Outdoor Nest Cam Battery

[Fozz55]

Hi 

I've just purchased an outdoor Nest Cam Battery. Unfortunately it's not recording or playing back events. I'm aware to record 24/7 I need to supply permanent power but according to the manual it should still record event history on battery power.  It recorded daytime events earlier but not when the Infrared is in operation. All I get is "Video not available" even though it's alerted me to the event.  Basically it's useless 😟

[MplsCustomer · Accepted solution]

@Fozz55 

Do you have a "Nest Aware" subscription or a 30-day free "Nest Aware" trial subscription? Without one, you only have access to event video history for the most recent 3 hours.

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9681538

[Fozz55]

I subscribe to nest aware and the camera is listed. The camera has only been installed late this afternoon and after testing it's not recording alerts (The alerts being me testing it)  It picked up me in natural light and recognised me from my other camera entries (I have 3 other Nest cameras)  but there were a few alerts in daylight that said "video not available, try again later" but with infrared  I'm getting all alerts but no video capture at all and the same message. Disappointing to say the least.

[MplsCustomer]

@Fozz55 

I don't know why you're getting "video not available, try again later" errors. I think that can sometimes happen if there are Wi-Fi issues.

Getting alerts with no video capture at all seems rather odd.

We've had a battery camera for 2-1/2 years, plugged in with the optional power cable. It does as well as our other 1st gen cameras, and we don't have trouble accessing video events except occasionally when the Google Home app is glitchy.  (If we unplug it so that it is running on battery power, however, it does not do well at waking up to detect and record events.)

You could try contacting Support:

1. Go to https://support.google.com/googlenest/gethelp.
2. Select a category/product family, and type in a brief description of the issue, then click "Next".
3. Click "Other", then click "Next step".
4. Under "Resources", just click "Next step". (Clicking one of the listed links will bring up a Help page page.)
5. Under "Contact options", choose to get a phone call or chat with the team, depending on availability in your country.

[Fozz55]

Thanks I'll contact support 👍 

[Fozz55]

Still haven't had any help from Nest to resolve this issue. I emailed them back this morning but no reply as yet. Feel like throwing the thing in the bin. If as suggested above it needs a power cable, why market it as battery powered. I can understand it not recording 24/7 for battery life but not when it's switched on for a few hours a day. It's sending me instant event notifications when I test it and even saying the person was me! but not playing back the video clips. I continually get "Video not available, check back later" I have three other Nest cameras and none with this issue?

[zoeuvre]

Hi folks, 

Yikes! I'm sorry to hear the frustration and inconvenience you're experiencing with your Nest Camera (battery) and your experience from our Nest support. I understand your frustration, and it's certainly disappointing when a product doesn't meet expectations or when customer support doesn't provide a timely response.

Regarding the battery-powered functionality of the Nest Camera, it should indeed be capable of recording events and playing back video clips even when operating on battery power. It's unfortunate that you're encountering difficulties with this specific camera.

Do you have the Case ID from your conversation with support? If you can provide that here, I'll look it up and see how I can continue to help.

Thanks for your help, @MplsCustomer. 

Best,

Zoe

[Fozz55]

Case ID 7-8257000036354

Hello Zoe 

Thanks for replying. 

I have today fitted the accessory Nest 10m power supply cable. Testing it with movement it's no longer saying check back later to view events, even though previously it had a full battery charge. 

What I now don't understand is it's supposed to record 24/7 on a permanent supply power cable but it's only recording events. I can't scroll back in time to view recording like my Nest wired door bell camera. I removed the camera from the Nest Home app and re "added" it but still can't see where it's recording 24/7 with my Nest Aware subscription.

 Regards

[MplsCustomer]

@Fozz55 

Do you have a "Nest Aware Plus" subscription? If you do, if you go to your camera in the Google Home app and go to Settings | Video, does Video history show 60-day event and 10-day 24/7 video history?

Some customers in this forum have reported that when they added an optional power cable some time AFTER installing their battery camera, they had to remove it from the Google Home app, do a factory reset, and reinstall it in order for the camera to recognize that it was plugged in.

[Fozz55]

Hi 

I have Nest Aware 30 day subscription and don't want to be upsold to fix an inherent problem. 

The camera is days old and only this morning I've installed the Nest power lead. That's only because the camera did not fully function off its battery power as advertised. After the hard wire I uninstalled the device from the Nest Home App and did the factory reset from the camera device button. After reinstalling to the Nest Home App I still haven't got 24/7 recording. On my other three Nest cameras I can shift back and forward in 20 second blocks of time away from any event recording.

After spending hard earned cash on this product, then an accessory hopefully to get it to perform as advertised, it's a total poor show from Nest. 

[MplsCustomer]

@Fozz55 

Well, now I'm confused. If you have a "Nest Aware" 30 day event history subscription, then you don't get 24/7 video history; that comes with a "Nest Aware Plus" subscription (which is what we've had since 2020 with our 1st gen and 2nd gen cameras and doorbells.  (It also comes with the older 1st gen subscriptions, which are not sold anymore.)

I don't know why you mean by "shift back and forward in 20 second blocks of time away from an event recording".

