Google Home/Nest Camera Offline

[whYG2000]

I'm currently participating in the Google Home Public Preview and successfully migrated 6 out of 8 cameras from the Nest App. They've been functioning smoothly for several months. However, suddenly, the Google Home app is displaying all 6 cameras as offline. Despite restarting the cameras multiple times and confirming their connectivity via network pings, they remain disconnected from the Google Home app.

I've tried transferring them back to the Nest app, but since the Home app cannot establish a connection with them, this option is not functional. It's worth noting that I have a new generation camera that is working seamlessly with the Google Home app.

Any assistance that can be provided to restore connectivity of these cameras with the Google Home or Nest App would be greatly appreciated.

All camera are Nest 1st Gen Indoor/Outdoor

Thank you.

[Lance_L · Accepted solution]

Hey folks,

We're currently investigating an issue with device offline notifications in the Google Home app, specifically with cameras. Thanks to everyone for letting us know — we've made the appropriate teams aware.

Best,

Lance

[hatcreek · Accepted solution]

What finally worked for us is we removed both the indoor/outdoor camera and the battery doorbell from the app. Then factory reset both (press the reset button for 12 seconds), then re-added them back to the google home app. Such a simple solutions that should have been easy to access had those instructions been in the paperwork that came with the box, or been in the settings or help of the app.

[MplsCustomer]

@whYG2000 

There seems to be some error going in with "transferred" 1st gen cameras in the beta "Public Preview" version of the Google Home app. See this thread; the customer does not yet have a solution:

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/1st-gen-wired-outdoors-cams/m-p/604927/

I've been avoiding the beta "Public Preview" version, because it would not include our 1st gen Google Nest Hello Doorbells and because we could no longer use the home.nest.com website.

[whYG2000]

@MplsCustomer 

Thank you for bringing that post to my attention. You're right; it seems many others are facing the same issue with the latest Google Home app update. Let's hope for a swift resolution.

[Lance_L · Accepted solution]

Hey folks,

We're currently investigating an issue with device offline notifications in the Google Home app, specifically with cameras. Thanks to everyone for letting us know — we've made the appropriate teams aware.

Best,

Lance

[whYG2000]

@Lance_L 

Any update on this post? Thanks

[Lance_L]

Hello everyone,

This issue has now been resolved. If the issue persists, please follow the steps below:

1. Check for any updates for the Home app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Check for any iOS or Android system updates and install them if there are any.
3. Uninstall the Home app, restart your mobile device, and then reinstall the Home app.

Let me know how it goes.

Regards,

Lance

[whYG2000]

@Lance_L 
I have followed all these steps you listed including reboot the cameras and  none of my cameras are coming back online. Anything else you might suggest to restore. 

Has anyone been able to restore their cameras? 

[Lance_L]

Hi all,

@whYG2000, thanks for circling back. I’m sorry to hear that the Nest cameras are still not working. Let’s check it out.

A few questions: After restarting the cameras, what are the colors of the status light on each device? How far are the cameras from the router? What Wi-Fi frequency band do you try to connect to (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz)?

Let’s try the additional steps below:

1. Check that your camera or doorbell is powered on. The status light should be green.
2. Restart your router, modem, and any Wi-Fi range extenders or repeaters that you have. For instructions, check the user manual or manufacturer's website for each device. Many modems and routers restart if you unplug them, wait 30 seconds, and then plug them back in.
3. Try another mobile device or check the website https://goo.gle/2UZL8VI to see if the cameras show offline.

Keep me posted.

@Dieter, how’s it going with your Nest doorbell? Do you still need any help? Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

All the best,

Lance

[whYG2000]

@Lance_L 

None of these steps have succeeded in restoring the camera functionality. I went the extra mile and deleted them from the Home App, attempting to add them again. However, I didn’t have any success re-adding them, so I shifted over to the Nest app. In that app, I managed to add one of the indoor 1st gen cameras, but I can’t get the Outdoor 1st gen camera to add on the Nest app. Halfway through the process, I receive the message:

“This device has been transferred to the Google Home app.”

Despite this, the Home App shows no indication of the added camera. When I attempt to add the camera via the Home App, it gets caught in a vicious cycle, repeatedly asking to select the camera model or sometimes displaying a message about being unable to connect to the WiFi:

"Connection failed. Couldn't connect to Nest Cam Outdoor. Make sure local network access is enabled for the Home app in your phone's privacy settings. Then try again."

Google has managed to cause irreparable issues with Nest, leaving me with five useless 1st gen Outdoor cameras hung outside my house. Despite my 20+ years of experience in IT, I can't make sense of this mess.

[Lance_L]

Hello everyone,

@whYG2000, thanks for checking that out for us. Since the steps didn't work on your end, I'd be happy to take a look into this for you. Please fill out this form with all the needed information, then let me know once you're done.

@Dieter, buzzing in — do you still need our help? Don't hesitate to reach back if you do.

Regards,

Lance

[whYG2000]

@Lance_L 
Done, the form has been filled. I’ll wait to hear from your team. Thanks. 

