A common limitation of modern devices, especially smart home gadgets, is that many features require an internet connection. That makes sense because of the nature of the technology, but it can create obvious issues when the internet goes down. Like a smart assistant simply not working when the device is offline. What about a Google Home Hub or Google Home products, can you use these devices without internet? The answer is, it depends, but generally yes, they still work.
Something to note is that Google discontinued its Nest Brand in favor of the Google Home name. Therefore Google Nest and Google Home devices are effectively one in the same. Additionally, Google added Matter support to its smart home ecosystem in January 2025 — a protocol used to connect devices and increase interoperability and reliability. Basically, Matter allows smart home devices to connect and communicate over a local network rather than requiring cloud or internet services to do so.
As Google explains, with the right setup and a Matter-enabled hub you can set up an offline-friendly smart home. So, you can use a Google Home Hub without internet. But it takes some setting up, you’ll need to install software updates, and certain features may be unusable. As a bonus, Matter can increase support for smart gadgets installed in outdoor areas of your home.
How does Matter work with Google Home devices?
Google Home devices that support the Matter protocol include the Google TV Streamer 4K, Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max, Nest Hub (2nd Gen), and Nest WiFi Pro. Connect your devices to your smart home hub, as you would normally, and if they support additional protocols, you should have access immediately. You can even use Fast Pair technologies to quickly sync new devices to the network.
Matter is designed to work over wired Ethernet, local Wi-Fi, or a special Thread network based on the Zigbee protocol, which is low-power, reliable, and secure. Using one of these three network protocols, Matter can work without internet, and you can still interact with your smart home devices. However, certain features and automations may not be accessible without an online connection. Most basic functions should work, but you will likely be unable to use your voice assistant and will have to use the Matter-connected hub to manually adjust devices, not the native app.
For example, when the internet goes down in my house, I have to use the Alexa app to manually turn on or off smart plugs. Because it’s trial and error, the best way to find out what works offline is to test out your installed equipment before there’s an outage. It’s also time to quash one of the more common smart home myths you need to stop believing: That you can’t build an offline smart home. You absolutely can, it just requires compatible devices.
