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Google Home Speakers Download Hundreds of GBs of Data
· Confirmed
In Short: Google Home Speaker owners report their devices downloading hundreds of gigabytes of data, potentially breaching data caps for those with limited plans.
Google Home Speaker owners are reporting that their devices are downloading hundreds of gigabytes of data in the background, potentially breaching data caps for those with limited plans. According to 9to5Google, some users have found that their Google Home Speakers have consumed up to 132 GB of data over the past 30 days, with one device downloading 41 GB on October 13 alone.
In a more extreme case, a Google Home Speaker that was not used for voice commands or media streaming consumed 17 GB of data in just 24 hours. This issue has been reported by several users on Reddit, where one user noted that their speaker repeatedly downloaded a firmware update of approximately 460 MB every 20 minutes, resulting in about 35 GB of data downloaded daily.
The problem appears to stem from the speakers failing to correctly download and install firmware updates. In some cases, the devices continue to download updates without actually updating the firmware, leading to excessive data usage. This issue has been confirmed by multiple reports from 9to5Google and The Verge.
The Verge reported that the bug could potentially consume more than 200 GB of data per day, which could quickly eat through the allotted data limit for users with limited plans. Tom Warren, a colleague at 9to5Google, confirmed that his own speaker is unaffected, while another Home Speaker in a different household downloaded just 2 GB in the past month, compared to 132 GB used by an impacted device over the same period.
To monitor data usage, users can check their router's data usage statistics or use the Google Home app's WiFi top tab. For Nest Wifi users, the process involves going to the Google Home app’s WiFi top tab, selecting devices, and then viewing the device usage graphs.
Google acknowledged the issue in a statement to 9to5Google, stating that a fix is already rolling out to address the problem for users. However, the company has not provided a specific timeline for when the fix will be fully implemented.
While the issue is currently affecting Google Home Speakers, other Google Home and Nest devices, including several Nest Hubs in the same house as the affected Home Speaker, are not experiencing the same download issue.
The excessive data usage problem highlights the potential risks associated with smart devices that automatically download updates in the background. While this feature is designed to keep devices up-to-date, it can become a significant issue if the updates fail to install properly.
What this adds
The BACKGROUND notes that some Google Home Speaker owners are reporting that their devices are downloading hundreds of gigabytes of data in the background, potentially breaching data caps for those with limited plans. This report adds specific details about the extent of the data usage and the potential impact on users' data plans.
Background
Some Google Home Speaker owners are reporting that their devices are downloading hundreds of gigabytes of data in the background, potentially breaching data caps for those with limited plans.
What's confirmed
- Some Google Home Speaker owners are currently experiencing an issue in which hundreds of gigabytes of data are being continuously downloaded to their device in the background.
- My colleague Tom Warren confirmed that his own speaker is unaffected, and 9to5Google reports another Home Speaker in a different household downloaded just 2GB in the past month, compared to to 132GB used by an impacted device over the same period.
What's still developing
- A big concern for anyone with a limited data plan here is that the bug could quickly eat through the allotted limit, and they wouldn’t know unless they regularly check to see how much data their devices are using.
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