“This video isn’t available yet. Check back later”…a known issue that’s been around for years

[Tamrow]

There was an incident on my street yesterday that involved the police, so I mentioned to them that I had a Google Nest camera and I could share the video from the time of the incident. When I went to Google Home to review and download the video clip, I scrolled to the time of the video and clicked on the thumbnail and got the response “This video isn't available yet. Check back later." I waited several hours and tried again with the same result. I then tried again after waiting a few more hours with the same results again. I called Google phone support and the person I spoke with told me it’s a known issue and it’s a “problem with their servers”. He mentioned they are working on a solution. When I looked on the Google Nest Community boards and Reddit, I see this issue has been going on for years without resolution. Obviously, we have all been getting the runaround and the support staff are being fed a canned response to give to their customers. I’ve been paying for Nest Aware for several years, and when I finally needed it for an emergency, Google failed me, and it seems, everyone else who has purchased their Nest products and their expensive Aware subscription. I would say it’s a scam perpetrated by Google. If they have known about this issue for so long, and they are unable to fix it, why haven’t they discounted the Aware subscription or proactively informed their customers of the issue. They have left it for their customers to run into the problem when their customers were possibly facing an emergency circumstance. For Google, one of the largest tech company’s in the world to treat its customers so poorly is unconscionable. 

[P_LM · Accepted solution]

⭐Fix (Maybe?):  Hi, Tamrow - I'm the Google Nest User with the comment below - my cameras have been working properly again and I'm not getting any "not available" messages since I tried it.  It's been a little under 24 hours . . . I'm not holding my breath . . . but I think this problem came from the "hi-res" update that Google pushed through which conflicted with some Nest cameras "speed limits" that were automatically set when each camera was installed . . .

Here's what's been working for me:

• Go into your router app on your phone, (mine is a T-Link router, the app is called Tether) and it should list all the devices that are using your internet connection.  (The Nest cameras are easy to find, their names start with Nest.)  
• Hopefully your router app will be as easy as mine was; I could see immediately which devices were using a 2.4 connection and which were using 5.0. On my app, they were listed in two different groups
• With my router app, I could click on the name of the device (e.g. "Nest camera 267638bla and its own individual "Settings" would come up)
• Select 2.4 for all cameras if they aren't set that way already . . .
• NOW . . . here's where it gets interesting. Check to see what each camera's "speed limits" are . . . of the 43 devices that were connected to my internet, ONLY the Nest cameras had "speed limits" . . . (Why, I don't know; something about how they were installed? I sure didn't do it, and no one in my household did.) 
• While in the router app, as above, click on each Nest camera to change its "speed limits" .  If it's on a low setting, change the speed to a higher setting.  In my app, this step was very clear and easy . . . I hope it's the same for you!   You'll be given a choice of low, medium or unlimited. 
• What was bizarre is I could immediately see that every single one of my five Nest cameras were on a low setting, suitable for "internet browsing" . . . they were the only devices in my household that were set that way . . . and no one in the house did that, or would know how to do that, so it must have been something about the way they were initially set up?
• Anyhow . . . I made those adjustments yesterday, and this morning I was able to view and save clips again.

I hope this works for you . . . and for everyone else who has been having this problem.

[Tamrow]

It’s now been 24 hours since I first attempted to access the video I need to share with the police and the videos taken at and around the time of the incident is still displaying “video unavailable at this time check back later”. I guess Nest Aware is not ever going to show and allow me to download the videos it should have recorded on September 25th. Very disappointing that Nest Aware, which has only one function, to record and display video is so unreliable. 

[ByronP]

Hi Folks,

Thank you for posting in the community. I'm sorry that you're unable to get the video recorded event from a specific time frame. Let's work together to find a solution.

Before I begin, let me ask you some questions to further assist you:

- What type of Nest camera do you have?
- Are you signed into the Nest app or Google Home app?
- If so, did you sign into the right account?
- Are you able to check the camera’s live feed?
- Has the Nest camera worked before?
- If so, when did the Nest camera stop working?
- Did anything change in the home or with the camera around that time?
- Do you have a Nest Aware subscription? If so, what type of Nest Aware subscription do you have?
- Is all of your history missing or just certain portions?
- How is the Wi-Fi connection in that part of the house?
- How is the internet connection in general? Do you have any issues with any devices going offline, slow downloads, too many people online at once, etc.?
- Do you have a schedule set up for your camera? Did the schedule say the camera should have been on at the time of the missing history?

