot.

Follow the onscreen instruction to restart the device. Check for the issue now.

Check the Power Cable

Always use the supplied power cable and adapter with all your devices to avoid any power-related issues. Google too concurs with this statement, so that's that.

Most of the time, black screen issues come to life due to variations in power. In severe cases, these changes can cause the backlight panel, or even the screen, to get damaged.

If you are using third-party components, immediately replace them with the original ones. Third-party cables and adapters have been known to cause issues in the past.

You may also want to check the power output of the power outlet. A weak power supply can also give rise to issues.

Check the output voltage using a multimeter, if you have one handy. Try switching to another outlet if the former outlet has issues.

Check the Internet Connection

A trundling internet connection can make your day a bit worse. It may also lead to issues like the black screen other than the usual buffering issues.

The easiest way to verify internet issues is to check for the speed of the network.

You can do this in a couple of different ways, but the easiest one is to run a speed-testing software on your smartphone or PC.

If the speeds are not satisfactory, try refreshing the connection. A power cycle test should do the trick.

Here's how to do so:

Unplug the Router and leave it idle for a few seconds.
Press and hold the power button or any other button. Release the button after a few seconds; repeat this step a few more times. Plug the router back in after doing so.
Check the speed once more.

You may also want to try and change the connection to a higher bandwidth. Let's look at how you can do that.

Change the WiFi Connection

Sometimes, black screens may arise while using a particular service or website. In such cases, the issue is not with the service but with the speed of the internet.

A 2.4 GHz band may exhibit such limitations, especially when the traffic in the network is high.

When there are several users connected to the same network, the latency of the network may overshoot the threshold.

Thus, leading to reduced speed and longer buffering intervals for everyone connected to the network.

A 5GHz connection has no such limitations and can accommodate a large number of users without overshooting the latency threshold.

All Google Nest Hub devices do support dual-band connections. So, you can effortlessly transition between network bands if one becomes erroneous.

Follow these steps to change the WiFi on your Google Nest Hub.

1. Open the Google Home app on your smart device.

2. Click on the Hub device and then select the Settings tab.

3. Tap on the Device Information option and select WiFi.

4. Tap on the Forget tile.

You can now set up the device again using the new WiFi connection.

Disable VPNs and Other Filters

If you have been using the Nest Hub through a VPN service, you may get black screens abruptly. VPNs are notorious for limiting the speed and latency of the network.

Turn OFF the VPN service and try accessing the device after doing so.

Similarly, other filters and masks like Pi-holes and AP masking Software also hinder the speed and latencies.

Most of these filters can be shut down through their associated software on your computer.

Some Filters may require ISP supervision to be disabled. Contact your ISP in such cases.

Check for Updates

One of the most necessary requirements of a smart home gadget is for the firmware to be up to date.

Running on an outdated version can result in frequent popping up of bugs and errors in your device.

Make sure to check and update your device regularly to avoid such inconveniences.

Luckily, the Google Nest Hub automatically scans and updates the firmware on its own. All you have to do is to connect it to an active internet.

You can check firmware information on your devices using the following steps.

1. On the Hub Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the quick settings tab.

2. Click on the Settings tile and then select About device.

3. Here, you can see the software version of the device.

Check the internet for the latest firmware version to verify the update.

While there are no update prompts or messages to inform you of a new update, you can confirm the updating process through some possible indications.

The most obvious indication is the updating status window on your device. While updating, the device will also be unresponsive to voice commands.

Hard Reset Google Nest Hub

If you cannot access the screen but can hear voice boops and sounds, your best bet is to reset the device.

Some of the most common causes of the black screen of death are lack of memory and unintentional setting changes.

These unfortunate events can be resolved by performing a factory reset.

A factory reset will remove all your personal preferences and clear the memory of any piled-up bugs and stale files.

There are a couple of ways in which you can reset the device. First, let's look at how to reset using the buttons on the device itself.

Press and hold the Volume Up and Down buttons together for about 10 seconds, or until the device turns OFF and back ON again.

Now the Google logo comes on, signifying the completion of the process.

Follow the onscreen prompts to set up your device again.

Another method to reset the device is through the Google Home app. Follow these instructions to reset your device using the Google Home app.

1. On the Home app, select the Hub device.

2. Tap on the Settings icon, and then select the menu icon on the top right of the screen.

3. Select the Factory Reset tile and confirm the process.

Make sure to change the network to a higher bandwidth connection while setting up the device.

Conclusion

Serious issues like the one we have at hand do take a huge toll on us, especially when it hits a useful device like the Google Nest Hub.

One of these tips would most likely fix your google nest hub black screen issue.

You may also try and check the brightness of the screen before jumping to conclusions. Go to Home app>Device>Brightness.

If none of these tips seems to alleviate the issue, try contacting customer services of Google for further assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Google Home app not working?

The Google Home app may at times seem unresponsive due to bugs and other inconsistencies. You can resolve such issues by clearing the app's cache memory or uninstalling the app. To do so, go to Settings> Apps> Google Home app. Here, you will be able to uninstall the app or clear its cache.

What can the Google Nest Hub do?

The Google Nest Hub series of smart devices are capable of many smart features, some of which are voice command recognition, managing your schedules, visual interaction with its built-in screen, and also playing music. The device also has an inbuilt camera that lets you take photos and videos or even be used as a security camera.

Does Google Nest Hub have Play Store?

Even though the Google Nest Hub is made by Google, there is no provision for downloading apps on this device due to the lack of an app store.

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Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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