Re-adding Nest Outdoor Cam after Factory Reset: Stuck in "Already Transferred" Loop

slow56k — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:34:25 GMT

I am experiencing a setup loop with an older Nest Outdoor Camera after performing a factory reset. I had previously migrated this camera (and two others) from the Nest app to the Google Home app successfully, but since the reset, I cannot get it back online.

The Issue:

Nest App: When I try to add the camera, it blocks me with a message stating the camera has already been transferred to Google Home.
Google Home App: The app "finds" the device via Bluetooth, but the connection fails every time during the final pairing stage.

Current Status & Troubleshooting:

LED Status: The camera is pulsing blue (ready for setup).
Proximity: I’ve placed the camera directly next to the router to rule out signal issues.
App Status: I have deleted the camera from both the Nest and Google Home apps, yet the ecosystem seems to think it is still active or "claimed" elsewhere.

Has anyone found a way to "force-remove" a camera from the backend so it can be treated as a fresh device? It feels like a "ghost" instance of the camera is blocking the new connection.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Re: Re-adding Nest Outdoor Cam after Factory Reset: Stuck in "Already Transferred" Loop

DeboraJ — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 04:03:42 GMT

Hi @slow56k,

Thanks for reaching out to the community! I understand that you have been experiencing some issues with your Nest Cam Outdoor regarding the fact that you are stuck in a setup loop after a factory reset. You're getting a message stating the camera has already been transferred in the Nest app, while the Google Home app fails to complete the pairing. I appreciate that you took the time to perform multiple troubleshooting steps, like checking the LED status and moving the camera closer to the router; I appreciate your efforts! Let me help you out with this.

Since you have already tried some basic steps, let’s move on to a few more. Before performing these, please ensure that your account information (email and password) is correct to avoid any login issues. Please follow these steps:

Uninstall both the Google Home and Nest apps from your phone.
Reboot your mobile device.
Perform a power cycle on your camera by disconnecting it from power for one minute and then plugging it back in.
Reinstall both apps.
Set up the camera in the Nest app first, then follow the prompts to transfer it to the Google Home app.

In case this doesn’t work, you can try connecting the camera using a mobile hotspot to rule out network interference. There’s no need to repeat the entire process just try the setup using the hotspot as the network.

Keep me posted!

Best regards,

Debora

topic Re: Re-adding Nest Outdoor Cam after Factory Reset: Stuck in "Already Transferred" Loop in Cameras and Doorbells

Re-adding Nest Outdoor Cam after Factory Reset: Stuck in "Already Transferred" Loop

Re: Re-adding Nest Outdoor Cam after Factory Reset: Stuck in "Already Transferred" Loop