Outdoor Google Nest Cams and Cold Temperature

[ColdNestCam]

We own 5 of the Google Outdoor Nest Cams in Canada.  The claims of them working to -20C are false.  Ours shut down before that temperatures and we have to bring them inside.

The Google nest cams obviously were not tested properly for colder climates.  Do better Google for advertising falsely when the cams are not functioning as per your claims.

Provide a insulating sleeve that is specifically for winter conditions being at least -40C and water proof from snow.

Google should provide these for free for customers already owning their outdoor cams. 

I'm very disappointed with the lack of testing on your part and 5 cams into this product have wasted a lot of money into a faulty product.  Fix this.

Contacting a lawyer as per the false claims on this product.

[MplsCustomer]

@ColdNestCam 

We've had a newer (2nd gen) Google Nest Battery Camera--plugged in with the optional power cable--since Sept. 2021. We've gone through two Minnesota winters and are into the third, with temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-28.8 Celsius), and it's been "Live" and online the whole time. I think our camera shield (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/DS-1250ZJ-Universal-Camera-Hikvision-Outdoor/dp/B08D34JZ4F/) helps, and because it is plugged in, the camera avoids the cold weather limitations of the battery. Google Nest disclosed the battery limitations about a year after we bought the camera: https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/11830989:

"At temperatures below freezing, the battery won’t charge, but as long as the wired power source is available, the camera can operate in temperatures down to -4°F (-20°C)."

We also have had three of the older (1st gen) Google Nest Outdoor Cameras (the oldest for 4/1-2 years); all of them remain "Live" and online.

[gilleslibre]

I have five cameras, three from the first generation, two from the second, all are wired. I have owned them for a number of years. I live in Québec city where the temperatures do get cold sometimes (lower than 20 C) and it doesn't seem to bother them much. At a few instances, one of them will go offline for very short periods of time, but I think, this has more to do with wifi connectivity than the cold. 

[ColdNestCam]

We have a very stable wifi.  Its the -29C temps that affect the battery.  

Google did not test these outdoor cams adequately at all for cold climates and need to come up with a solution for this immediately.

[gilleslibre]

I haven't done anything special for the cameras to protect them from the cold and temperature variations except to sometimes hope and pray to Zeus and other gods listening.

They seem to withstand the cold as they are. I wish that this continues to be the case, in case that I eventually need to replace some of them due to age and elements and wear and tear, 

[ColdNestCam]

Please try to read my original post again.  Rain is NOT the issue here, Cold temperatures ARE the  problem!

All our cams are only 1-2 years old and all are the rechargeable type so there is no constant power supply.  I will NOT be buying Google products again if I have to replace them because Google can't get it's act together with Cold Climate Cams.

We have protective covers for ALL of our cameras both silicone and hard covers to protect them from the varying elements and change them out as per their required needs.

My spouse is in IT and we do check for regular firmware updates and do regular maintenance on all the cams.  Please stop with the unstable wifi answer as our wifi is reliable.

Google needs to come up an insulating sleeve specifically for COLD CLIMATES.

The false advertising of them working to -20C is a lie.  They do not function at all even close to that temperature.

Do better Google!!  No one from your department has even  personally reached out to help me  solve this problem.  I will never recommend your products to anyone ever again!

[MplsCustomer]

@ColdNestCam 

The information in Google Nest's own "Cold weather battery charging behavior in Nest cameras and doorbells" Help topic (linked to in my earlier post) indicates that the battery camera--when running on battery power--simply won't function well at temperatures at or below 32°F (0°C).

Google Nest posted that Help topic about a year after we bought our battery camera in Sept. 2021, in response to to numerous cold weather complaints in this forum.

Fortunately, our battery camera is plugged in at all times with the optional power cable. However, Google Nest's Help topic says the "minimum charging temperature" for the battery is "32°F (0°C)".

In addition, "At temperatures between -4°F (-20°C) and 32°F (0°C), the battery can still power your device, but it won’t charge. It may also drain more quickly than usual."

Having this battery camera running on battery power here in Minnesota would be ridiculous. (We didn't even want a battery camera, but Google Nest quit selling its wired Google Nest Outdoor Camera the month we bought ours, so we got the power cable with it.) Who wants to climb a ladder in the cold in winter (it's 10°F [-12.2°C] as I write this) to dismount the camera and charge the battery (and then have to reset the camera's Activity Zones later), as Google Nest advises, under "Charge your battery indoors in cold weather"?

"If the temperature is below 32°F (0°C) and the battery is low, bring it inside to a warm place, preferably at room temperature. The battery can start to charge slowly once its temperature rises past 32°F (0°C). It will charge faster when it warms up.

While the battery is still cold, the Home app will show “Charging paused” or “Charging slowly” and a long estimated charge time. The estimated charge time will get shorter as the battery warms up."

[ColdNestCam]

They all work to about -8C but not any colder.  And I don't want to risk leaving them out longer in case of damage from the cold (extreme heat would be worse).

We are on a one level rancher and don't need to climb up a ladder.  Your who wants to climb a ladder comment is irrelevant to this topic.

If you work for Google please identify yourself as an employee.   If you don't work for Google feel free to scroll on by as I don't need you to explain to me how these cams work.  I am well versed on this topic. 

If you think it's so ridiculous that they should run on battery in the cold then perhaps Google should NOT be making false claims about how well these cams work in cold.

Still waiting on a Google rep. to fix this problem and stop their false claims on these cams.

[MplsCustomer]

@ColdNestCam 

I am just another customer.