FAQs

To hear a recording through the My Storytime app on Google Nest, parents just say “Hey Google, talk to My Storytime.”

To control the story you are listening to on your Google Nest, all you need is your voice. You can control the volume, skip chapters, change stories, and more. To hear a list of available stories, say: “What stories can we read?”. To pause, say “Stop”. To exit, say “Quit”. If you ever aren’t sure what to do, say “I don’t know.”

To upload and play back stories, you must have a Google Account and be logged in to the same Google Account in both the My Storytime web portal and your Google Nest. Or share them with another person who has a Google account. To learn how to change the account on your Google Nest, click here.

Open the Google Nest app. In Home, tap the device you want to check the linked accounts for. In the top right corner of the device card, tap Settings. Underneath Linked accounts(s), you’ll see the Google Account(s) linked to this specific Google Nest device.

Pre-recorded audio files can absolutely be uploaded to My Storytime. You might need to change the file format to work with the Google Nest. All audio files need to be uploaded as .mp3. There are several open source tools that will convert your audio files to .mp3 such as Handbrake.

Under the edit button within each story you’ll be given an option to download your story.

Under the edit button within each story you’ll be given an option to delete your story. Once it’s deleted, it will be permanently removed from the database and not backed up.

Only you, the people you share them with, and the people who use the linked Google Nest have access to the stories you record and upload. All story recordings are stored in a secure database so the Google Nest can access them for playback. You may delete or download them at any time.

My Storytime is not built or operated by Google, but to ensure both safety and privacy, this app uses Google’s Voice Matching protocol. That means only the owner of the email account can say “Hey Google, talk to My Storytime” and be able to start the My Storytime time with their voice. To allow another adult in your home to access the stories you have recorded, you will need to share the story library with them by clicking the Share button. If after sharing your account your family member doesn’t receive an email invitation, please have them check their spam folder.

My Storytime is not built or operated by Google, but it uses the Google Assistant platform, which means it must comply with Google’s Family Link protections of children under 13. If a Gmail address is registered to a child under 13, third party app access (access by an app not made by Google) is gated by parental controls and that Gmail address will not be able to accept any third party invitations. To share your story recordings with a child under 13, you will need to invite the adult who manages their Google Account. Learn more about Family Link and the Google Privacy Policy for children.

My Storytime is not built or operated by Google, but to ensure both safety and privacy, this app uses Google’s Voice Matching protocol. That means only the owner of the email account can say “Hey Google, talk to My Storytime” and be able to start the My Storytime time with their voice. This ensures that parents have control over what apps their kids have access to. Learn more about Family Link and the Google Privacy Policy for children.

My Storytime is a voice experiment built by Instrument with support from a few friends at Google. Instrument is a veteran-owned, independent company based in Portland, Oregon, USA. To learn more about Instrument, click here.

For issues with the tool, contact storytimesupport@instrument.com.