How To Add Or Delete A Linked Account From Google Home

Google Home makes it easy for you to control your home or life from the app and for others to also control what the device does. You can easily add or remove linked accounts from Google Home so you can control exactly who can do what with your device. This tutorial will show you how.

Adding a linked account means someone else in your household can use Google Home when you’re not around or when you’re not using it. If someone moves out, you can delete the account so they no longer have access. It’s a straightforward process that can be done from within the Google Home app.

Google Home is a very cool home assistant that was initially released in 2017. Designed to compete with the Amazon Echo, Google Home integrates the tech giant’s stable of cloud applications and apps within a smart device that can control many aspects of your daily life.

Add a linked account to Google Home

Adding a linked account to your Google Home means someone else can use it to play their own music, listen to their own podcasts, buy their own products and generally use the device as they see fit. What they do will not affect how you use it or burn through your credit card when they buy stuff!

You will need the Google Home app to use every aspect of your device but especially managing accounts. Each person you want to add to Google Home must perform these steps on their own account. Every user will need to be on the same WiFi network as the Google Home device for this to work.

1. Open the Google Home app on your phone and log in.
2. Select the three line menu icon to access settings.
3. Select More Settings and Shared Devices.
4. Select the ‘+’ icon to add a device then select the Google Home from the device list
5. Select Next to teach Google Home to respond to your voice.
6. Follow the training wizard to familiarize Google Home with your voice until complete.

Once everyone has completed the voice training and linked their account to the Google Home, they should all be able to control it with their own voice. There should be no need to change accounts, the device should automatically detect each person and select the corresponding settings and account.

Remove a linked account from Google Home

If a roommate leaves or you want to remove users for any reason, you can unlink an account from your Google Home. The downside is that some versions of the Google Home app don’t allow you to remove other people’s accounts. Some do though and when I was testing, I could remove a test account easily.

To remove a linked account, do this.

1. Log into the Google Home app and select the device you want to manage.
2. Select the three line menu icon and then select Devices.
3. Select the menu again and select Settings.
4. Select Linked Accounts to view all accounts connected to your device.
5. If there is an ‘X’ by the account you want to remove, select it and select Unlink.

If you don’t see the option to unlink, you either have to get the person to remove themselves using their app or factory reset your Google Home. Feedback seems mixed on whether the option is present on all versions of the Google Home app or not. It was on mine but friends I asked said it wasn’t there. Perhaps its a version thing.

Factory reset your Google Home

If you cannot remove a user from your Google Home and cannot get them to remove themselves for any reason, you will need to factory reset your Google Home. This will remove your account and anyone else’s and will also delete any settings you have changed since you unboxed your device. It’s a step of last resort but if you need to remove an account forcibly, this is the only other way to do it.

To factory reset a Google Home, press and hold the microphone mute button on the device for around 15-20 seconds. You should hear a voice prompt telling you it is being reset. Once complete, you will need to link your Google account all over again and train it to respond to your voice.

It’s good to share. If you have a Google Home, letting others have a bit of fun with it hurts nobody until they leave or you fall out. At least now you know how to control users on your Google Home and can remove them if necessary.