Please keep me posted. I'll look forward to your response.

Regards,

Byron

[Tamrow]

I have 4. One spotlight camera, one Google Nest Hub and 2 battery cameras. The spotlight is wired. The video that’s missing is from the Nest Spotlight camera. That’s a lot of money invested into the Google Nest system 

I’m signed into the correct Google Home account.

The live feed works fine.

The cameras have worked fine. This was the first time I needed to access a video clip related to a request from the police.

I do have a Nest Aware paid subscription. This is the most frustrating part of this issue. When I actually need to access a video filmed from a previous day, it wasn’t available. I’ve been paying for this service for years and when it was important for me to use it, it failed to display my video so I couldn’t download it and share it with the authorities. I feel as if I’ve been paying for nothing these past years.

Almost the whole days worth of videos on the day of the incident are not available. Google Home shows a blurry thumbnail for each of the times the camera was activated so the videos were saved but the blurry thumbnails are the ones that display “video unavailable try again later”.

My internet connection is very good.

I have not had any issues with my xfinity internet service related to my Google Nest cameras.

The spotlight camera is on 24/7 and I have never had an issue with the live feed.

From reading many Google Nest Community posts I have noticed that this issue has been going on for years and your request for information has been repeated to other users many times. Obviously, this has not been resolved by your engineers. I am paying for a service (Nest Aware) that has failed me and many other customers for years. The problem is, we have no recourse except to drop the service.

[ByronP]

Hi Tamrow,

Thank you for your reply.

I really appreciate the details and your efforts to get to the bottom of the unavailable video. I understand your frustration since you already paid for the Nest Aware service to record the event but got stuck when trying to view the specific recording. Let's check other options.

• I try to check if the issue is related only to your device. Can you please try to use another phone device or tablet (if you have) that might have access to your Google Home App, and please verify if you can access the recorded event?
• Also try to turn off the Nest camera in the Google Home app, wait about 30 seconds, and then turn back on the camera again.

Keep me posted. I'll look forward to your response.

Regards,

Byron

[P_LM · Accepted solution]

⭐Fix (Maybe?):  Hi, Tamrow - I'm the Google Nest User with the comment below - my cameras have been working properly again and I'm not getting any "not available" messages since I tried it.  It's been a little under 24 hours . . . I'm not holding my breath . . . but I think this problem came from the "hi-res" update that Google pushed through which conflicted with some Nest cameras "speed limits" that were automatically set when each camera was installed . . .

Here's what's been working for me:

• Go into your router app on your phone, (mine is a T-Link router, the app is called Tether) and it should list all the devices that are using your internet connection.  (The Nest cameras are easy to find, their names start with Nest.)  
• Hopefully your router app will be as easy as mine was; I could see immediately which devices were using a 2.4 connection and which were using 5.0. On my app, they were listed in two different groups
• With my router app, I could click on the name of the device (e.g. "Nest camera 267638bla and its own individual "Settings" would come up)
• Select 2.4 for all cameras if they aren't set that way already . . .
• NOW . . . here's where it gets interesting. Check to see what each camera's "speed limits" are . . . of the 43 devices that were connected to my internet, ONLY the Nest cameras had "speed limits" . . . (Why, I don't know; something about how they were installed? I sure didn't do it, and no one in my household did.) 
• While in the router app, as above, click on each Nest camera to change its "speed limits" .  If it's on a low setting, change the speed to a higher setting.  In my app, this step was very clear and easy . . . I hope it's the same for you!   You'll be given a choice of low, medium or unlimited. 
• What was bizarre is I could immediately see that every single one of my five Nest cameras were on a low setting, suitable for "internet browsing" . . . they were the only devices in my household that were set that way . . . and no one in the house did that, or would know how to do that, so it must have been something about the way they were initially set up?
• Anyhow . . . I made those adjustments yesterday, and this morning I was able to view and save clips again.

I hope this works for you . . . and for everyone else who has been having this problem.

[ByronP]

Hi tom5333,

Thank you for your reply.

I just want to confirm some information. Can you please answer the previous questions for better assistance?

Please keep me posted.

