Nest camera replay crashes google home app

[Ameripaint]

I am not the first - I see this has been an ongoing problem for years.  What good is having a security camera if watching the footage causes the app to crash?  Every single time.  It worked for a while.  “Did you try…?”  Yes.  Everything is updated, reset, closed and reopened, etc.  

Google?  Nest?  Time to step up! 

[MplsCustomer]

It still crashes for us on the latest updates.

[kstam70]

Still crashes for me.

[Munko]

I am having the exact same problem (worked fine until recently)!  So frustrating.  I am using an iPad Air (4th generation) with version 16.4.1(a).  Come on, Google- we trusted you with our SECURITY!!  This should have been fixed immediately.

[Mmmmm22]

We’re having the exact same problem. This needs to be fixed ASAP.

[rvillanova]

Apparently, Google just doesn't care. I thought it was because I was on app preview, but since reverted back.  As for the past month or so I've been telling people to find another eco system for their cameras. This is just the latest thing, don't forget about the Nest vs Google Home. Just dumb.

[Rarchie]

I think it’s time for folks to start complaining to the BBB.  It is obvious Google know of the problem.  Their lack of just addressing they hear each of the customers complaining on this site is speaking volumes.  Maybe their combining their nest service with ADT is causing the issue.  They should at least communicate something to their customers.  I am going to file my complaint to BBB and consumer financial services.

[morals415]

iPhone 11 Pro Max iOS 17.0.3 4 cameras ( 2 x Nest Indoor Gen1 & 2 x Google Outdoor Battery/Wired) Gen 2

Same symptoms as previously reported above same after deleting/ reinstalling Google Home app.

Watching a past event, video freezes about 3-5 seconds in, screen goes dark with a small spinning gear then my lock screen appears and once unlocked app is still running in background.

[Rarchie]

I issued a complaint with the BBB related to Google on this problem.  Google response to the complaint was talking to their support team.  I pushed back on that response.  Waiting to see how google is going to respond and resolve the complaint.

[scotsman79]

lets hope someone lets you know . will you keep us informed if you hear anything ?

[Jmaloney]

Their team is useless. I spent 2 hours on with them last night and all they said oh it seems like a problem with the nest app. Click. Totally pointless.

[MplsCustomer]

Today it seems that access to video events in the Google Home app is flaky and inconsistent.

Our battery camera is online and we can access its livestream. But when I try to access events this morning, I often just get a spinning blue circle and no other response. On one attempt, I got a message saying that our Wi-Fi network didn't seem to be connected to the Internet, when in fact I had just viewed the battery camera livestream prior to that message, and was able to return immediately to the camera's online stream.

On some attempts, I am able to view a video event successfully. On others, the viewing is interrupted with a spinning blue circle and then returns.

All access in the Google Nest app--as well as notifications and announcements--is just fine. And the Google Home app is sending notifications just fine.

This is on Google Home 3.8.107 on iOS 17.1 on a iPhone XR.

[briley2121]

Also happens to me on a iPhone 15 Pro running version 17.1.1 very frustrating!

[straitshooter]

So,

2 nest outdoor cameras, 2nd gen's, one is a security cam/flood light and the other is a wired/battery camera.  I also have a wired Hello Doorbell camera.  All are accessed via Google Home app on iOS and the wifi network is Google Nest + 1 point.  The problem is, when viewing history clips, the video playback drops out unexpectedly and the home app shuts down.  I can re-load the home app and repeat the process with the same result.  I've re-booted everything (WIFI, cameras, modem, iOS, etc) and the problem remains.  It doesn't seem to matter what the recording is; people, animals or vehicles.  Oddly, the Nest Doorbell camera does not seem to be affected.  This problem started about a week ago.  Any ideas?   

[MplsCustomer]

@straitshooter 

Have you tried deleting and reinstalling your Google Home app?

[straitshooter]

That's about the only thing I haven't tried.  I was/am reluctant to; concerned that I'd need to start everything from scratch.  I looked for updates (ith the app store) and didn't find any; assuming I have the latest version.  Is it safe to delete the home app and reinstall without losing current configurations?

Thanks for your reply BTW.... 

[MplsCustomer]

@straitshooter 

You don't have to start anything from scratch.  We've done it on our iPhones.  You delete the Google Home app, go to the App Store and reinstall it, and then log back on with the same Google Account username and password.  You don't lose any of your settings.

[straitshooter]

Thanks for the insight. I’ll give it a try!

[straitshooter]

Tried moments ago but unfortunately, did not help.

[MplsCustomer]

@straitshooter 

That's too bad. What's really strange is that your Google Home app just shuts down.

You could try contacting Support, using the link and instructions in this post:

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Using-Google-Nest-s-quot-Contact-Us-quo...

[EmersonB]

Hi everyone,

@straitshooter, thanks for reaching out here in the Community. To know more about this issue, I’d like to confirm, how far are your Nest Cameras from your Wi-Fi router? Try resetting them to the factory default. Just a reminder, after the reset all your event history and other configuration will be deleted.

