We get a kick out of hardware mods here at Android Police. They're fun to see, and occasionally fun to do, especially when they make up for a product's shortcomings. Enter the Google Home Mini, a device which we mostly liked (when it wasn't bugging out). It did have one slight deficiency, though, and that was volume. It just didn't get very loud. But the folks at YouTube channel SnekTek took that as a challenge and installed an audio output jack for external amplification.

That's right, this Google Home Mini now has one feature up over the latest Pixel 2 phones: it's got a headphone jack—sort of. 

The video (by SnekTek) is a fun little watch if you dig people digging on the smell of epoxy. The modifications themselves are also incredibly simple. Unlike the last DIY Furby terror, this project is something that most of us could probably do. At least, assuming we had the basic tools required.

The end result is a Google Home Mini you can plug into a set of externally amplified speakers, so your Mini can be a Max if you've got a big stereo to plug it into.

Ok, so it's not quite a headphone jack and more a line out. Volume control on the output might be a bit of a problem, which may not be as useful for a pair of earbuds. Audio also continues to play from the internal speaker, since it's not switched. Even so, this Home Mini works with more of my headphones than my Pixel 2 XL does.

Source: YouTube