Regards,

Byron

[P_LM]

I have been experiencing almost the exact same issues as Tamrow (as have numerous other Nest Camera owners on this forum; I've read comments from people who are dealing with vandalism/stalking, etc. that are particularly concerning ).  While this is Tamrow's question/thread, I hope it's OK that another user (with similar issues), answers some of these questions, while we wait for Tamrow to check in.

Problem:  With a full subscription, 75%-90% of "events" are unavailable on Google home

What type of Nest camera do you have? Five Google Nest Cam Outdoor/Indoor, Battery - 2nd Generation . . . four of the cameras are connected to electricity, and one is solely on battery.  All have the same "video not available - check back later" problem.
- Are you signed into the Nest app or Google Home app? Yes, I have always used the Google Home app, regularly updated
- If so, did you sign into the right account? Yes, only one account
- Are you able to check the camera’s live feed?  Not always, but usually the thumbnail is visible. If I click on it, though, it usually/often shows as unavailable.  
- Has the Nest camera worked before? Yes.  I purchased 3 in August 2021 and the last 2 in November 2022.  They worked well as a system until Spring 2024.
- If so, when did the Nest camera stop working?  I started to notice problems after the update that improved the quality of the videos (last year, I think?).  It's hard to say exactly when, because the "this video isn't available" problems started gradually, but now it's all five cameras that have become useless . . . all summer.
- Did anything change in the home or with the camera around that time? No, we have had the same internet service (reliable, fibre powered internet), the same router (a good one, no issues), no renos or other issues since 2022
- Do you have a Nest Aware subscription?  Yes

If so, what type of Nest Aware subscription do you have? Nest Aware Plus ($20 Canadian a month)
- Is all of your history missing or just certain portions? I estimate on any given day 75% to 90% "unavailable" . . . the clips that are available are often short and useless. (< 2 seconds)
- How is the Wi-Fi connection in that part of the house?  With 5 cameras in different locations, the connection is stronger in some places than others, but location does NOT seem to be the problem. The camera closest to the router doesn't have less "Video not available" occurances than the other cameras.
- How is the internet connection in general?  Reliable.  Fast.

Do you have any issues with any devices going offline, slow downloads, too many people online at once, etc.?  No.
- Do you have a schedule set up for your camera? No.

Did the schedule say the camera should have been on at the time of the missing history? (No schedule)

[EDIT to add info about this next question >>  I went into my router and checked to see that all my exterior cameras have 2.4Ghz settings.  They do.  FWIW, I increased the speed limit this morning - downloads and uploads - to accommodate hi-res . . . so far, no change  . . .  the clips [after adjusting for speed]  are still unavailable . . . but will get back to you in 24 hours to see if this made any difference)

Extra Info and Request:  The only troubleshooting tip I have not tried yet is to remove and do a factory reset of a camera/all the cameras (don't want to lose the entire history of the camera(s) if I can help it) I see many references to keeping the outdoor cams off 5Ghz network.  e.g.  "The Nest Cam Outdoor is compatible with both 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz connections . . . we do recommend using the 2.4Ghz   connection for the Nest Cam Outdoor since it will be mounted outside."  . . .  I can't find how to manually set a 2.4Ghz in the Nest app itself;  if I factory reset a camera, will it give me an option to "lock in" a 2.4Ghz setting?  (Nobody wants to go through the hassle and history loss of a factory reset if it doesn't help . . . )

[P_LM · Accepted solution]

ByronP, "Community Specialist" - ~48 hours later, my "Video Not Available" problem is fixed via router settings. 

When the Google Nest "Video Not Available Check Back Later" comes up, perhaps Google support should be advising users to check each Google Nest camera's "Speed Limit" settings in their routers.

I'm thinking back in 2021/2022 the installation software set Google Nest battery cameras with speed limits of: Download 1 Mbps Upload 2Kbps (on the 2.4 connection) for longer battery life and lower bandwidth use?  And then when the hi-res update(s) were pushed through, it wasn't enough?  

Via the router app (not touching the Google home app or the cameras) I increased the speed limit of each individual camera to Download 20Mbps Upload 5Mbps, the cameras are working properly again.  There are no "unavailable" messages; all event clips (made since the adjustment) are working and can be viewed and saved.

Unfortunately, past clips (=before camera's speed limits were increased via the router app) are all still showing "This video isn't available yet. Check back later." . . .