Nest Doorbell (wired, gen 2) - no ability to download footage outside of "events"?

[joe_sample]

The problem: I have a Google Nest (2nd gen) wired doorbell camera, along with a Nest Aware Plus subscription. I need to be able to download and save video clips from footage that exists OUTSIDE of "events". This footage is already uploaded to the cloud and viewable in the Google Home app. Instructions at this Google Nest Help page (https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9207572?sjid=16227605286977768882-NA#zippy=%2Cdownload-...) specify that you should be able to "Create a custom clip" under the "Nest app" instructions. However, when logging into the Nest app or Nest webpage (https://home.nest.com/) I do not see any of my cameras listed, even though my account information is synced. The answer at this post (https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Can-t-add-doorbell-2nd-generation-wired...) states that doorbells released starting in Sept. 2021 are not usable in the Nest app/website.

Within the Google Home app I do not have the ability to download clips outside of "events".

What I've tried: so far I've contacted Tech Support three times, none of which have resolved my issue:

(1) Case ID 7-9543000034960: I spent 45 minutes repeatedly explaining the issue. The technician and I looked at settings in Google Home as well as the Nest website & app. He seemed unable to understand my problem (focusing only on saving clips of "events", which is not the problem I am facing). He said he would connect me to Tier 2 support, and then disconnected the call.

(2) Case ID 8-8099000034929: Another 45 minutes wasted. The technician on this call said he was unable to view the details from the prior case (7-9543000034960). So I explained myself all over again. He did the same thing as the first technician, this time trying to explain why I needed to enable more "events" to be captured. My problem is saving footage outside of events. He said he would connect me with someone who could help, then patched me through to ADT. Nothing about my account or hardware has anything to do with ADT. When I explained this to the ADT technician he put me back through to Google support. This time a woman answered, and her microphone was extremely muffled - I could not make out what she was saying. I explained this to her, she said she would try something to fix it, then after a prolonged wait the call dropped.

(3) Case ID 2-2382000035491: 35 minutes spent to get a callback from Tier 2 support scheduled "sometime in the next 24 - 48 hours"

My question is simple: How do I create/download clips outside of "events" with a Google Nest (2nd gen) wired doorbell camera + Nest Aware Plus subscription? I can't imagine I'm the only one with this question.

Alternately, did I just pay $150/year for 24/7 monitoring when I can't download a clip from the 24/7 activity? If so I'll be contacting Google Support for a different reason...

[MplsCustomer]

@joe_sample 

Google Nest's newer 2nd gen cameras and doorbells released starting in September 2021, which get installed in the Google Home app, simply do NOT have any ability to create custom clips. The 2nd gen cameras and doorbells do NOT work in the Google Nest app. We discovered this--along with numerous other missing features--in Sept. 2021 when we bought a battery camera.

Some customers have resorted to using their phone's video capture capability to record events from Google Nest camera history for 2nd gen cameras and doorbells.

The support people to whom you spoke should have known that. It's a deliberate Google Nest design decision that is over two years old.

This info on Google Nest's own Help site sort of acknowledges this, saying the Google Home app does NOT have these features:

* Save camera clip to Nest library

* Social sharing of a saved camera clip

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/13038234#zippy=%2Cnest-app-only-features

The Help page below says "If you have an older camera or doorbell in the Nest app and a Nest Aware subscription, you can use the Nest app or the Nest web app (home.nest.com) to create, download, and share video clips."

And it has this note for the Google Home app:

"You can only download video clips from detected events in the video history. You can't download video clips from footage with no activity."

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9207572

The thread below has a detailed list assembled  by another customer of the features that are NOT available for 2nd gen cameras because they work only in the Google Home app and not in the Google Nest app:

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/New-quot-Nest-quot-cameras-DO-NOT-WORK-...

[joe_sample]

Thank you @MplsCustomer for the quick and thorough reply.  Google's support staff would do well to read your post; perhaps they could save someone time in the future.  In the meantime I'll be looking for a camera system with more robust (or even just basic) capabilities.

Thanks again!

[EmersonB]

Hi everyone,

@joe_sample, thanks for reaching out here in the Community and for sharing here what you’ve done about your issue. We understand that this feature is not available in the Google Home app and we don't have any news to share about applying this to the Google Home app. As an alternative, you may use your default video recording app from your mobile phone to record your desired clip. We're always looking for ways to improve and we'll take it as feedback. I'd suggest you send feedback to let the Google Engineering team know about your concern. While they won't respond directly back to you, this is the best way to let them know about this. Let me know if you have more questions.

I appreciate the help, MplsCustomer.

Best,

Emerson

[Purplepawprints]

Adding my voice to this request. It was one thing that wasn't explicitly clear when purchasing the 2nd Gen Wired Doorbell. If, as I was, one was getting into the google/nest camera products for the first time knowing nothing about how Nest app migration and subsequent loss of features, the info that was provided in various places about being able to record/create clips on the web of non-event history seemed accurate and current. It has been extremely frustrating to find that is not the case, and being told to "screen record" as a workaround isn't a great solution considering the quality degradation that comes with it. 

[EmersonB]

Hello folks,

I know how important this is for you. We’ll take note of it and ensure that we'll learn from your experience as we continually improve our products and services. Rest assured that we'll take this as feedback and learn from this to deliver a better process and experience in the future. 

Regards,

Emerson