Information Google is not correct aboiut what to do when bell signal doesnt come through

[Theodam]

Hi there,

I have a doorbell from Nest. For some months now the doorbell - when rang by someone - is not reliable anymore. Sometimes it doesnt give a signal to any of the Google mini speakers I have at home. For a long time also nothing appears on my iPhone 14. I accepted that, thinking the bell was working on my speakers. So we knew when somebody was at the door anyway. However, we recently found that the doorbell doesnt ring always.

Obviously I checked all information Google gives. One thing that comes back is that is being said that you have. to go to settings and 'visitors notifications'. However, this doesnt exist in settings from the Google Home app, nor in the app from Nest. So, this should be improved I think.

Thank you

[MplsCustomer]

@Theodam 

You have to go to your doorbell in the Google Nest app or Google Home app (depending on whether you have a 1st gen or 2nd gen doorbell), and select the doorbell's Settings, and then access "Visitor announcements":

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7672451

Also, if your Nest speaker is set to "Do not disturb", you won't get visitor announcements.

"Push notifications" need to be enabled in the Google Nest app or Google Home app (depending on whether you have a 1st gen or 2nd gen doorbell) in order to get notifications for doorbell presses on your phone.

[Theodam]

Hi,

Thank you for responding. Some comments:

1. Visitor announcements is not there in settings from my Google Home app (last updated version).

2. Yes, you are right: speaker shouldnt be on 'silent'and with 'push notifications enabled. Which respectively isnt and is.

I already reported the first issue, wrong text in support, with Google, since they need to update their support information.I appreciate your support. Unfortunately it didnt solve the problem.

If you have any other ideas, please. Thanks again for your time and effort.

Thank you for your time,

Theo

Theo

[MplsCustomer]

@Theodam 

We have three 1st gen Google Nest Hello Doorbells, so I can't verify where the "Visitor announcements" option is found in the Google Home app for the 2nd gen doorbell, but judging from posts on other sites, there seems to be a "Voice notifications" option under Settings | Device settings for the 2nd gen doorbell.  I can't explain the discrepancy in the option's title or location in the app:

[Theodam]

Hi there,

Not on mine. It is in Dutch, but you on the settings from the Google Home App nothing like "bezoekers meldingen" (= visitors notifications) or "stem notificaties"(= voice notifications) It also doesnt show at the settings from the device. 

Unfortunately I am not allowed to upload images. But what you show I havent got, not even close. Sorry.

[MplsCustomer]

@Theodam 

It is most peculiar indeed that you are missing the "Visitor announcements" option for your 2nd gen Google Nest Doorbell in the Google Home app. There are numerous posts in this forum from customers using that option.

Have you tried deleting and reinstalling the Google Home app on your phone?

If that doesn't resolve it, 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...

[Theodam]

I can tell you one thing: I most certainly am not lying about it. If only because it would make my life a lot more easy if the d.....d thing would be there.

It isnt resolved.

I already have been in touch with support. However, the man google texts and then read the Google support texts to me. Quite frankly that was useless since I already did read all those texts the last two days trying to find answers. As well as that I told him several times this particular text is not correct. There is not an option in regard of notifications. Those are not to be found anywhere in the app.  I can send you screenshots if you let me.

So, I am sorry to say: this is not going to help. From my experience today, Google support just doesnt know more than what is in the support-pages.

Now what?

Thanks again for your time and effort trying to help. It is appreciated.

Kind regards

[MplsCustomer]

@Theodam 

I believe you. It's just so strange.  Did you try deleting and reinstalling the Google Home app, in case this is due to some corruption in the app?

If you click on the blue profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen BEFORE you click on "Reply", it logs you on and the blue profile changes to a letter (unless you've personalized it); then you get a camera icon that you can use to post images and screen shots.

[Theodam]

Thanks man. In Holland we have a saying: "it is like the devil is playing with it", meaning: the same (weird) thing happening all over again shortly after the first (weird) event or mistake. I would use that now. Since I dont see any blue sign in the right corner. I do have a green sign with a 'T'on the right corner of my page. However, if I click that, it says profile, settings etc. So, you see that is why I thought of the proverb with the devil playing.........

[MplsCustomer]

@Theodam 

If you see a green sign with a "T" in the upper right corner, that means you are already signed into this forum (the "T" is the first letter of your name), and you then (as shown in my earlier post) have a camera icon that would let you attach or upload screen shots of what you're seeing in your Google Home app.

On the other hand, if you see a blue profile icon in the upper right corner, then you are NOT yet signed into this forum, and there is no camera icon in your "Reply" window (see screen shot below).

Did you try deleting and reinstalling your Google Home app, to see if that restores the "Visitor announcements/voice notifications option? (You do not lose any settings in doing so; you just log back in with the same username and password.)

[Theodam]

yes, I did delete and install the Google Home app. It still didnt show the button. In the end after I gave up, deciding to get id of it and buy other, i started to do some other work on the Nest thermo (heater). Whilst doing that I stumbled across a tab (3-4 clicks from the home tab) on which the button visitors announcements was present. 

[Theodam]

for you to know, you might be able to help somebody else with it:: the button visitors anouncements is in the Nest app. Thanks for your help. CU

[EdmondB]

Hello Theodam, 

Just wanted to check if you've had a chance to see MplsCustomer's response. If you need anything else or have any questions, just let me know.

I appreciate the help, @MplsCustomer. 

Best,
Edmond

[EdmondB]

Hi there, 

Thanks for reaching back out to us. I’m stoked that you were able to find the option for the visitor’s announcement. If you  need any more help, just let me know.

