MiciMike Home Mini Drop-In PCB

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]This looks like a Google Home Mini, but it's not running Google anymore. Inside, it's running an open hardware voice assistant board that can be used with Home Assistant, and the device itself does not need to be permanently modified. This is a drop-in replacement PCB for the Google Home Mini. It fits the original enclosure, reuses the original speaker and the original power and USB daughterboard.

[00:00:30]All voice processing and indicators are handled by the replacement PCB.

[00:00:36]There is no soldering and no permanent modification. You can always restore the original hardware. The board is shipped pre-flashed, so you don't need to install firmware yourself to get started. This is not a generic development board. It is purpose-built specifically for this device. Replacing the board. Replacing the board is straightforward, but you do need two torque screwdrivers.

[00:01:05]Once opened, the original PCB is removed. The replacement board drops in and the device is closed again. No electronic skills are required and the process takes only a few minutes.

[00:01:20]First boot and setup. On first power up, the device starts in setup mode using a captive portal. This allows Wi-Fi to be configured before the device connects to home assistant. After that, the device appears in Home Assistant as a voice enabled device. How voice control works?

[00:01:42]The hardware itself runs locally in your home. How voice commands are handled depends on the assistant you choose to use. With Home Assistant voice, commands are handled locally, but the available phrases are naturally more limited. At the same time, the board is not locked to a single assistant. It can work with any conversation agent that Home Assistant supports, local, cloud-based, or hybrid, depending on your setup. This gives you control over the balance between privacy capability and flexibility.

[00:02:21]What this enables? You get full control over the device. You can customize wakewords. You can control LEDs from home assistant. You can integrate the speaker into automations. The device becomes a fully open smart home node instead of a locked consumer product.

[00:02:40]Who this is for? This project is for home assistant users, privacy focused users and makers who want control over their hardware. It is not a full replacement for Google Assistant or Alexa ecosystems, but if you already use Home Assistant, this fits naturally into your setup. The goal of the crowd supply campaign is to scale production and make the board available to the community. If you already own a Home Mini, this gives it a second life with flexibility instead of lockin.

[00:03:18]You'll find links to the crowd supply campaign and the project repository below.

[00:03:25]Thanks for watching and feel free to ask questions in the comments.