No notifications being received for Google Nest Protect

[milleniumaire]

I have installed 3 Nest Protect's at my parents, who both suffer from dementia so it is important that I receive alerts should they ever raise an alarm.  In fact, the notification features is the ONLY reason I purchased these smoke detectors.

The installation didn't start well as when I tried to setup the app, Google prevented me from using the Google Mail account I have been using for around 15 years!  It seems I am using a business account (Google Workspace?).  All I know is it is free and was setup to use my own domain for my email address.

Why this should prevent me setting up an account to use the expensive Nest Protect's I have purchased I do not know.

So, to get around this, I had to create a new gmail account, which I did, in one of my parents names.  I was then able to setup the app in the name of this new account and register the 3 protect devices.  Apart from some issues with one of them (the nearest to the router) showing a yellow ring, which I eventually cleared through multiple resets, the setup went okay.

Now, if I test the alarms, I don't get any notifications to the mobile phone I have installed the app on.

The "new" gmail account has been added to my own gmail account, so I can see when I get emails to my own account and to my parents gmail account on my android mobile (a Samsung Galaxy S21).

How do I get notifications working in this setup?

Note: I also eventually want to add other family members so they receive notifications, but they don't use Google gmail and don't want to use gmail!  Why does Google insist that everyone has to use Gmail? I'm unable to even add a family member at the moment as I'm told I have to use the Google Home app, but this simply shows the message "This invitation is no longer available"!  I have a suspicion this is something to do with the Google Nest app using my parents Google account, but the Google Home app is using my own Google Account.

This whole setup process is far too complicated with Google FORCING users to use Google software.  Why can't it be more like the Ring camera setup, which just works?

[milleniumaire]

Is anyone monitoring this forum? How do I get help with my Nest Protect installation since Google don't supply any direct contact details?

The lack of support from Google is another reason I'm now regretting paying so much for three smoke detectors!

[DanCoco]

I'm just an end user like yourself, but like to offer some insight from being on this forum.

If you are still within the return period for these, I personally would consider doing so. Over the years Google has demonstrated both through actions, failure to communicate, and neglect of issues that they do not care about the further development of the Nest Protect and it seems it is quietly approaching the tail end of the product lifecycle. 

 (Also look at the manufacture dates, even though you just opened them, I bet they're over a year old.) These detectors have been around for about a decade without a new hardware version, and are still using the legacy Nest app originally developed before Google bought Nest. They claim to have these detectors finally in the Google Home "preview" (aka beta) version, but I personally don't think that's good enough. This isn't a consumer product. It is a life safety device.

Scroll back through the pages on this forum and you'll see a trend of issues, including minimal google support, and this notification issue. 

Years ago, Google convinced me to migrate my Nest account to Google and I too could not use my workspace domain email. That started my issues with notifications. 

Now the only notifications I get (sometimes, and also often delayed.) Are the "Smoke is clearing." ones. I'm on Samsung Android. It's been a while since I tried troubleshooting it, but I went through a bunch of settings that put the Nest app into a "deep sleep" because Samsung otherwise thinks if I don't open the app and use it, that I don't want it to stay running to be able to notify me. 

I had given up because the amount of time troubleshooting was more than I needed that feature to work. (My situation is different. I live alone with no pets. So I guess if my house burns down when I'm away from home, i'll just find out on the news or something.)

It may be possible to get notifications, but they may also just be broken. The Nest Protects really were a great product when the software was more current (and honestly when Nest still was independent.) This generation of detector is almost a decade old, and Google has really done below the bare minimum to maintain development or support. 

Many users both here and on Reddit have tried finding a suitable replacement brand, with varied success. The most promising in features happens to have some iffy reviews with similar issues to Nest. 

There are companies that make smoke detector "listeners" that have a microphone and listen for the beep of any standard detector and perform smart home actions based on that, including sending a notification or text message. 