Cheers,
Edmond

[EmptyNester]

Hello,  I'm not sure what is going neither.  By any change was the doorbell purchased in a different country than the one you are installing it in?

[Theodam]

Hi There,

Good question. No, this time it wasnt. I bought it in the Netherlands, online with Google. As I did with all cameras en speakers.

[EmptyNester · Accepted solution]

Hmmmm, I'm out of ideas.  I think at this point you next step would be to reach out to Google and speak with one of their tech people.   You can open a support ticket here at this website and once you enter the information I believe there will be a button that lets you receive a phone call and speak with someone.  Here is the link:

https://support.google.com/googlenest/gethelp

Please return here and let us know how it went.

[Theodam]

thank you

[Theodam]

Hi all,

In the meantime i have used in total 14 hours (!), from which about 6 chatting with people from Google. There is no solution for my problem. Although they dont say, they dont know. They follow protocols. But now after patiently doing what they ask me to do (even when I asked them why and they couldnt tell me), the problem still is there. That is unfortunate. I have an expensive doorbell with five google minis and an iphone and the bell just doesnt ring on the minis and the iphone. So, it is useless really. I am really sorry to say this., I am also frankly really frustrated.

One thing I did found though and that is why I am mailing this. The VISITORS ANOUNCEMENT button, where the Google support text is referring to (https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7672451?hl=en-GB#zippy=%2Cset-up-your-products%2Cturn-v...)  is not in the Google Home app. It is in the Nest app. So, if you look for that, look in the Nest app. That will save you a lot of time.

[MplsCustomer]

@Theodam 

To set "Visitor announcements" in the Google Home app, Google Nest's instructions say:

1. Open the Home app.
2. Tap and hold your device's tile [i.e., your doorbell's tile],
3. In the top right, tap Settings | Doorbell
4. Turn "Visitor announcements" on or off.

Other customers in this forum report going to the "Doorbell" settings screen and turning on "Visitor announcements".

If you go to Settings | Doorbell for your doorbell in the Google Home app, you should get the Google Home app screen shown below. (I had to search the internet for an example, because our three doorbells are Nest Hello doorbells that work in the Google Nest app.  This example is from an unwired battery doorbell, which explains some of the wording on the screen.)  What do you get instead?  Can you attach a screen capture?

[Theodam]

Hi there,

As I said before in this community (above): it isnt there in my Google Home app. Not anythimng like it either. I have send screenprints to Google various times. For the Nest Doorbell I have bought about two years ago, the button 'visitors anouncements' doesnt show in the Google Home app at all. OK< clear now?

However, after many many hours searching and trying things, whilst reading lots of texts from Google (not helping since only saying what you are saying and that is wrong for my equipment from Google) and mailing Google, as well as yesterday being on the chat for 6,5 hours (!) with people fom Google trying to find solutions, they concluded they didnt know.

So, I was frustrated. I as going to get rid of everything. I started with some other wok, getting the Nest thermo going again for the heater. Guess what? While I was doing that, I noticed on one of the tabs a button 'visitors announcement' !! So, this button wasnt in the Google Home app. The button is in the Nest app.

OK?

So, get Google to change their text to include that it also might be in the Nest app.

Thank you for your time and effort. I appreciate it.

[Theodam]

anyway: the problem is closed for me. Thank you all for trying to help and find some answers. I really do appreciate all your effort and suggestions. Thanks!

[MplsCustomer]

@Theodam 

Google Nest's documentation DOES (CORRECTLY) show that the "Visitor announcements" option is present in the Google Nest app, under Settings | Visitor announcements (for 1st gen Google Nest Hello Doorbells), and in the Google Home app under Settings | Doorbell | Visitor announcements (for 2nd gen Google Nest Doorbells and Google Nest Battery Doorbells).

If--as your post says--you have a 2nd gen Google Nest Doorbell (which became available in Oct. 2022 and is installed in the Google Home app), the "Visitor announcements" option is on the "Doorbell" screen that is accessed from Settings | Doorbell (and shown in the screen shot above). If it is missing from that screen in your Google Home app, perhaps there is some anomaly in the Google Home app, and you could try deleting and reinstalling your Google Home app. Or perhaps you have a defective doorbell.

On the other hand, perhaps you actually have a 1st gen Google Nest Hello Doorbell (which is installed in the Google Nest app). You say you've had it for two years and you said you just found a "Visitor announcements" option in the Google Nest app, where it is only present for 1st gen Google Nest Hello Doorbells. If you have the Google Nest Hello Doorbell, the "Visitor announcements" option is on the main Settings screen for the doorbell.

All of this is as documented (see screen shot below, from https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7672451?hl=en-GB#zippy=%2Cturn-visitor-announcements-on...).

Google Nest does NOT document that the "Visitor announcements" option is ALSO found under Settings | Device options, on the Device options screen, in the Google Home app for both 1st and 2nd gen doorbells, and there it is labelled "Voice notifications", as shown in the other screen shot I posted above.

I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do.

[Theodam]

I am sorry man, I have been on the chat with Google support people, for 5-6 hours in one go. These people were kind enough to try and help me. They never ever mentioned that I had to look in the Nest app for visitors announcement. If they dont know, why do you think it is easy? Dont rebuff me without cause. It is not needed. And I close this argument.

[MplsCustomer]

@Theodam 

Sorry.  I did not intend to imply it was easy. It is confusing to have to deal with 2 different apps for our Google Nest devices, each organized differently, with overlapping controls and options.

[Theodam]

it is