Update on June 2023:Poorly designed system, unreliable software. Please don't torture customer by making these poor quality devices. It is no longer trustworthy to deal with this company.Can we have an option for negative reviews? I would like to stick with negative infinity if there is one. Poorly designed software and the device losses its live view, requires power shutdown, wait for 10 mins and boot again. The device is just used for making video calls. Even the basic functionality does not work. Routines runs horribly, not a reliable one if something goes wrong. If you want to contribute your money to google for its development, then definitely you should buy this one. Even for basic video call, you will have to install Google Home, Nest, Meet, Duo. All ... MoreUpdate on June 2023:Poorly designed system, unreliable software. Please don't torture customer by making these poor quality devices. It is no longer trustworthy to deal with this company.Can we have an option for negative reviews? I would like to stick with negative infinity if there is one. Poorly designed software and the device losses its live view, requires power shutdown, wait for 10 mins and boot again. The device is just used for making video calls. Even the basic functionality does not work. Routines runs horribly, not a reliable one if something goes wrong. If you want to contribute your money to google for its development, then definitely you should buy this one. Even for basic video call, you will have to install Google Home, Nest, Meet, Duo. All junks developed by the top rated company.Second to the self driving car, this is one more flopped device.If you want to buy for elderly or senior people, never even think about this device. They want google developers probably nest hub max developers in house to do anything with this device, not meant for normal people.

BEWARE KNOWN CAMERA ISSUES FOR MANY

I bought 2 of these and they worked great for many months until the cameras stopped working. Both have been reset multiple times, removed and rejoined to their Home network plus tons of other network troubleshooting and they simply no longer work (cameras). Google, Hub Max Nest Camera Issues and you'll see this is a long-time issue with zero actual working resolution. The proposed resolution after all else fails is a factory reset and I'll tell you, this DOES NOT work for many people. So, there it is - my honest review of these toasters. The price was much better and the seller has nothing to do with this known issue BUT that doesn't matter if the product is prone to serious technical problems. It may work for many months and just stop working at which point it will ... MoreI bought 2 of these and they worked great for many months until the cameras stopped working. Both have been reset multiple times, removed and rejoined to their Home network plus tons of other network troubleshooting and they simply no longer work (cameras). Google, Hub Max Nest Camera Issues and you'll see this is a long-time issue with zero actual working resolution. The proposed resolution after all else fails is a factory reset and I'll tell you, this DOES NOT work for many people. So, there it is - my honest review of these toasters. The price was much better and the seller has nothing to do with this known issue BUT that doesn't matter if the product is prone to serious technical problems. It may work for many months and just stop working at which point it will not work again more than likely unless your lucky. This may have something to do with factors such as network complexity and wifi bands used. Mine uses 2.4, 5 and WiFi 6. Yes, I disabled WiFi 6 during troubleshooting to rule this out because it also causes issues with Amazon Echos during initial setup but at the end of the day I have no resolution and so do many others.

Barely functional smart home device.

I’ve been developing a smart home for about 4 years now and when Amazon Echo devices started showing forced advertising I wanted to migrate over to the Google Nest Hub but when I started setting it up I discovered this device is even more intrusive with personal information than Amazon. Once more there is no way to download any apps to use with their Hub. It comes with a few abbreviated versions including a barely functional YouTube app. I was shocked since this is a google device and YouTube is owned by them. You can’t sign onto your YouTube on this device and can only cast your content from another device like your phone or tablet to the Hub. Google really missed the mark with this one.As far as Eufy security cameras go they aren’t all supported so seeing video ... MoreI’ve been developing a smart home for about 4 years now and when Amazon Echo devices started showing forced advertising I wanted to migrate over to the Google Nest Hub but when I started setting it up I discovered this device is even more intrusive with personal information than Amazon. Once more there is no way to download any apps to use with their Hub. It comes with a few abbreviated versions including a barely functional YouTube app. I was shocked since this is a google device and YouTube is owned by them. You can’t sign onto your YouTube on this device and can only cast your content from another device like your phone or tablet to the Hub. Google really missed the mark with this one.As far as Eufy security cameras go they aren’t all supported so seeing video from my front or back door or doesn’t happen.I thought well I can use it as an expensive photo display but it demands access to all of your phone’s contents so I opted out realizing this is simply an invasion of privacy by Google. The Google Hub got sent back.