[milleniumaire]

Hi Dan, TBH, I would love to send these 3 detectors back to Amazon UK, which is where I purchased them.  Unfortunately, due to the pressures of life, there was a delay between receiving them and installing them, especially as I had to travel to my parents to install them.

When I finally decided I'd had enough of trying to get them to work and logged into my Amazon UK account to return them, I found it was too late as they only allow returns within a month.

Given the option of wasting my time trying to get notifications working and sending them back, I would still prefer to send them back.

The Nest Protect was recommended to me by a Fireman friend, but clearly he didn't have a workspace domain email, which Google refuse to support or family that don't have Gmail accounts and don't want them!

I see after 5 days of waiting for a response, a Community Specialist has responded so I guess I'll go through the motions like I see so many people before me have, without resolution.

[GabrielaG]

Hi @milleniumaire,

Thanks for reaching out to the Google Nest community. I'm sorry to hear that your three Nest Protects are not sending Notifications through the Nest app and you are having problems adding other family members, but there's no need to worry; I'm happy to help you right now.

I'd like to ask you a few questions in order to gather more information about the concern and find the best way to fix the Nest Protect Notifications.

• What type of Nest Protects do you have?
• When did you install the Nest Protects?
• When does Nest Protect stop receiving Notifications?
• Where is the Nest Protect located? 

Also, can you please confirm you are doing the steps to Share a home and devices in the Google Home app?

• Open the Google Home app.
• If you have more than one home, tap Favorites.
• At the top, select the home you want to edit.
• Tap Settings > Add > Home member.
• Enter the name or email address of the person you want to invite to your home.
• Tap Next.
• The person you invite should receive an email with instructions.
• Tap Next.
• Review the person’s access to your home.
• Tap Send.
• If your Google Family Group isn’t full and the person you’re inviting isn’t already in one, you should get the option to invite them to your Google Family Group.
• To invite them, tap Add to Family.
• To skip this step, tap No Thanks.
• The person you invite should receive an email with instructions.

Please note, if the person you want to invite has already requested to join your home, instead of sending a new invitation, you need to accept that request accept that request.

Let me know how it goes.

Best regards,

Gabriela

[milleniumaire]

Hi Gabriela,

Thank you for responding to my request for help with my Google Nest Protect devices.

Please be aware that I live 30 minutes from my parents, which is where the smoke detectors are installed. This means a 1 hour round trip to access the detectors should I need to.

After installing the devices, which was very straight forward, I spent a couple of hours trying to troubleshoot various issues, including the lack of notifications, without success.

To answer your questions:

What type of Nest Protects do you have?
Google Nest Protect 2nd Generation Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Battery), purchased from Amazon UK.
When did you install the Nest Protects?
They were purchased on 4th February 2025, but I was unable to install them until 16th March.
When does Nest Protect stop receiving Notifications?
I have never received notifications on my Samsung S21 Android mobile.
Where is the Nest Protect located?
There are 3 Nest Protect devices installed in the kitchen, the hallway and upstairs on the landing. The wireless router is located in the hallway and I had no issues connecting any of the Nest Protects to the wireless network.

Following your instructions for sharing a home and devices in the Google Home app, I have a single Home, the home of my parents.

In Google Home I clicking on Settings, then Add > Home member, and this allows me to enter email details and then goes through device settings. Finally a review screen is shown. When I click Send, I get the message "Can't send invitation at the moment - Try again". No number of attempts or even trying different email addresses will work and this message is always displayed.

As an aside, on the "Favorites" screen is displayed "Assistant", under which are a couple of buttons (Reorder and Edit). If I click on Assistant I get a pop up message telling me to "Change your account" as "You are currently using different Google Accounts for the Assistant and your Google Home. To continue, switch to the same account". This may be nothing to do with setting up the Nest Protect, but it seems to be indicitive of the fact I had to create a new gmail account for my parents, which is the one used to login to Google Home. My own Google Account uses what I believe is called a workspace domain and this is the default, and originally installed Google account on my mobile. This is the account I would have preferred to have used to setup the Nest Protect, but was prevented from doing so by the Nest app. So, I'm assuming there is a conflict here, which may or may not be causing issues.

