Nest Aware Price Jump

[DJHussey]

Just got my email notification. 25% increase from $120 to $150/year?  I don't think so.  Looks like I'll cancel before my renewal, have no cloud storage for now until I find a more reasonable alternative.

If you're going to raise prices that much, give us some reason to stay with the service. 

[MplsCustomer]

@Sue3333 

If you upgrade to a "Nest Aware Plus" subscription, yes you will get 10 days of 24/7 video history, plus 60 days of event video history.

Your Nest Aware subscription is unrelated to email and text alerts; those are handled by the Google Nest app.

Even if you migrate from a Nest Account to a Google Account, the Google Nest app is still used for all cameras and doorbells that were installed in the Google Nest app. At some point in the future (I don't know when) Google Nest is going to have us move our older cameras and doorbells to the Google Home app, but that effort is just starting to be optionally available (https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Blog/Nest-Cam-Indoor-1st-gen-expanded-support-rolling-out-in-...).

[Sue3333]

I appreciate you being patient trying to get me to understand a bit better what is going on with in my case my three 1st gen cameras and the proposed upgrade / added cost subscription . I looked at that google email I got again from them stating they were going to need me to decide by November thes yr. Even though I paid them $110 in july 2023 for the annual subscription. 
I had felt so pressured to be made to comply and I think I understand it a little better now .

so the 24/7 video history was important to me. So a10 day rotation of that is good . And I presume I still have my audio two way usage. 
I would like to know if there is an option to turn on/ off the phone alert for when someone enters house. I used to have that .  I bc would turn my home/away off or on in the past . 

[MplsCustomer]

@Sue3333 

If you paid $110 for an annual 1st gen Nest Aware subscription in July 2023, isn't that subscription good until July 2023 at that price? So I don't think you would have to upgrade to the "Nest Aware Plus" subscription until then (or shortly before, so it doesn't lapse).  (Our Nest Aware Plus subscription was last paid in June 2023, and we don't have to pay the higher $150/yr price until it renews in June 2024.)

I don't think that the Home/Away features (which we do NOT use) is affected by migrating from a Nest Account to a Google Account, though I think you may not be able to use the feature in BOTH the Google Nest app AND the Google Home app.

[Bel2]

Actually mine increased from $ 140 to $ 230! It’s an abuse, 60% inflation? For 4 cameras and a thermostat? 

[MplsCustomer]

@Bel2 

I don't think a Nest Aware subscription provides anything for thermostats.  If your 4 cameras are in the same Google Nest "home/structure", you should be able to get a $150/year Nest Aware Plus subscription (U.S. price).

[roboref]

Of course it does. Doorbell, cameras, thermostats, and smoke detectors/co2 detectors.

[MplsCustomer]

@roboref 

Hmm.  I just don't see any mention of thermostats or smoke detectors/CO2 detectors:

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9233159

[roboref]

I have all of them on my nest account.

[MplsCustomer]

@roboref 

Well yes, but the Nest Aware subscription covers cameras, doorbells, and the camera in the Nest Hub Max.

[DJHussey]

I see you have over 8k posts on here. By chance do you work for or are affiliated with Google/Nest  in any way?

[MplsCustomer]

@DJHussey 

Nope.  I'm a retired technical writer.  I started posting two years ago after discovering our new Google Nest battery camera (purchased only because Google Nest had just quit selling the Google Nest Outdoor Camera) worked only in the Google Home app and NOT in the Google Nest app, and therefore lacked much of the functionality of our older Google Nest cameras, and then being frustrated with having to use two apps for our Google Nest cameras.

[DJHussey]

Over eight thousand posts in two years... At least you found something lucrative to do in retirement, right?  

[MplsCustomer]

@DJHussey 

Lucrative? Customers don't get paid for posting in this forum.

[DJHussey]

👍 No, I gotcha.

[Dc77]

Oh, thanks for reminding me.

This is 2 years after I had to disable my physical chime because my *wired* battery died.

The hardwired unit still has a battery. That battery only has a 2 year lifespan! And oh yeah,*it's not replaceable!*

So every time someone rang the bell, it stopped recording - at the exact moment you'd want a recording. (Because it lost connection to the router, because there's not enough power in a doorbell line to power it and the chime.)

So, yeah, my doorbell has been hobbled for a while now. And now I've got the privilege of being asked to pay more for holding onto it.

It's about to go into the bin, next to my dead, unbootable,out of warranty Chromecast. 

[MplsCustomer]

@Dc77 

The internal batteries have failed on all three of our Nest Hello doorbells, so "Indoor chime" is disabled on all three.

And two of our three Nest Hellos are peeling and now have silicone "skins".

[BeefJerky]

Yep, I'm in the same boat. Since I also use Google's smart speakers, I can have them alert me, along with the phone, so it's been fine, I guess. It's crappy they they don't provide a solution to replace what is clearly a wear item.

I'm strongly considering moving to Ubiquiti's cameras and controller, though it is a large initial up front cost. However, no monthly fees, and local storage are very appealing. I have until early next year to figure it out, as that's when my current subscription ends.

[Dc77]

A reminder that Nest was originally a "smart" thermostat company, until Google bought them (2014)

[bdhadfield]

Agree.