Do not buy this

The Google Nest Hub Max is by far the most worthless home efficiency tool you can buy. It does have the ability to make video and audio calls, but then so does your phone. It also has the ability to help answer questions you may have: “Hey Google, how many cups in a quart?” but then so does a Google Home Mini that you can buy for $40($20 from most Facebook marketplace sales).What it does not have is any functionality that you would want in a standing hub system. It has no way of showing a monthly family calendar so you can see what’s going on or plan-ahead. It has no way of creating a user-friendly chore or task-list so you can be more efficient with your day. It also doesn’t work on new network router systems, so you have to be a little network savvy and ensure ... MoreThe Google Nest Hub Max is by far the most worthless home efficiency tool you can buy. It does have the ability to make video and audio calls, but then so does your phone. It also has the ability to help answer questions you may have: “Hey Google, how many cups in a quart?” but then so does a Google Home Mini that you can buy for $40($20 from most Facebook marketplace sales).What it does not have is any functionality that you would want in a standing hub system. It has no way of showing a monthly family calendar so you can see what’s going on or plan-ahead. It has no way of creating a user-friendly chore or task-list so you can be more efficient with your day. It also doesn’t work on new network router systems, so you have to be a little network savvy and ensure you disable IPv6 in multiple settings of your router in order for it to actually work in the first place.Finally, while you’re trying to troubleshoot and fix all the issues with your Google Nest Hub Max system your short return window is slowly dwindling down, and working with their customer support is similar to working with a movie stereotyped version of the Department of Motor Vehicles (no offense DMV, you’ve been good to me). Once you get sent back and forth between two different departments under the guise of trying to help you, you’ll eventually give up. You will be the new proud owner of the worlds bulkiest, non-wireless, least versatile tablet in the world.Run away, don’t buy this product, good luck.

Don't buy this

The Google Nest Home Max is by far the most worthless home efficiency tool you can buy. It does have the ability to make video and audio calls, but then so does your phone. It also has the ability to help answer questions you may have: “Hey Google, how many cups in a quart?” but then so does a Google Home Mini that you can buy for $40($20 from most Facebook marketplace sales).What it does not have is any functionality that you would want in a standing hub system. It has no way of showing a monthly family calendar so you can see what’s going on or plan-ahead. It has no way of creating a user-friendly chore or task-list so you can be more efficient with your day. It also doesn’t work on new network router systems, so you have to be a little network savvy and ensure ... MoreThe Google Nest Home Max is by far the most worthless home efficiency tool you can buy. It does have the ability to make video and audio calls, but then so does your phone. It also has the ability to help answer questions you may have: “Hey Google, how many cups in a quart?” but then so does a Google Home Mini that you can buy for $40($20 from most Facebook marketplace sales).What it does not have is any functionality that you would want in a standing hub system. It has no way of showing a monthly family calendar so you can see what’s going on or plan-ahead. It has no way of creating a user-friendly chore or task-list so you can be more efficient with your day. It also doesn’t work on new network router systems, so you have to be a little network savvy and ensure you disable IPv6 in multiple settings of your router in order for it to actually work in the first place.Finally, while you’re trying to troubleshoot and fix all the issues with your Google Nest Hub Max system your short return window is slowly dwindling down, and working with their customer support is similar to working with a movie stereotyped version of the Department of Motor Vehicles (no offense DMV, you’ve been good to me). Once you get sent back and forth between two different departments under the guise of trying to help you, you’ll eventually give up. You will be the new proud owner of the worlds bulkiest, non-wireless, least versatile tablet in the world.Run away, don’t buy this product, good luck.

