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Offline camera

Sloey316
Community Member

Does anyone know how to permanently delete this? I now longer have the camera and when I delete it, it goes away for a while and then pops back up. I can't move it to another home either. 

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1 REPLY 1

pesciboi
Community Member

To permanently remove an offline camera that keeps reappearing, you typically have to bypass the standard "Remove device" button, which can fail if the device is stuck in the Google Cloud cache.

Since you mentioned you cannot move the device to another home, follow this specific sequence to force the system to unbind the "ghost" device.

1. The "Temporary Home" Force-Delete (Most Successful)

This is the most reliable way to strip a phantom device from your account when the standard delete fails.

  • Create a New Home: In the Google Home app, tap Settings > Add > Home. Name it "Temporary" or "Delete Me."

  • Locate the Ghost Device: Go back to your original home and find the offline camera.

  • Move the Device: Long-press the camera tile > Settings (gear icon) > Device Information > Home.

  • Select the Temporary Home: Move the device into the new "Temporary" home you just created.

  • Delete the Entire Home: Switch your view to the Temporary home. Go to Settings > scroll to the bottom > Delete this home.

    Note: Deleting the home structure is often the only way to force Google's servers to drop a device that is "stuck".

2. Check for "Linked" Accounts

If the camera was ever connected via a third-party service or a legacy Nest account, it might keep reappearing because the service is still linked.

  • Go to Settings > Works with Google.

  • Look for any legacy Nest links or third-party camera apps.

  • If you find one, tap it and select Unlink account. This will remove all devices associated with that specific cloud link.

3. Clear Google Account Permissions

Sometimes the device remains "Signed in" to your Google security profile even after being removed from the Home app.

  • Go to myaccount.google.com.

  • Select the Security tab.

  • Find Your devices and select Manage all devices.

  • If the old camera appears in this list, select it and choose Sign out.

4. Clear App Cache (Android Only)

If you are on Android, the "reappearing" may be a local display glitch caused by the app's cache.

  • Go to your phone's Settings > Apps > Google Home > Storage & cache.

  • Tap Clear Cache and then Clear Storage/Data.

  • Warning: You will have to sign back into the app, but this forces a fresh sync with Google's servers.