To reset:

1. Locate the reset button on the back of your Nest Camera.

• Tip: The reset button on your Nest Camera is located on the back of the camera head.

2. Press and hold the button:

• At 10 seconds, the status light will flash yellow four times, and you’ll hear a countdown tone.
• At 12 seconds, the status light will be steady, solid yellow while the camera starts the factory reset, and you’ll hear a confirmation tone.

3. Release the button. Your Nest Camera will restore to its factory settings.

4. After the factory reset, your Nest Camera will appear as “Offline” in the app until you remove it.

To remove it from the app, open the app, tap on the device, then tap Settings> Remove device > Confirm.

5. To learn more, you may visit our public article about “Restart or factory reset Nest camera or doorbell”.

Let us know how it goes.

I appreciate the help, MplsCustomer.

Best,

Emerson

[straitshooter]

Hi and thanks for the reply.  I already did the full gamut you described.  Unfortunately, the problem still exists.  No camera is more than 15ft from a router or point and as far as that’s concerned, my configuration has been in place since Jan 2023.  So, the issue has only happened in the past few weeks.   I suspect it might have something to do with a recent “Google Home” app update.  I can’t tell for sure because there’s no way to restore to the earlier version.  All cameras live viewing works fine; only the history playbacks have the issue.

Steve

[MplsCustomer]

@EmersonBand @straitshooter :

This seems to be a newly-introduced software or firmware defect; it has already been reported to Google Nest's team; see below.

It just started happening to us two days ago; it was NOT happening before. It happens, for us, on an iPhone XR and on an iPhone 13 Mini, both running iOS 17.0.3 and Google Home 3.7.103.  It also happens on our 2015 iPad Pro running IOS 16.7 and Google Home 3.7.103.  It happens when viewing video clips from our battery camera. It does NOT happen when viewing video clips from our 1st gen cameras in the Google Home app. It does NOT seem to occur (at least so far) on our iPad Pro 6th Gen, running on the same software versions.

The Google Home app frequently simply closes with a click sound about 5 seconds into viewing a video clip. Sometimes the video clip just stops. If I try to immediately reopen the Google Home app, it opens a white screen with "Google" at the bottom and the app does not finish reopening. I have to close the app and wait a short while before I can reopen it. Sometimes after reopening the app we can then view the video clip successfully.

I've tried deleting and reinstalling the Google Home app, and it does not make a difference. We are not seeing any other issues with the Google Home app.

On our newer iPad Pro, the Google Home app does NOT crash when viewing video clips; instead, the screen often goes black and we get a "Camera unavailable - Couldn't reach this camera" error message. Since we are in the middle of accessing the camera in the Google Home app, and the camera is still open on the screen, and we are able to go back to a "Live" view or select another video clip to view (subject to the same error), this is most peculiar. It seems like some sort of error is occurring on Google Nest's servers.

The same issue is logged in these threads:

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Apps-Account/Google-Home-App-Crashes/m-p/490663

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Google-Home-App/td-p/489018
(On this thread, Google Nest Community Specialist @Jenelyn_O reported: "No worries, our team is taking note of it. Do you happen to have an Android device to isolate if the issue is happening on Android devices as well?"  We don't have any Android devices.)

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Google-Home-app-crashes-while-viewing-v...

I've left feedback in the Google Home app.

[straitshooter]

Very interesting comments and explanation!  Hopefully time will tell if the mothership presents a solution!

Thanks for your message!

[pctrauth]

Thank you @MplsCustomer ! This is one of the best troubleshooting reports I've ever seen. There are a few details I can add to hopefully help zero in on a solution:

My wife's iPhone 13 Mini is having what seems like the same crashing issue. Unfortunately, I don't have her version details. My iPhone 13 Pro is not crashing (iOS 16.6.1, Modem 2.80.01, ESIM, Google Home 3.7). All access settings for the Google Home app are turned on, but Location is limited to "While Using the App". I have seen a few other threads that seem like the same issue, and they are all specifically related to Google/Nest cameras. My iPhone 13 Pro gets the same "Camera unavailable - Couldn't reach this camera" error, but it seems there's more to this:

When accessing history by selecting a camera > hamburger menu (3 stacked lines) > "History" and then selecting a clip to watch, the video crashes with this "Camera Unavailable..." error after approximately 10 seconds of playback. All video content is viewable, but only in 10 second increments. That is, until playback is started within 10 seconds of the end of the clip and allowed to play through to the end. After this, the clip can be played in it's entirety, or from any location within the clip, and no more "Camera Unavailable..." error. Of course, if you leave this page and go back to the main “History” menu, the same issue happens again.

At first, it seemed like the issue could be avoided by using the view toggle menu instead (stacked up and down chevron), though after a lot of testing, this seems inconsistent. Either way, it does seem to work normally sometimes, which is better than the main History menu. I did a lot of testing from this page to see if I could find a reliable method of playback, and there was something I did to make, the app finally crash! 

When one of the video clips crashed, I immediately brought up another clip which I was sure wasn’t played back yet. It brought up a still image, and the play button at the bottom of the app was grayed out as though the clip was playing. I’m not sure what I did next, but that’s what seemed to cause the app to crash. Sorry for the lack of delivery on that buildup. I haven’t been able to recreate the app crash yet.

