Nest Doorbell doesn't work with GSuite account

[daveypea]

I've just brought a Nest Doorbell. I didn't even give a thought that it wouldn't work given that I have everything Google. My account is a Google Workspace (formerly GSuite). 

The Google Home app says I'm not able to connect to the doorbell to set it up. 

What is going on here? I can't find any fix online for this problem, just a load of (rightly) angry people who feel they've been duped into buying something. I don't understand why this can't be fixed. What can I do?! This is ridiculous.

[David_K · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately, there is no workaround for this issue. Setup of that product requires a normal personal Gmail account.

Some Google Home app features are not available for Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) accounts. To access all Google Home app features available in your country, link a personal Gmail account instead.

[daveypea]

Why? 

Why is my Google Workspace account a second class account? I have a Google Nest 2 hub that works with my lights and Hive thermostat and I brought the Nest doorbell and some Nest Audio to complete the set-up. Does none of this work with my home set-up?

I don't understand. It seems absurd. Why don't you write this all over the packaging?? I've essentially brought something that doesn't work. 

How do I get it to work? Do I have to set up all of my other devices again? I don't use a GMail account. How can I get the Nest doorbell to work on my Google Home set-up with other Nest devices? Or is this impossible?

[daveypea]

What would you suggest I do? I have a Nest Hub (2nd Gen) that is set-up with my Google (Workspace) Account. I have lights and thermostat working on it, it syncs photos, tells me alerts etc - all related to my workspace account.

Do you have any instructions on how I could have the Nest doorbell working on this device but keep the other devices on it that are already working?

Do I set up two homes? One for the nest doorbell with my an old Gmail account. How should I set it up? I can't find any helpful or useful information from Google about how to do this. And the only answers I've found on this forum suggest that I just use a 'normal personal Gmail account' to use the Nest doorbell, it doesn't say what to do with the rest of my Google Home configuration.

I presume I just have to start again and re-connect everything? 

Why have Google made this so difficult?

[David_K]

Assuming you want to keep the doorbell, there's two ways forward essentially.

1. Sign out of your Workspace account in the Home app, sign in with a personal Gmail account, and setup your new doorbell. Your doorbell lives in this account and home structure and cannot interact with your other devices.
2. Same as above, but then also factory reset your other devices and set them up with a personal Gmail account. As the devices will all then be in the same home structure, your doorbell can interact with your Nest Hub etc.

[daveypea]

Okay so I can do that with the Personal Account. 

What I'm understanding here is that it's not recommended to set-up Google Home with a Google Workspace Account? Could you confirm?

Also a favour please... could you raise this with the 'Made by Google' team. I mean properly raise it as a genuine point of pain. As a long time Google devotee I have been sorely tested by this. As a Google Workspace user I feel like a second class citizen. Why should I? I pay for my Workspace Account so for those on free personal Google accounts to get more features seems bizarre.

I would like to know what Google's official position is on this? I would bet it's in the company's interest to fix this but atm it feels like Google are just saying. Nah, you small business guys, workspace guys - we don't want you. Go to Alexa or Apple Homekit. They don't penalise business users over consumers.

As of now, myself and many others who have wasted time on this I'm sure would appreciate a roadmap on if this is ever going to be fixed.

Sadly, atm I would be unable to recommend either Google Home or Google Workspace products to anyone. Especially if they are considering home automation. That seems crazy, but I didn't make the rules.

[David_K]

What I'm understanding here is that it's not recommended to set-up Google Home with a Google Workspace Account? Could you confirm?

Correct. 

Also a favour please... could you raise this with the 'Made by Google' team

Google is very much well aware of this long standing feature request, unfortunately.

I would like to know what Google's official position is on this?

The disclaimer text I referenced above is stated in the help centre here:
Link a Google Workspace account to the Google Home app - Google Nest Help

Note: Some Google Home app features are not available for Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) accounts. To access all Google Home app features available in your country, link a personal Gmail account instead.

As of now, myself and many others who have wasted time on this I'm sure would appreciate a roadmap on if this is ever going to be fixed.

This is a long standing feature request. Given how long it's stayed like that, I cannot see this changing I'm afraid. Google has certainly made no announcements or updates in this regard.