UPDATE 10/25: Google has now released a statement, saying "We are aware that a small number of Google Home and Google Home Mini devices are affected by an issue that causes the device to stop working. We have a fix that will prevent the issue from happening and will be rolling it out soon. We are replacing affected devices."

Original story 10/23:

Google Home and Google Home Mini ($14.00 at Google Store) devices are being bricked and Google seems to be the one to blame.

As Android Police reports, both Google's support forums and Reddit discussions are appearing for Google Home ($79.00 at Google Store) devices that simply stop working. In many cases all the LED lights on these devices remain lit and not even turning them off and on again solves the problem, meaning they are bricked. A factory reset may work instead, but it's no guarantee.

The reason for the failures has been traced to firmware updates, which are regularly transmitted to Google's Home devices. For some reason, a recent update is rendering some Home smart speakers unusable. This isn't a new problem, either, with Google acknowledging the problem back on Sept. 28. At the time a Google community specialist said, "the team is working on this issue and checking the root cause since not all Google Home devices are affected."

Since then, another Google employee named Rachel Chambers has explained how complex of a task this has been, saying, "It has been very difficult for our team to diagnose this issue and we understand why many of you have been frustrated with this ongoing process. Our support team will be reaching out to customers on this thread via private messaging to further address this issue and come to a resolution. "

Clearly, work is still underway as the problem hasn't been resolved. Worse though, is the fact Google apparently isn't replacing any bricked Home device that's outside of its warranty. Seeing as Google caused these devices to stop working, that seems a little unfair.

For now, anyone affected by the problem just needs to remain patient, post on the Google Support Forums, and wait for a private message. Google will be eager to solve the problem and hopefully figure out how to un-brick these devices. If that's not possible, then a little good will and a lot of Home device replacements need to be shipped out as soon as possible.

Further Reading

Smart Home Reviews