Google Home Mini gets a line-out port in this DIY video

Remember when the iPhone 7 was released and somebody made a mock video about how to insert a headphone jack? Yeah, the one where they literally just drilled a hole into it. Well, it’s happened again for the Google Home Mini, only this time it ain’t a joke, folks: this is a legitimate way to get a line-out from Google’s miniature speaker.

In a lighthearted YouTube video on the SnekTek channel (via Android Police), the procedure for inserting the 3.5 mm port in the Home Mini is outlined, culminating in it being connected to a much larger speaker. Check it out below.

As you can see, it’s not exactly an uncomplicated process; I mean, the first step it involves boiling the bottom of the device in a pot. So there are a few “fiddly” bits to complete, and the solution does have some functional caveats: namely that the audio still plays out of the Google Home Mini (it just does so as well as whatever it is connected to).

With that being said, it’s an inexpensive solution for better sound quality — especially when compared to buying a $35 Chromecast Audio (or $400 Google Home Max). And it also stands to make the Google Home Mini a better competitor against Amazon’s Echo Dot, which includes such a port by default.

Even if it’s not something for everyone to try, it’s still a worthwhile video for highlighting what’s possible in the Google Home Mini’s form factor. Give us your thoughts on it in the comments.