If I click on the "Change account" button of the "Change your account" message, it displays a screen with LOTS of options and I have no idea what they all relate to!

So, I'm currently stuck and haven't made much progress!

Any further suggestions would be welcome as would returning the devices for a refund!

[GabrielaG]

Hi @milleniumaire,

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the time you took to respond to my question and to perform the troubleshooting steps. I'm happy to continue assisting you.

Please try the following steps below to isolate the situation:

• Update your mobile device.
• Check the software version of the Nest Protect on the Nest app.
  • Go to the Nest app > Device Settings > Technical info > Software in the app.
• Update the Nest app and the Google Home app
• Verify that you are using the same account for both apps ( Nest app and Google Home app)
• Try to use a personal Google account instead of a Google Workspace account.

Feel free to keep us posted if you have more questions.

Best regards,

Gabriela

[milleniumaire]

Hi Gabriela,

Unfortunately none of your suggests have helped me move forward with this issue.  To answer your questions:

My mobile is on the latest available Samsung software and version of Android.

There are no updates available for the Nest app or Google Home on my mobile. Google Home shows it is at versions 3.30.1.6.  I'm unable to find any version information in the Nest app.  Your instructions don't match what I see in the app.  The main screen of the Nest app displays a round Home and a round Protect button, with a "configuration gear" in the top right corner.  Clicking on the gear provides a list of options, non of which display software version numbers.

The Protect devices are all showing Software 3.6rc8.

Both the Nest app and Google Home show the same account (nora.vevers....), which is the personal Google account I created in order to be able to setup the Nest Protects, since Google refuse to allow Google Workspace accounts to be used.  If I had known this prior to purchasing I would never have bought the Nest Protect devices.  I see this isn't something that is outwardly advertised by Google.

"Try to use a personal Google account instead of a Google Workspace account".  I'm unsure what this actually means.  It isn't possible to use a Google Workspace account to create a Nest account, as I'm sure you are aware, so the Nest app is using a personal Google account.

I have this additional personal Google account setup as another inbox on Google Mail on my mobile, so I can see emails to this personal mail account as well as to my Google Workspace account.

I look forward to further assistance in making some progress getting notifications to work for the expensive Nest Protect devices I have purchased.

Alternatively, since Google don't want customers to use these devices with Workspace account and don't make this clear, I would be happy to return the devices to Google for a full refund, since currently, they are not fit for purpose.

[Jackbenimble]

Here's the thing, you guys KNOW that this has been an ongoing issue for years!!!! I just read through another forum with this headline that your staff ignored entirely. Shame on your company and shame on the lies you keep telling your users when you know good and well that notifications are BROKEN on IOS, I could set my Nest on FIRE and I wouldn't get an alert until the freaking smoke had cleared. SHAME ON YOU!

[DanCoco]

And the kicker is that even though Google has End Of Life'd (er "End of Sales") the protects, they are still obligated to maintain the platform for 10 years for the remaining devices just sold. 

Though it might be safer for the world if they did shut off the servers than just pretend they work.

[milleniumaire]

Visited my parents today and spent another hour trying to get notifications to work without success.

I need some help from Google Support.  How do I get this?

[milleniumaire]

I've now accepted that I'm not going to get any support from Google for a couple of reasons:

1. Google Support is non existent

2. Google don't care about the Nest Protect any more.

I paid hundreds of pounds for these smoke alarms and they don't work as advertised.  Should a fire ever happen at my parents, you can be sure I will point the finger at the Google Nest when I'm not alerted. The press coverage Google get will be very negative, I will make sure of that.

[milleniumaire]

Another example of a large company buying out a small company and running their products into the ground.

I can guarantee I wouldn't be having these issues if Google had not taken over Nest.