Setting up my mum, from afar, with Google Nest Hub Max

Can Google Hub Nest Max operate without a smart phone? 

16/4/2020 

My mum, technically unsavvy (switching the TV and radio on and off is her limit), and living 100 miles away, would like to video chat with her great granddaughters. And with me I suppose! And listen to Frank Sinatra whenever she pleases. And watch YouTube of Michael Bublé. Which she doesn't really yet "appreciate". 

We're all in Covid lockdown, so I can't visit her to set things up. She doesn't have a smart phone. 

Today I hope this will be the solution:

> A Google Nest Hub Max (£199). It supports Google Duo for video chat

> A Three Payg data SIM card, 24 GB with a 2 year lifetime (£60), to fit into the router. If the experiment is successful, we'll go on contract. 

> A 4g router (ie no landline required, and no contract to sign up to), a spare which I already have: Huawei B535-232 (£99 now)

I hope to set it up at mine, using my own phone with the Google Home app, adding her to my Google YouTube Family for music, photos etc,  box everything up and send it her (Hermes I think will pick it up as well as deliver). 

Hopefully, mum will just have to plug in the router somewhere (it doesn't have batteries), and plug the Hub in her living room. 

I've just ordered everything.

My only unknown is, at the moment, does Duo need a Smart phone nearby 🤔... And the answer is, er.. spoiler alert, to that is: No! 

17th April 2020

The Google Nest Hub has arrived, and so has the Three sim card. Quick! 

I've added my mum's Gmail account to my phone (so my phone has (had! I've deleted it now) two accounts on it). So then the Google authorisations for my mum's new Nest Hub will come through to my phone. Of course, I had set up her Gmail account years ago, but she never used it. I know her password. I've set up the Hub with the Google Home app: now I turned off my phone, and my home router, mum's new router and the Hub. Everything. Then turn on only her router and Hub. No phone. Once booted up, I say "hey Google" - and it works. She doesn't need a smart phone. Excellent. 

So now, I just need to box the two items up, and get Hermes or someone to deliver. 

Posting 

Hermes - I've arranged for collection too. £17 including insurance. 

14th May 

All is working. I've video-called my mum on Duo, and she me, just by saying "hey Google, call Stephen". She's spoken to others too, and watched some YouTubes! 

Some nice-to-haves 

I doubt these will ever be introduced to the Hub, but I wish it could receive messages from other Duo contacts (without the Hub requiring a phone being at hand) :

1 - receive texts, and also read them out, scroll through them, delete them;

2 - receive links to Web pages, YouTubes, to be clicked and viewed;

3 - Read aloud purchased audio books (eg from Google books family membership)