Handy picture display, bad for recipe display

If you're used to Google Home/Nest speakers then know that these are a remarkable step up in usability. Just having a display for timers alone makes it a pretty handy upgrade by itself.The place these really shine though is that photo display. They've incorporated an ambient light sensor that not only gets brightness but also color temperature. By balancing the color temperature and dialing back the brightness to only what's necessary they've managed to nail the effect of it not looking like a digital picture frame, but instead it simply looks like traditional printed picture. It's an intoxicating effect that I still marvel at. If you're looking for a digital picture frame then know that this is the Holy Grail of picture frames. Management is dirt simple, just ... MoreIf you're used to Google Home/Nest speakers then know that these are a remarkable step up in usability. Just having a display for timers alone makes it a pretty handy upgrade by itself.The place these really shine though is that photo display. They've incorporated an ambient light sensor that not only gets brightness but also color temperature. By balancing the color temperature and dialing back the brightness to only what's necessary they've managed to nail the effect of it not looking like a digital picture frame, but instead it simply looks like traditional printed picture. It's an intoxicating effect that I still marvel at. If you're looking for a digital picture frame then know that this is the Holy Grail of picture frames. Management is dirt simple, just fill a folder in your Google Photos and point the device at it. You can then just adjust the photo list at your leisure. Otherwise the default picture displays with curated photography and art is quite nice in its own right.The camera is handy to see if the kids are up and in the kitchen, but I don't leave it up and running all the time, that seems a bit weird to me. As a kitchen helper it's pretty lousy, so if you're looking or something will show you recipes then look elsewhere. It's not good at formatting web pages, the darn thing times out after 10 minutes, and casting a web page from Chrome on a PC is not actually useful in practice. There's a Lenovo that's supposed to be pretty good about recipes.Audio quality is pretty good, I'd say it's better than the original Google Home.If you turn on facial recognition then when you walk up to it and you haven't been in front of it in a few hours then it will greet you and start presenting personalized information relevant to you such as upcoming calendar events or an estimate on how long of a commute you've got based upon current traffic.They will show up on your network as a display that you can cast to, so if for some reason you want to play Disney+ or Netflix on there, have it it.If you use the Google podcasts feature (Hey Google, give me the news) then know that some of them like NPR has accompanying video as well and it will display that. You can also poke the time bar and skip over the ads that some podcasts and news items add in.If you have the Google Home ecosystem in your house (I'm assuming you do), then you should probably have one of these in some common area, but I wouldn't go load up on them. The camera feature for me makes this a no-go in the bedroom but living room or kitchen counter is a good place in my opinion. The smaller Nest Hubs have no cameras and are a fair chunk cheaper, so if you're looking for alarm clock replacements then look there instead.

Most used home device

Absolutely love my nest hub Max. It makes my life so much easier with all of its features. This is the second one I purchased. I initially bought one for my bedroom but purchased this one for my kitchen so I can play the news, music or watch YouTube videos while I'm in the kitchen. When not in use I love how aesthetically pleasing it is and the fact that it is a digital picture frame for My favorite family photos and video clips. Also I'm one of those people that "forget" to take my clothes out of the dryer at night so when my alarm goes off on my hub in the morning I can tell it to start my dryer to get the wrinkles out and then tell it to start my Keurig so I can have the motivation to get out of the bed. It works flawlessly with so many smart devices and home ... MoreAbsolutely love my nest hub Max. It makes my life so much easier with all of its features. This is the second one I purchased. I initially bought one for my bedroom but purchased this one for my kitchen so I can play the news, music or watch YouTube videos while I'm in the kitchen. When not in use I love how aesthetically pleasing it is and the fact that it is a digital picture frame for My favorite family photos and video clips. Also I'm one of those people that "forget" to take my clothes out of the dryer at night so when my alarm goes off on my hub in the morning I can tell it to start my dryer to get the wrinkles out and then tell it to start my Keurig so I can have the motivation to get out of the bed. It works flawlessly with so many smart devices and home appliances that it's impossible to list them all. I also love how it has a built-in camera for home security and video chatting. 10 out of 10 would recommend.

Nest Hub Max is fantastic!

The Nest Hub Max Smart Display with Google Assistant is like having a personal comedian and butler rolled into one! This device has brought the future to my living room, and it's packed with more sass than a stand-up comedy show.First of all, let's talk about its size. It's like a mini flatscreen TV, and it stares at me with its all-knowing eye (the camera). I sometimes feel like I'm in a sci-fi movie, talking to my very own robot overlord. But it's a benevolent overlord, as long as you don't ask it to sing "Daisy Bell."The Google Assistant is a real joker. I asked it to tell me a joke, and it replied with, "Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!" I couldn't help but chuckle, even though I'm pretty sure it's plotting world domination ... MoreThe Nest Hub Max Smart Display with Google Assistant is like having a personal comedian and butler rolled into one! This device has brought the future to my living room, and it's packed with more sass than a stand-up comedy show.First of all, let's talk about its size. It's like a mini flatscreen TV, and it stares at me with its all-knowing eye (the camera). I sometimes feel like I'm in a sci-fi movie, talking to my very own robot overlord. But it's a benevolent overlord, as long as you don't ask it to sing "Daisy Bell."The Google Assistant is a real joker. I asked it to tell me a joke, and it replied with, "Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!" I couldn't help but chuckle, even though I'm pretty sure it's plotting world domination behind that screen.And the Nest Hub Max is a multitasking wizard. It can show me recipes, play my favorite songs, and even display my security camera footage. It's like a Swiss Army knife for my home, except it doesn't have a corkscrew (yet).The camera raises some interesting questions. It's like having a nosy neighbor who always knows what's going on. But it's also great for video calls. I told it to call my friend, and it said, "Which one? The one who never answers or the one who talks too much?" It knows me too well!But be warned, it's a bit of a tattletale. I asked it to remind me to exercise, and it said, "Shouldn't you be doing that already?" Ouch, Google, that hurts.In all seriousness, the Nest Hub Max is a fantastic addition to any smart home. It's smart, funny, and sometimes a little cheeky. Just don't ask it to tell you any more "dad jokes" unless you're ready to laugh and groan at the same time.

