How to add a Nest Cam when they are already up

[Kushyomon]

I just purchased a house and the previous owner left 3 working outdoor Nest Cams outside.  When I used the Nest app and tried to add them as a new product it wanted the code from the cameras.  Is there any way of doing this without taking them down to get the code?

[MplsCustomer]

@Kushyomon 

Unfortunately, you need the 6-character Setup Code. It's on the bottom of the camera, below the QR code. (At least it is on our cameras.) You should be able to see it by just pulling the camera off of the magnetic mount.

Did the previous owner remove the cameras from their Google Nest app?

[Kushyomon]

Thanks, the previous owner was a real jerk so I don't know if he removed the cameras from the app.  My guess is that he probably didn't.

[MplsCustomer]

@Kushyomon 

If the previous owner didn't remove them from the Google Nest app, you may encounter a "camera belongs to another account" and be unable to proceed, even if you do a factory reset. Below is the recommended process. Some customers report that Support has been able to help them out of the dilemma (apparently by unplugging the camera for 48 hours and then taking some other steps).

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/11151047?hl=en#zippy=%2Cother-google-devices-set-up-in-...

[Kushyomon]

Thanks for the information.  I may end up taking them down and selling them if I am unable to activate them.

[EmersonB]

Hello everyone,

@Kushyomon checking in — we hope you've got the answer you're looking for. Let us know if you have more questions in mind.

I appreciate the help, @MplsCustomer.

Regards,
Emerson

[aatienza]

Hey there,

I just wanted to follow up to see if you still need our help. Please let us know as we would be happy to answer any questions you may have. 

I appreciate the help, Emerson.
 

Thanks,

Archie

[aatienza]

Hey folks,

Just checking in to make sure that you've seen our responses. Please let me know if you have other questions or concerns as I will be locking this in 24 hours if I won't hear back from you again. Feel free to start a new thread and we'll be happy to help.
 

Thanks,

Archie