device.command.OnOff automations randomly failing on Google Nest cameras

[jamesmacwhite]

Hi,

Recently I've noticed some automations that use device.command.OnOff appear to be randomly failing on some Google Nest cameras I have indoors.

I use a custom automation to turn cameras on and off depending on home and away mode, but I also have additional conditions around the time, so I don't use the default home and away routines to this.

In the past week or so, my automations using device.command.OnOff keep reporting they have failed sometimes. Looking at the execution logs I see this:

04/09/2024 20:11:51

[INFO] Action succeeded for: [device not found].

04/09/2024 20:11:50

[INFO] Action succeeded for: [device not found].

Device not found is interesting, because the device certainly exists and its recognised fine in other automations. I've tried rebooting the cameras but that doesn't appear to have done anything.

I am in the Public Preview for the Google Automation script editor to be available through the web.

Has anyone else noticed this recently?

[Lelex7780]

I m not in the public preview but experiencing this as well since a few days : automations set automatically or even manually doesn't always trigger the cameras ... 

[jamesmacwhite]

Thanks for replying and also reporting similar. Yes, I can also confirm manually fails as well. It appears to be the command itself that's the problem. In the execution logs the fact the target device says device not found is weird.

Sometimes it looks like the command has worked on one camera but not the other.

It must be some change either with automation or a firmware update on the cameras maybe?

[Lelex7780]

I noticed a change in the tone of the voice in our Google Assistant, it might be a new update, and because of that, it causes problems to the program.

[kammiz]

i am going crazy trying to figure this out. but at least now i am happy that you are also seeing this.

i have also noticed that cameras i have under favorites, first page in google home, often say its unavailable.

[kammiz]

Ive also noticed when opening the app it says cameras unreachable (in norwegian for me) and when i click try again it works fine. just first time opening the app i get that message. I can also click around in app and then back to favorites and the unreachable message is gone. so something weird is going on.

[jamesmacwhite]

There's certainly something on the backend that's causing this. I've also noticed I'll get failures from routines, but they actually sometimes do end up still executing and working, despite the error notification from the Google Home app.

I will try and raise with Google support to see if it's something they are aware of.

[Lelex7780]

I tried updating the routines by deleting the cameras and put them again with on/off actions, but this doesn't seem to solve the problem.

About the "unreachable" state of the cams, that happened a lot before to me, it is like the status couldn’t get an update so it states unreachable but by trying again it goes back to normal.

[jamesmacwhite]

Yeah, I don't think there's anything that can be done on the user end. Pretty sure it's either a platform, firmware or backend issue.

I've raised a support ticket with Google Nest support with the details and linking to this thread for reference.

[jamesmacwhite]

Over the past couple of days, I'm no longer getting any errors. Wonder if the issue has been fixed.

[kammiz]

i will activate the routine again myself to see now 🙂

[Lelex7780]

Yeah, it seems the in/out automatic routine is doing good, need to check the timed routines too now.

[kammiz]

Seems to be working again now. 😊 Will monitor further. 😊