No bang for its buck. $80, maybe. $230, comedy

After nearly 3 years of ownership, I can say that I would not recommend this product to anyone. We spent nearly $280 after tax on this electronic that is one step away from being garbage. Its responsive when it does not need to be, and not responsive when you need it. This problem was worsened with the latest big update where they redid the entire OS from scratch. The home app is also riddled with bugs, especially if you are removing or adding new items over time.One of the big selling points to us was the built in security camera. Sadly, this camera has been plagued with blank spots where it recorded nothing for 30+ minute stretches since ownership. It has progressively gotten worse, and now will go days without recording if we don't keep an eye on it. We have ... MoreAfter nearly 3 years of ownership, I can say that I would not recommend this product to anyone. We spent nearly $280 after tax on this electronic that is one step away from being garbage. Its responsive when it does not need to be, and not responsive when you need it. This problem was worsened with the latest big update where they redid the entire OS from scratch. The home app is also riddled with bugs, especially if you are removing or adding new items over time.One of the big selling points to us was the built in security camera. Sadly, this camera has been plagued with blank spots where it recorded nothing for 30+ minute stretches since ownership. It has progressively gotten worse, and now will go days without recording if we don't keep an eye on it. We have the Nest Hub premium subscription, and its just nice to know that even though we pay monthly, this isn't recording anything half the time.For the price you are paying, something should be expected to last, and not have issues with constant problems. Google, you really blotched this one.

Useless for video calls now without duo!!!

Everything we have in our home is Google. Including four Chromecast TV, 6 mini speakers and a small Google nest for our kitchen. This new nest hub Max frustrates me because we bought it in December and no one ever mentioned that they would be sunsetting duo so we tried to set them up to video call family out of state, and it keeps asking for duo. Well, the replacement for Duo is Google meet. Which requires a big long meeting number that then shows up on your screen. And how are you supposed to copy and paste that by voice? If you're trying to talk to someone? These were supposed to be so you could just say hey Google video call Grandma and it would be a video call. But it just tells you to make sure they have duo. And duo is obsolete. So it then tells you to look at ... MoreEverything we have in our home is Google. Including four Chromecast TV, 6 mini speakers and a small Google nest for our kitchen. This new nest hub Max frustrates me because we bought it in December and no one ever mentioned that they would be sunsetting duo so we tried to set them up to video call family out of state, and it keeps asking for duo. Well, the replacement for Duo is Google meet. Which requires a big long meeting number that then shows up on your screen. And how are you supposed to copy and paste that by voice? If you're trying to talk to someone? These were supposed to be so you could just say hey Google video call Grandma and it would be a video call. But it just tells you to make sure they have duo. And duo is obsolete. So it then tells you to look at your screen and you get a big giant two line text and number reservation for a meet call. One. I've done meat calls on my phone, I have to copy paste and put it in a text or an email to send it to the recipient. They have to open their email and click on it to join a meeting. A tiny bit complicated for younger children or older seniors. This was supposed to be a way to have a video call as they advertise in all of their media. It is absolutely and yet I paid $349 for it and we have two in our home. One on each floor. Absolutely ludicrous. We have pixel phones. If we wanted to call somebody and hold it in our hand we just call them on the phone. But you cannot call by talking to your Google Max hub because duo is no longer available and meet requires a big, complicated step that has to be sent. It can't just be vocalized. So angry and so frustrated that I spent all this money on these when doesn't even work!