If you own a first-generation Google Home Mini, you might appreciate its compact design and voice control capabilities, but you may also have privacy concerns about sending recordings to Google's servers. A new open-hardware drop-in board offers a solution: for $85, you can replace the Mini's internals with a board that runs Home Assistant locally, turning it into a fully offline smart speaker. Below, we answer key questions about this project and how it works.
1. What is the first-generation Google Home Mini?
The Google Home Mini (1st gen) is a small smart speaker released in 2017. It was designed to be an affordable voice assistant device, allowing users to talk to Google Assistant for tasks like answering questions, setting timers, playing music, and controlling smart home devices. Its compact size and low price made it popular, but it relies on cloud processing, meaning your voice queries are sent to Google's servers. For those concerned about privacy or wanting a fully local setup, this reliance can be a drawback.
2. Why would someone want to replace Google Assistant with Home Assistant?
Many users prefer to keep their voice data private and not have it processed by big tech companies. By replacing Google Assistant with Home Assistant—an open-source home automation platform—you can run all voice recognition and smart home control locally. This avoids sending any data to the cloud, increases reliability (even without internet), and gives you full control over your smart home integration. Home Assistant supports a huge range of devices and allows custom automations, making it a powerful alternative for privacy-conscious users.
3. What is the $85 drop-in board?
This is an open-hardware circuit board that physically replaces the original mainboard inside the Google Home Mini. It plugs into the existing speaker, microphone, and power connections, so you don't need to redesign the enclosure. The board runs a custom firmware based on ESP32 or a similar microcontroller, enabling it to connect to your local Home Assistant instance via MQTT or a built-in voice pipeline. It costs $85 and is designed by the open-source community to be a simple, privacy-focused upgrade.
4. How difficult is it to install the drop-in board?
The installation requires basic soldering skills and careful disassembly of the Google Home Mini. You need to open the speaker, remove the original logic board, and solder or plug in the new board. Detailed guides and community support are available on GitHub and forums. For those comfortable with electronics, it's a straightforward mod; for beginners, it might be challenging but doable with patience. The manufacturer also offers pre-assembled boards to simplify the process.
5. What are the benefits of this upgrade?
Key benefits include: complete privacy—all voice processing happens locally; no internet dependency—the speaker works even offline; open-source flexibility—you can customize the software; and smart home integration directly with Home Assistant. The existing hardware (speaker, mic, enclosure) is reused, keeping costs low. The upgrade also removes the need for a Google account, giving you full ownership of the device.
6. What are the technical specifications of the drop-in board?
The board is built around a powerful ESP32 or similar chip with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, plus audio codec for the speaker and microphone. It typically includes GPIO pins for additional sensors or LEDs. The firmware is open source (often based on ESPHome or custom firmware) and supports MQTT integration with Home Assistant. Power consumption is low, matching the original device. The board is designed to fit exactly in the Mini's case.
7. Where can I get the drop-in board and more info?
The board is available from various open-hardware sellers and community group buys. You can find the latest source files, purchase links, and installation guides on the project's GitHub page or discussion forums. The original announcement was on Liliputing.com. Expect to pay around $85 for the board, which is less than buying a new local smart speaker and offers the satisfaction of repurposing hardware.