Owners of some Google Home speakers have seen hundreds of gigabytes of data pulled down to their devices in the background, according to reports collected by 9to5Google and from Reddit users over the past week. One Reddit user found his device was consuming more than 200GB per day. The trouble appears tied to speakers failing to properly download and install a firmware update.
Google says it is on the case. In a statement to 9to5Google, the company said a fix is already rolling out that should address the problem for users. The company has not said publicly what causes the downloads or which devices are affected beyond the reports that have surfaced so far.
Most of the reports involve the new Google Home Speaker model, though how widely the issue extends is not clear. Another Home Speaker in a different household downloaded just 2GB over the past month, 9to5Google reported, compared with 132GB used by an affected device over the same period. Not every unit appears to be hit.
The potential cost to consumers is significant for anyone on a capped internet plan. A bug that keeps pulling data in the background can burn through a monthly allowance quickly, and owners would likely have no idea unless they routinely check how much data their devices are using.
The reports follow the launch of the new Google Home Speaker, the model named in most of the complaints. Google has not identified the firmware version involved or explained why some speakers fail to complete the update.
Affected owners are left watching their usage while the rollout continues. Google has not said how many devices the fix has reached or when it will be complete.
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