This really feels like a Google Home App issue, but it’s surprising to see it go on for so long. Unfortunately, the changeover from Nest to Google has been a bit of a disappointment so far (my opinion). Hopefully the silence doesn’t mean they’re about to give up on camera products.

It would be good to know if this is also happening on Android right now, and which version(s)/device(s).

[dtduemer]

I have exactly same issue reported in these threads.  Have had my cameras working since December 2022.  No issue until 3rd or 4th week or Sept 2023.  Crashes when reviewing video.  Maybe 15 seconds, 30 seconds or 1 minute of review. 
Each week for last three weeks I have worked with support to do the exact same steps of deleting app, reinstalling app, checking iOS versions, checking date/ time and Location services.  Chatted with higher technical support who each time send details to engineering.  Answer is always they will investigate.  

I offer Google Home Engineering team contact me to troubleshoot real-time!

I see many people are frustrated over this.  My subscription is coming due in November.  Hmmm. I’m not sure I should pay for something this bad. 

Seems there support chat team is not aware or does not want to admit about all of the people having this issue.  I suggested the “google” Google Home App crash. Then they will see their impact !

[Rarchie]

Google does not care and not trying to fix the problem.  Not have they answered by BBB complaint.  So it shows the attitude towards their customers. It won’t change until it hits their pockets.  I wish I never got their devices 

[MC11]

I am having the exact problem. 

[Just_Geo]

You can check the version of the Home app you are running:  Start the Home app.  The home screen has a gear (Settings) bottom right.  Tap it.  Scroll down and tap Support.  See App info... that's the version you are running.  Too see if the latest, go to the App Store and search and find Google Home app.  Then tap the Home Icon.  See Version under What's New.  Tap Version History.  Read all the spewed out BS from their Don't give a hoot App publishing team.  Sad.

[Spr97ajm]

I'm having the same issues as described here, that have been happening for what seems like a few weeks now. I have two Google Nest Cam (battery) cameras and they have worked reasonably well until now. Recently, when watching the live feed from either camera, the sound cuts out after one or two seconds. When trying to view recorded videos, they play about halfway through and then cut out with a "Camera unavailable, Couldn't reach this camera" error, which is very odd as I thought the videos were on Google's servers and not stored on the cameras. There is nothing wrong with the video clips themselves because I can download them to my device and play them without issue. 

Google have absolutely ruined the Nest experience. I used to have two older Nest cams and the Nest app worked flawlessly, I didn't even realise that Google had crippled the compatibility with the Nest app until after I'd bought these new ones.

I'm using iOS 17.0.3 on an iPhone 15 Pro.

Google Home app version 3.7.

Cameras on the latest software as far as I know. They update themselves.

[straitshooter]

I'll inject that my iOS levels are:  the most current 17.xxx on a 12 phone and 15.xxx on a 7 phone (highest level this phone can have).   So, to think that operating level might have something to do with it doesn't hold credibility.  The problem must be with the Home App, not iOS.

[raddoc]

I'm also having the same problem acutely, but it DOES also affect the doorbell. 

[MplsCustomer]

@raddoc 

The 2nd gen doorbell?

[raddoc]

Yes 2nd gen wired

[straitshooter]

Very odd.  I checked mine (again) and the Hello cam (2nd gen wired) plays back video (on the native Nest app as well as on Google Home app) but, now I have lost audio and the chime on my mobile device does not "ring".  I've checked all settings and checked for and installed an update too.  NG.  NUTS!  

[straitshooter]

...and I'm still having my original problem with the home app crashing and history playback not working properly....

[Spr97ajm]

 iOS app updated to 3.8 today, none of the above issues have been addressed. 

[straitshooter]

Well, 

I just installed the update too.  I'll give it a day or so but if the problem continues, I'll be cancelling my GH subscription & Nest Aware account and there'll probably be an "auction" on a particular website for:  1-Nest outdoor battery camera w/16ft power cord adapter, AC wall charger & mounting puck,  1-Nest Security light w/Nest outdoor camera, 1-Hello Nest doorbell, wired version w/hardware.  Depending on how all that goes, a Nest WIFI router & point might be next!

ALL IN ORIGINAL PACKAGING

[straitshooter]

Kudo that!

[straitshooter]

PCTrauth on Monday posed a very good question/comment:  "It would be good to know if this is also happening on Android right now, and which version(s)/device(s)". 

 Interesting that no one has responded to this (except for me now) and it's starting to raise a suspicion.  Are we (iOS users) somehow being throttled into having to switch to Android as a solution?  C'mon Google, you're not saying anything about any of this.  The worst response you can have is NO RESPONSE.  What's up?  If we iOS users are the only one's affected, tell us so.  Further that with a plan of action to fix and when.  While it may not seem like much in the "grand" scheme of things, I personally have a 5+figure investment in Nest products not including the subscription.  I'd like to know if this is AS GOOD AS IT GETS so I can decide on my next action. 💢         

[straitshooter]

What a disaster