iPhone volume cannot be muted when viewing Nest cam live video

[Greggolas]

It is not possible to have an iPhone stay muted while viewing Nest cam live video in the Home app. To reproduce:

1) Turn off the iPhone device volume using the volume down button on the phone

2) Open the Google Home app and view live video for a Nest cam

3) Audio from the live video will play out of the phone speakers and it is not possible to mute the volume using the iPhone volume control or any other mechanism. All other apps honor the volume setting and only the Home app overrides the device volume.

This is completely reproducible and has been reported by multiple users and ignored previously https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Apps-Account/Cannot-turn-volume-all-the-way-down-while-live-v...

I’ve raised this bug report with support twice and they have no ability to understand what I’m saying or open a bug report with the product team so this is my last shot at trying to get someone’s attention that can understand and address a simple software bug report.

[Greggolas]

Restarting the device has no effect on the issue discussed in this post

[jhkillam]

I’ve also been facing this problem since I got Google nest cameras in late 2022. I always keep my phone volume all the way down until I need to listen to something, then I put it back off when I’m done. The Home app seems to override the volume immediately upon opening it and usually cranks it all the way up, and as everyone else explains in this and other older threads says, then it will only let my turn the volume down to about 10% then it just stays stuck there until I close the app. 

[TreChaves]

Same issue here. In the Home app the minimum volume is around 10%. This behaviour is unlike any other app I’ve ever used on an iPhone, which allows you to mute sound. I will report this directly to Apple as I can imagine they don’t like apps that override their own hardwares master settings. Have to say, I really liked the first gen Nest cameras but between the removed features (no “heard something”) and the weird idiosyncrasies of the Home App I’m not so happy with the latest versions. 

[Kain_]

same issue… it’s incredibly frustrating.

[Plano]

Same issue as well. The nest app doesn’t do this to my 1st gen camera but the Google home app (which I was forced to use) for gen 2 will not let me turn sound off. Very frustrating.

[rogues29]

I am also having this problem and, for what it's worth, I think it might be happening from the way in which the audio is being output from Google home.

This behaviour is what happens when you make a zoom call on iOS (at least on my iPad anyway). It's by design for the video/audio call apps as I guess they think that you wouldn't want to mute audio entirely in a call. (This is also a matter up for debate in my opinion).

I think maybe the newer cameras are being presented in a “communication” mode, so the no-mute applies. Whereas the old cameras are plain old audio playback, therefore mutable.

Quite frustrating.

They are clearly being presented with a different visual interface too which is what makes me suspect the different way in which the audio is being replayed...

[brentalansmith]

The only solution that works for me is to go to home.google.com in Safari.  From there i hit Share -> add to desktop for frequent access.