Google has made my Nest cameras worthless

[Synergeo]

I own six Nest cameras: three each at two locations. I have always resisted migrating from my Nest account to Google; however, the other day either I accidentally hit something that switched me or Google migrated me without my permission. SO when I go to the Nest app, it tells me to enter in all of my devices. OK. Pain in the butt, but whatever. I re-enter the first camera and Nest tells me that the camera is already part of another account. So I go to the Account settings, enter my email and password. Then Nest says that they will send me an email to verify that it is me. Therein the problem: the email with which I set up my Nest account was eliminated by my former company once I retired last year. IT NO LONGER EXISTS! The email from Nest is going to the ether. Thus I cannot verify to Nest who I am. I spent a very frustrating hour on the phone with tech support. They flat out told me that unless I get my old email back (an impossibly at this point), my cameras are effectively trash. I asked if they could send me a text verification in lieu of email. Even though this is 2023, not 2003, tech support said this was IMPOSSIBLE. I was told that there was NO other way to verify my identity except with my dead email account. My significant investment in cameras has vaporized. This really sucks. Sorry for the rant, but I am frustrated beyond measure. I need help. 

[David_K]

If your account was migrated, your products should already be there, you shouldn't need to add them again. I wonder if you have more than one Google account?

I appreciate it probably sounds obvious but the first thing I would check is that you're logged into the Nest app with the Google account you migrated to, go to myaccount.google.com/permissions and sign in with the Google account you think you migrated your Nest account to. If Nest appears under "Sign in with Google," then that is the Google account your Nest account was migrated to.

Assuming you are signing in with the right Google account, it is possible it's just not refreshed with your devices. 

1. Force close the Nest app.
• Android: Swipe up from the bottom, hold, then let go. Swipe up on the Google Home app.
• iPhone/iPad: Swipe up from the bottom, hold, then let go. Swipe up on the Google Home app. On older devices with a home button, double-click the Home button, then swipe up on the Google Home app.
2. Re-open the Nest app.

[Synergeo]

I believe I have done everything imaginable including what you describe above. I have looked online, on this forum, and have spent a frustrating hour with tech support and always end up in a Catch-22 situation. 

When I now open the Nest app, it gives me two choices: Sign in with Google or sign in with Nest. When I sign in with Google using my gmail account, there are NO devices that show. When I close out the app and restart it and Sign in with Nest, I use the email that I set up the account with (the one that no longer exists) and password. I then get a screen that says that it has sent an email with a code to the now non-existent email account to verify that it is me. Your tech support says that I must have my old email to migrate the old devices to the Google account (the one I never wanted in the first place). The only possibility they said might help was to unplug the cameras for 48 hours, plug them back in, and then see if they would reconnect to my network. The problem is they said I would have to change the entire network name and password to do this. This would force me to reset all of my devices that are connected to the network for a solution that had a low probability of working.

I have a total of six Nest cameras, two smoke detectors, and a thermostat that I cannot use through the app. On the Google account permissions link above (something I had not seen before), there is a button “Stop using Sign-in with Google”. I would very much like to go back to the old settings before this whole mess started, but I hesitate to stop using the Google sign-in without assurance that it will help to resolve this mess.

[David_K]

The migration is one way, there is no way to go back so I wouldn't recommend clicking that button. It sounds as though for whatever reason the migration didn't complete, and if you can no longer access the Nest app with your Nest account, there's not going to be a way to resolve it by trying to use that account.

As another user, not Google employee, although this is going to be painful, I'll walk you through how to add your products back to the app with your Google account. First sign into the Nest app with your Google account then follow the steps below.

Nest Protect

1. Reset Nest Protect and erase all settings - Google Nest Help
2. Set up Nest Protect with the app - Google Nest Help

Nest Thermostat 

Assuming it is a Nest Learning Thermostat or Nest Thermostat E:

1. On the thermostat, press it to open the quick view menu and tap the Settings cog.
2. Select Reset, then Account connection. If you don't see that option, you'll need to select All Settings which resets the thermostat.
3. On the Nest app home screen, tap the Settings cog.
4. Tap Add product. The app will switch to a camera view to scan the thermostat’s QR code.
5. On the thermostat, press it to open the quick view menu and tap the Settings cog.
6. Turn the ring to select Nest app and press to open it.
7. Select QR code. Your thermostat will show you a unique QR code to scan with the app. If it doesn't, tap Continue without scanning in the app and select Get entry key on your thermostat instead.
8. Follow the remaining steps in the Nest app.

Nest Cameras

Unfortunately, the situation for your cameras isn't going to be a quick fix. The first thing to do is factory reset and retry setup:

1. Restart or factory reset Nest camera or doorbell - Google Nest Help
   
2. Set up and connect Nest camera - Google Nest Help
   

If you're subscribed to Nest Aware, it won't let you set up the camera again until the video history has expired. That's up to 30 days for Nest Aware, and up to 60 days for Nest Aware Plus. There's no way to bypass this and there's no way to check when it will expire so you can setup the camera again.

Hopefully, this gets you back up and running. Let me know how you get on!

[Synergeo]

I am still in the infinite Catch-22 loop. I cannot do a factory reset on the cameras until I first delete my first generation Nest Aware account. I cannot delete the Nest Aware account until I first log into my Nest account. Then I hit the same old wall: I cannot access my Nest account until I have access to my old non-existent email. This email is the only way that Nest will allow for the second step in the verification process. Nest says it is impossible for them to send the second-step verification to my text. (This appears to be too technologically advanced for Nest).

I just spent another frustrating hour on the phone to Nest technical support and got nowhere.

I was able to simply reset the settings on my thermostat and smoke detectors and they now show up on my Sign in with Google Nest account.

I never had problems with Nest until Google took over.

[David_K]

Sadly, you're not going to be able to regain access to that Nest account. To end a Nest Aware subscription in situations like this in the past where the Nest account has become unrecoverable, I've seen users contact their bank and ask them to cancel the charges or even cancel the card used to make the payment.

Glad you've got your thermostat and smoke detectors back up and running. 

[Synergeo]

Nest worked perfectly fine until Google took over. I never quite appreciated the comments that equated Google to the evil empire. Now I know the sad reality.