Why do they want to increase my subscription bill from 120 to 150? What are they improving to warrant this increase, when current features are problematic?
The response time when my cameras detect something is slow.
There are dozens of recordings that continue to say "check back later."
The AI to detect and announce who is in videos (at the door) is slow and unpredictable.
Cameras appear in Google Home while others appear in Nest--which is inconvenient.
Viewing history in Google Home is spotty, if not unavailable entirely (in Home).

So, again, why do I need to pay MORE for this sort of service?
If anything, I sometimes regret I didn't go with Ring doorbell and cameras.

[_md]

For real, there's better options for cheaper - especially if you can go a self hosted route. We're switching everyone over to https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/uvc-g4-doorbell-pro

[PaulYeah]

Screw you, Google. A 60% price increase? That's way beyond "market shift" and "inflation". Give me a break.

[p1ssed]

Bidenomics. wake up people. also screw Google and all these other companies. 

[gregchea]

Yep, a ludicrous 60% price gouge - on top of the years long frustration as Google continues to wreck what was left of the Nest brand. It's like they actively want you to quit using their stuff.  Every time you try and view the cameras there's a long wait looking at a blue circle followed by obnoxious prompts to 'upgrade' to a google account or 'upgrade' to the Google app... which, after years of broken promises *still* doesn't have the functionality of the Nest app. It's time to leave.

One question: the email from Google is badly worded, but seems to be saying that the new price only comes into effect at the first renewal after November. My subscription renews in June, so does that mean I wouldn't pay the new price until then?   ...Just trying to figure out how long I've got to shop for alternatives!

(btw are the Apple HomeKit cameras - eve, logitech - OK?)

[Simps]

You've hit the nail on the head right there. Also, it's not just Nest they have ruined it's Fitbit too. Versa 4 is feature lacking disappointment of a smart watch but could have been so much more. Never mind, people will move on.

[hirsch22]

I haven't been thrilled with the Logitech circle. Have had better luck with a couple eufy cameras that were cheap enough that I got them to trial.  Live streaming is fine, but the event recording (specifically within HomeKit is still clunky) within the eufy app, is much more complete. I'm a sucker, just ask Nest. I still believe apple will improve the video experience within their Home app...

Again, the live view of eufy in Home is great, just the HK event recording piece is not good. For now, might go with the two app approach that google has trained me to live with, using Apple Home for live and eufy for events. 

[gregchea]

Thanks for this - useful info. The Google-style "nothing quite works fully in one app" experience is something I'd like to avoid if possible; I really enjoy simplicity (which is why I chose Nest originally).

If you don't mind me asking, what was the issue with the Logitech?

[hirsch22]

I'm pretty familiar with these systems, but I can't get it to record continuously to save my life. I have all the settings as directed, it live streams fine, but you can't scroll back to see anything other than motion trigger events, which are virtually nonexistent thanks to it being fully in the HK ecosystem.  Without the scrolling capability, it's just a live webcam. 

[gregchea]

Ah, OK thanks for that. One issue I had with moving to the Google (rather than Nest) app is precisely that you only get a live webcam feed (or, if you're very lucky, events) and can't scrub through the timeline.  So as well as avoiding the Google price gouge, I'm also hoping switching to an alternative would restore some of the functionality I used to have with Nest.

Right now looks like the Eve camera might be a better bet - so long as Homekit continues to improve its motion detection.

[jeffdanger]

Agreed. My increase was from $80 to $130---62.5%.

[BK11]

Yeah, I'm out too. There's no way Google's cost rose 33%. And if you ask me, sending out this notification on the Friday of Labor Day weekend is super scummy. They're just banking on most folks not even seeing it.

GFY, Google.

[DenverDan]

How about this with no monthly fee?

https://www.amazon.com/eufy-1080p-Grade-Resolution-Detection-Chime-Requires-dp-B0868LH58W/dp/B0868LH...

[hirsch22]

Please, talk me out of this.

https://us.eufy.com/products/e8600123-95 

[Tom1230]

Agreed. I have the doorbell and no additional cameras. There should be a pricing tier for one device. $150 for one device (or $80 if I give up 24/7 recording) is not worth it. I just installed a Ring doorbell. It's an inferior product, but I already have a Ring alarm system, so I have no increase in subscription cost. Come on Google. Make a single device tier and I'll return the Ring doorbell. Clock's ticking... (As if they are actually reading these comments...)

[BluFrog]

How can there be any justification for a 30% price increase?

[Scott3826]

Agree - i just bought all nest cameras instead of ring. Guess i need to switch.  Total BS for a subscription that already has lots of profit in it for G!!!

[lotusmad2001]

Totally agree, especially considering the complete lack of effort Google gives this ecosystem

[Barnet]

Agreed.   Why has it gone up from £50pa to £60pa??  That 20% increase is not justified anywhere???

[Barnet]

So this is Google's response.  I ask them to justify the price increase and they say if you dont like it cancel your subscription.

[kareden]

Sounds like a Bard response. There really isn't a justification. They raised the price because they want more money. Period.

[Evenaskmike]

Agreed. 33% price increase PA in Australia without any feature benefit. It’s actually horrible customer service with no justification other than company profit.