Some Google Home speaker owners noticed a sharp rise in home internet usage. A WIRED writer checked her router and found that her speaker consumed 487 GB in ten days. Another public report described roughly 3 TB over a couple of weeks. Google confirmed the cause: a server misconfiguration made some speakers download a software update repeatedly. The company says the fix has been deployed. The number of affected devices is unknown, and Google describes the issue as limited to some speakers.
The incident illustrates a less visible part of connected homes. A device can download updates and generate traffic even when it seems idle. If a connection slows suddenly or a capped plan shows unexpected use, open the router's device-usage page and compare several days of traffic. Device names can be misleading, so identify a suspect by its network address and, if practical, disconnect it briefly to test. The confirmed problem was repeated downloading of an update, not evidence that recorded conversations were uploaded. Google says the bug is fixed, but users who saw unusual traffic should check that downloads have stopped and contact support if the pattern continues.