Adding nest doorbell to google home family

[Wildfyr]

My wife is a member of my family but neither of us can add our nest doorbell to our google home app. As the head of the family I can use the nest app to see rings and the camera, but once the QR code is scanned in google home, it thinks for a while then goes back to the main menu without adding the nest. The best app forces you into google home for more than one person to have access to a given doorbell.

[MplsCustomer]

@Wildfyr 

If your Nest doorbell can be seen in the Google Nest app, then you must have the older Google Nest Hello Doorbell. (We have 3 of them.) The Google Nest Hello Doorbell cannot be added to or installed in the Google Home app, but if you are logging onto the Google Nest app and the Google Home app with the same Google Account and accessing the same Google Nest "home/structure", then you should be able to VIEW (but not administer) your Google Nest Hello Doorbell in the Google Home app automatically.

You are right, membership in a Google Nest "household" is now administered in the Google Home app, under Settings | Household.

[EmersonB]

Hi everyone,

@Wildfyr, thanks for reaching out here in the Community. To confirm what is the light status of your Nest Doorbell? Do you have the battery or wired type Nest Doorbell? I would recommend you perform a reset to factory default and reinstall your app. Let us know your update here.

I appreciate your response, MplsCustomer and MikeClark.

Best,

Emerson

[EmersonB]

Hello Wildfyr,

I'm dropping by to ensure that everything is covered here. How's it going with your Nest Doorbell? We would appreciate it if you could share the information I’m asking above. Also, were you able to perform the steps I’m suggesting? We'd be glad to hear from you.

Regards,
Emerson

[Wildfyr]

Hi there,

This is a wired Nest doorbell.

So my issue is that I cannot add this nest to my google home. I follow the standard steps (use QR code, click through installation) and it spins for a bit then goes back to google home main screen, with no Nest to be seen. Since I cannot get the device into google home, I cannot give access to my wife, and the Nest app only allows one user to be registered tor be door bell at a time.

[MplsCustomer]

@Wildfyr 

First, let's clarify which doorbell you have. I'm guessing you have the Google Nest Hello Doorbell, which is installed in the Google Nest app, not the 2nd Gen Google Nest Doorbell (wired), which is installed in the Google Home app.

If that is the case, then you CANNOT install or add the Nest Hello doorbell to the Google Home app. Rather, since it is installed in the Google Nest app, it should AUTOMATICALLY appear in the Google Home app, PROVIDED that you are logging into both the Google Nest app and the Google Home app with the same Google Account on the same Wi-Fi network, and accessing the same Google Nest "home/structure". That is the case with our Nest Hello doorbells.

I've seen some posts from customers whose Nest Learning Thermostat or Nest Thermostat E, installed in the Google Nest app, did not appear in the Google Home app because they had never assigned their thermostat to a "room" in the Google Nest app ("where" in the lingo of the Google Nest app).

Once your doorbell can be found in the Google Home app, you share access by adding your wife to your "household" under Settings | Household. She will need a Google (gmail) Account as well.

Can you see your camera in the Google Home app? You should be able to, even if it was installed in the Google Nest app.

[Wildfyr]

Hi,

I did not have the Nest set to "where" it was, and set that up. However I still do not see it in google home. 

I am using same account and everything is on one Wi-Fi network.

It is indeed a google nest hello.

[MplsCustomer]

@Wildfyr 

Quite a few customers whose thermostats weren't showing up in the Google Home app have resorted to this workaround:

Create a new, temporary Google Nest "home/structure" in the Google Nest app.

Go to that new, empty Google Nest "home/structure" in the Google Home app and delete it.

Apparently this forces the 2 apps to sync.

You could also try logging out of and logging back onto each app, to see if that gets them to sync.

One other possibility is if you created your Nest Account before August 2019 using a Google Account, but have never "migrated" that account (https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9297676).

[Wildfyr]

You know... it's actually not so easy to tell which it is. I'm attaching photos.

 

[Wildfyr]

 

[MplsCustomer]

@Wildfyr 

That's the Google Nest Hello Doorbell.  We have 3 of them.

[Wildfyr]

Ah! We are on the 1 yard line here! Reinstalling google home and redoing everything AND setting "where" (crucial!) in the nest app got it to appear on google home, and my wife can now see it, and even access the camera from both nest and google home.

However, doorbell rings and motion don't push notifications. So close to success! 

[Wildfyr]

Got her doorbell ringing notifications working. But it won't push motion notifications for either of us. A fight for another day.

thank you so much for your assistance.

[MplsCustomer]

@Wildfyr 

You're welcome.

I've seen a few post from customers where notifications don't work right away.

Even though you can see the Nest Hello doorbell in the Google Home app, notifications are still handled by the Google Nest app, so they have to be configured there or on the home.nest.com website, and notifications need to be enabled for the Nest app on your iPhone(s).

[Wildfyr]

I consider myself reasonably computer savvy, i've built my own. I know how to dig around in the guts, reinstall drivers, access something to the DOS prompt, whatever. 

But the UI/UX of specific apps are so opaque, without specific knowledge you can quickly reach a dead end no matter your savvy.

Volunteers like you undergird the whole internet.

[EmersonB]

Hey Wildfyr,

Thanks for getting back to us. To confirm, what is the make and model of your mobile phones? Give the steps below a try to get a push motion notification.

Steps:

• Open your Nest app> go to Settings> Notifications> select your Nest Hello Doorbell> Under Notification type, select push notification. Under activity, select People and All other motion.
• Hit this link for more information.

Looking forward to your response.
 
Thanks,
Emerson

[Wildfyr]

The push notifications started working on our iPhone 13 and 14 spontaneously after about 30 minutes.

[EmersonB]

Hello Wildfyr,

Thanks for getting back to us and we're glad that it's resolved now. We’ll consider this one complete so let us know if you have other questions or concerns as I will be locking this after 24 hours. Feel free to start a new thread and we'll be happy to help.

Best,
Emerson