Google Home Mini: Small hardware hack for CH compatibility
The plug of the Google Home Mini is only suitable for US sockets. Time to rebuild the cable, cause total damage and then solve the problem with little force.
If you buy a Google Home Mini, you will notice a problem when you unpack it: the power adapter is only made for US sockets. The Home Mini is not alone in this, because digitec imports many Google products from the USA. That's why you usually get a power adapter or another cable free of charge. And even if not, you can use any micro USB cable. For example, the one you get from digitec shop employees.
The simplest solution is a travel adapter. I use the following plug for all trade fairs and trips:
Of course, that would work, but I honestly don't want to spend any more money. But what you don't know yet is that with the US plug, your problems aren't finished yet.
The second problem
The problem with the free Samsung cable from the shop is that it doesn't fit into the "high-quality and elegant"-shaped connection point on the device, which has been appropriately convoluted by Google's marketing department. The plug is simply too wide to fit in, because in a fit of design rage, Google has sunk the connector deep into the housing. Too deep for the cable from the shop.
Luckily, I know a trick that you may already know. If you've ever tried to suck up a micro USB cable with a beater hoover, then it's quite likely that you know where it goes.
But first: brute force.
Solution approach #1: brute force
The idea is simple: remove the plug, insert the plug into a Swiss plug and that's it. So I turn up at our Galaxus tool team. I briefly explain the problem:
"...and now I just want to insert the plug into a Swiss socket and convert it for this purpose."
They don't have a power toolbox to hand at the moment and are sceptical about my idea of just using any toolbox.
"You can do it that way, but then the risk of breaking something is simply higher," says Steve Meierhofer, Senior Category Sourcing Manager.
Should I have listened to him? Yes.
Did I listen to him? No.
Because Steve has a nice toolbox that I haven't tried out yet.
So I unpack the saw in the office, reminding myself that maybe I shouldn't make a mess. So outside the office. I want to break open the round knob of the socket, pack the innards into a Swiss plug and voilà. But since the cable goes directly from wall power to USB, I think there might be a circuit board or something in the round plug. It can't be that big, I think to myself. I get to work with a saw, hammer and splitter thing.
Source: Luca Fontana
The result: nothing comes of it. Apart from the fact that I damaged the circuit board inside the knob, it would not fit into the Swiss plug. Another solution is needed.
Solution #2: Less violence
In the evening, I'll get to work on the comb provided by digitec. You need:
- The cable
- A flat and thin screwdriver
- A pair of pliers
- Some strength
Unplug the cable from all connections and off you go.
1. crack!
Clamp the sheathing of the USB port in the pliers. But clamp the port upright, not with the large surface.
Then squeeze. You will need more force than expected, but do it carefully. You don't want to break through the port, you just want to break open the fused adhesive seams. If you hear a crack, then stop.
2. twist
Push the screwdriver into the broken seam and open it further. At some point, the sheathing of the plug comes loose. This is the point where I have to issue a warning. We have actually only removed decorative plastic. There should be no danger whatsoever. However, as the whole thing is a bit experimental and more of a "what could possibly go wrong?", I still want you to know that you've just ruined all warranty claims and that there is a fairly remote risk of small electric shocks. Therefore: Be careful with the cable.
3. plug!
You're actually done now. The bulky sheathing is gone. Just plug it in and you're good to go.
If you want to replace the broken plastic with something insulating, I recommend Sugru.
So, that's it. Have fun with your voice assistant.
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Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