[Fozz55]

Then why do I have continual recording on my other cameras away from Nest Aware Plus. I have a 30 day subscription. The new additional Nest Outdoor Battery (Now wired) only records event history. 

The shift arrows appear on the "live view" on my other Nest cameras that enable you to go back within the continual recording in blocks of seconds. Once you've go back the second arrow highlights to allow you to shift back and forward within the continual recorded video. This is totally seperate from any event recordings of movement, people, animals within the set event zones.

[MplsCustomer]

@Fozz55 

I don't know.

Are your other cameras 1st gen cameras with 1st gen "Nest Aware" subscriptions (where you pay according to how many cameras you have)? If that's what you have, those 1st gen subscriptions cover ONLY 1st gen cameras and doorbells installed in the Google Nest app, and provide 5-day, 10-day, or 30-day 24/7 video history, depending on the price.  You can't buy a new 1st gen subscription anymore; Google Nest has been trying to phase them out since 2019.

If that's what you have, those subscriptions will NOT cover your battery camera. Perhaps your new battery camera is covered by the 30-day free trial Nest Aware subscription that comes with all new cameras. With that trial subscription, you get 30 days of event video history.

Here's the price list for all Nest Aware subscriptions:

https://store.google.com/product/nest_aware?hl=en-US&modal=upgrade-pricing

We migrated our Nest Account to a Google Account in 2020 once we got up to 3 cameras and doorbells in order to get a "Nest Aware Plus" subscription because it was cheaper (at $120/year) for ALL cameras and doorbells in the same Google Nest "home/structure"). It's going up to $150/year in June when our subscription renews.

If you have 1st gen "Nest Aware" I think you can get a pro-rated refund if you switch to the 2nd gen "Nest Aware Plus".

[Fozz55]

Doesn't matter about 1st or second generation cameras. My Nest Aware subscription £50 a year includes event recording and 24/7 recording. The Nest outdoor battery camera when permanently wired for power should also offer both of these recording options as per the Nest website. (See below)

"We offer two types of recording for Aware subscriptions: continuous 24/7 video recording, and event video recording, where the camera or doorbell only saves video when activity is detected. This table shows you what is available for each product  For more details, select your product below to compare features with and without a Nest Aware subscription"

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9233159?sjid=4199304130368889605-EU#zippy=%2Cand-event-...

[MplsCustomer]

@Fozz55 

When I go to the link you provided and select "Nest Cam (wired), Nest Cam (battery), Nest Cam with floodlight", under "Video Enhancements" it says:

"30 days of event video history with Nest Aware

OR

10 days of continuous video history and 60 days of event video history with Nest Aware Plus**"

And, if you have a 1st gen "Nest Aware" subscription that covers your existing 1st gen cameras, it says "Note: 1st gen Nest Aware is not available for these cameras."

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9233159?sjid=4199304130368889605-EU#zippy=%2Cand-event-...

I don't know how you are getting 24/7 recording for £50 a year. This is what I find for UK prices (effective when subscription renews in 2024):

https://store.google.com/gb/product/nest_aware?hl=en-GB&modal=upgrade-pricing

[Fozz55]

Yep I'm subscribed to £50 a year Nest Aware until October 24 ... I've only ever paid £50 a year, if it increases to £120 a year I'll be dumping Nest for Ring. 

On your screen shot check the notes* at the bottom. The only camera not offered 24/7 is the Nest Doorbell battery even when wired. The Nest outside battery camera is offered 24/7 when wired with a permanent power feed.

I have the original problem return today with the camera saying "Unable to view video, check back later" a problem happening to many customers by all accounts. 🤔

I'm rapidly losing the will to live with this camera with as yet no support from Nest support. 

[Lynchmeister]

Zoeuvre,

Have you been able to determine the root cause of so many Nest Cam battery users not able to access live video? I had to return 4 Nest Cam battery models because of this. There were zero articles from moderators/specialist that provided any direction on a fix. Plenty would check in and offer condolences, but they just wouldn’t provide any direction as to where a paying customer would go from there. They typically showed up to lock a thread or just apologize that there were issues.

I’m a Wi-Fi professional and can confidently rule out any WiFi issues as the cause. I took two different devices to the camera location and they had stellar WiFi service. I really feel this is a code issue that has something to do with both keeping the network session/state available and possible an overly aggressive battery saving function.

who can I call for assistance? If I email, I won’t get a response in a timely manner. I’m not new to Nest. I loved the products before the acquisition and have about 20 devices on the Google Home hub.

Is there an current article of resolution available for these widespread issues with the “live video not available” problem that doesn’t cover basic WiFi troubleshooting (because in my case and in many others, it’s not the WiFi).

[Fozz55]

In connection to event videos "Not being available and try again later" I definitely think your right with the problem lying with overly aggressive battery saving software. BUT after fixing this with installing the Nest power supply cable, I now have another problem with no 24/7 recording, even though I'm subscribed to Nest Aware and my other three Nest cameras recording 24/7 ...  Basically if these cameras don't perform their basic functions from its fully charged internal battery power, the product isn't fit for purpose. #Simples