Google Nest Outdoor Camera

[LeoSuncar]

Hello

I'm having an issue with my Outdoor Nest Cameras. I have one in the front watching the front porch (small area) and one out back watching the Driveway and Alley. Up until a few months ago I would get consistent vehicle and people alerts but now I don't get them unless someone pulls into my driveway (it didn't even pick up the garbage truck coming through the alley) and it doesn't pick up the mailman who comes right up to my front door. I haven't moved it and I keep it powered up over 50%. 

Can you help?

[EmptyNester]

Hi LeoSuncar, I'm an end user like you.  The first thing that comes to mind is make sure you Nest Aware subscription is still activated.  You can check this by going into the app and at the top level where you see all your devices click on GEAR (settings) icon.  Then in the list select NEST AWARE.  Make sure it is still active.  It should say NEST AWARE or NEST AWARE PLUS depending on which plan you signed up for.   If you cameras are new then you had a 30 day trial period where this was active for free.  Could that have run out?

[LeoSuncar]

I checked and it's still active. I have the Nest Aware Plus. 

[MplsCustomer]

@LeoSuncar 

There is at least one other post from a customer reporting event detection getting worse for their Google Nest Camera (Battery). Maybe Google Nest has changed their detection algorithm when the camera is running on battery power.  We've had a Google Nest Camera (Battery) for a year, plugged in with the optional power cable, and we have good event detection.  But if we unplug it, and then walk in front of the camera, it does NOT detect the event when on battery power.

[EmptyNester]

Hi @MplsCustomer,   Can you tell me what your observation is on false triggers?   Do you get many notificaitons where it says there is a person but no one is there?  Or that there is a person there but it doesn't detect?  I had on of these cameras for a short time and it seemed to work good during the day but at night I was finding it wasn't spotting people all that well and I wouldn't get an alert.  Maybe this has improved?

Thanks

[MplsCustomer]

@EmptyNester 

First, the technology is not perfect on any of our Google Nest cameras and doorbells. (We have every variety except the new battery doorbell and floodlight camera and the older IQ cameras.) None of them detect people or motion as well at night as they do during the day. Second, we get very few false triggers; we had one false "people" alert recently when a wasp landed on our Nest Hello Doorbell. Third, our Google Nest Camera (Battery)--plugged in with the optional power cable--performs as well as our older cameras; but if we unplug it, we can walk up to the camera during the day and it won't detect us.

[EmptyNester]

OK, thanks for the update.  It is a shame that the night time part doesn't work well as that is often when you need to be alerts the most if someone is lurking around.

[janthadeus]

Hi folks,

Checking in should you still have further questions here. Let us know by replying to this thread.

Thanks for your help, EmptyNester and MplsCustomer.

Regards,

JT

[LeoSuncar]

No more questions but I think it's an algorithm issue that changed the consistency of the motion alerts, which is a concern and will cause me to try a different camera. 

Thank you all for your help!

[EmersonB]

Hello everyone,

Chiming in to see if you still need assistance with this. Hope the previous post helped. Let us know if you have additional questions, otherwise we’ll be locking the thread after 24 hours.

I appreciate the help @EmptyNester, MplsCustomer and @Jt.

Thanks,
Emerson