[Lance_L]

Hey whYG2000,

We got your form — thanks for filling it out. Our team will reach out to you via email to further assist you.

All the best,

Lance

[hatcreek]

I also, just now filled out that form. 

[hatcreek]

I also deleted one of my cameras, in hopes that by adding it back in, it would go back online, but it won't even add the device. I keep getting an error after several minutes that its programming it to add, but after several minutes, it generates a failure error. This is extremely frustrating since this was the most expensive camera system we have ever purchased.

[hatcreek]

I have this same problem, doorbell, and indoor/outdoor camera went offline, and have followed all your steps. Still nothing works. No where in the app is there a way to check, update, or change the wifi. My guess is that if only you provided that ability, then this problem could be more easily solved.

[thegios]

@Lance_L  can you feedback on this? I am having offline issues on my camera (see here: https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Nest-camera-battery-going-offline-for-n...)

I have changed camera (free replacement), factopry reset, I am in contact with google nest support via chat and via email. They have no clues!!! They want me to replace fior free the camera again!!!

[yvonne243]

Short of doing a factory reset, Google nest camera isn't connecting. It'll display other cameras (2 wired outside, 1 battery door bell) but not its own. 

Moved it to sit next to router. Rebooted and unplugged several times. 

😞Directions are vague and someone's fix, below, is way more complicated considering what I've paid for this device. Not happy and is been too long of an issue!

[Dieter]

Our Google Doorbell has been working for almost 3 years without any issues until it recently came offline. I made sure that it was fully charged, restarted it, and factory reset it multiple times. Everything seems ok when I run through the setup, but once I mount it, it still does not come online. It notified me of seeing me when I mounted it, but getting it online …. no chance.

Any tips for what else I could try?

Our other Google cams work perfectly.

Thank you,

Dieter

[hatcreek · Accepted solution]

What finally worked for us is we removed both the indoor/outdoor camera and the battery doorbell from the app. Then factory reset both (press the reset button for 12 seconds), then re-added them back to the google home app. Such a simple solutions that should have been easy to access had those instructions been in the paperwork that came with the box, or been in the settings or help of the app.

[whYG2000]

I've been unsuccessful in getting any of my cameras back online. Currently, I have 7 Nest Indoor/Outdoor cameras that are down and cannot be added to the Nest or Home app. Despite attempting the reset option, the cameras do not respond to the reset, even after following the factory reset instructions. If anyone has successfully reset and re-added cameras to the app, I would appreciate detailed instructions.

Additionally, I want to mention that I have an ongoing case with the Google Home team, but they have been unhelpful and unable to provide any explanation for the issue or a resolution plan.

[whYG2000 · Accepted solution]

Given the challenges faced with Google Home Support's reluctance to address the issue at hand, I took the initiative to devise a workaround during the spare time over the weekend, successfully restoring functionality to my seven cameras. Here is the step-by-step process I employed:

1. Set Up a Temporary SSID/WiFi: Source an older router for this purpose.
2. Connect Your Device: Link your iPhone, Android, or Tablet to the temporary SSID/WiFi network.
3. Initiate Setup in the Home App: Access the Home App, navigate to Settings, tap on +Add, and follow the standard procedure to add the Nest cameras to your home. However, ensure to connect the Nest cameras to the temporary SSID you've established.
4. Troubleshoot Live Video: After adding the camera to the Home App, note that live video may not be visible initially.
5. Transfer to the Nest App: Click on the camera, access its Settings, and select "Transfer to the Nest App." This process may take around 30 minutes to complete without any notification upon finishing.
6. Remove Device: Once the transfer process concludes, return to the Home Camera settings and click on "Remove Device." It's advisable to repeat these steps for all non-functional cameras.
7. Disconnect Temporary SSID/WiFi: Upon successful completion, you can disconnect the temporary SSID/WiFi network.
8. Add Cameras to Nest App: Open the Nest App, access Settings by clicking on the Gear icon, and select "Add Product." Follow the standard procedure, connecting the cameras to your regular SSID/WiFi network. Repeat this step for all cameras.
9. Note on Migration: While the Indoor Nest camera may automatically migrate to the Home App upon connection to the Nest App, the live view function may remain accessible only through the Home App. However, the Outdoor cameras should function seamlessly within the Nest App.
10. Avoid Transfer Notifications: Be cautious of continuous notifications prompting migration of Nest cameras to the Home App. It's advisable to refrain from clicking on these notifications, as doing so may reintroduce the initial issue.

By following these steps diligently, you should be able to restore functionality to your cameras without encountering the previous setback.

Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about these instructions. Thank you, and best of luck!

[MplsCustomer]

@whYG2000 

Given your experiences, it does seem like the beta "Public Preview" version of the Google Home app is "not-yet-ready-for-prime-time".  We've been avoiding it both because it's still missing so many Nest app functions and because our Google Nest Hello Doorbells are not yet eligible for "transfer", so we'd have to continue using 2 apps anyhow.