...Camera Not Available

[TJIII]

Every Morning, I say "good morning" to my Nest Hub display. It usually follows my routine just fine. But, when I say "show me the driveway (what I named my wired nest cam with floodlight). More often than not, it tells me "Driveway camera is not available". When I repeat the command it usually says "OK showing the driveway camera", and displays the camera view.....it's been doing this for a long time, now.

I've done all the resetting, power on/off, but she still persists in doing this. (maybe Miss G doesn't like being told to do things??? LOL)

Anybody else have this issue?....any suggestions?

Thanks

[ByronP]

Hi TJIII,

Thank you for reaching out to the community. I understand how frustrating it can be when your Nest Hub sometimes fails to display an image from your Nest Camera with Floodlight after receiving the command; it says the error message "Driveway camera is not available," especially since this situation has persisted for quite a long time. I appreciate all your troubleshooting efforts in this situation. Don't worry, I'm here to help.

To further assist you, please answer the following questions:

• How long did your Nest Hub work as intended before you experienced this symptom?

• How often does this happen?

• Does the success rate vary based on how far away you are from the Nest Hub?

• If the success rate varies, what's the farthest distance (in feet) you can get away from your Nest Hub before it starts to fail?

• Does the same situation occur when others speak to the Nest Hub?

Please let me know your findings.

Regards,

Byron

[TJIII]

I don't remember, it's been an ongoing problem for over 6 months, now.

It happens  probably more than half the times I ask to "Show me the driveway".  On a normal day I may ask to see the "driveway" about 3 times a day....I have to ASK AGAIN if I request something else from  Google. Recently, I had to repeat the request 3 times before Google complied, and showed me the cam, after saying 3 times, it was not available. 

No, I am usually about 3 to 5 feet from the hub.

There are no others in the household. 

[ByronP]

Hi TJIII,

Thank you for your prompt response. I appreciate all the information.

Based on your answers, please verify the following on your Nest Hub device:

• Make sure your microphone is not blocked. Ensure that the two microphones on top of the device are not covered. Then try again and use the hot word "OK Google" or "Hey Google."

Also, please answer these additional questions:

• What kind of environment does your Nest Hub fail in? Examples: Is the environment noisy, normal, or quiet?

• Where is your Nest Hub placed? Examples: Is your Nest Hub by itself, up against the wall, next to a TV or audio speaker, or next to a microwave?

• Is there anything that covers your Nest Hub?

Please let me know how it goes.

Regards,

Byron

[TJIII]

Sorry, been tied up for a bit....My Nest Hub is in my living room, on an end table beside a tall table lamp, right next to my sofa....live alone, so it's fairly quiet.  My internet also shows a strong signal to the Nest cam. The issue persists, and took 4 tries this morning to connect, after responding that the camera was not available. Yesterday it connected on the first request! Starting to think I have ghosts that are screwing with me....lol ! 

[TJIII]

Thank you....Sorry for the delayed reply....My Nest Hub is on an end table, beside a tall lamp next to my sofa. I live alone so it's pretty quiet. I ask Google to show me the driveway cam after I say good morning, and she does the morning routine....well, sometimes she does the morning routine.....if she feels like it! There is no sound in the house to distract the Hub.  My internet shows a strong signal to the Nest cam. This morning it took 4 tries to connect after the response was the camera was not available. Yesterday it connected on the first request. I'm starting to think my house is haunted....LOL !

[ByronP]

Hi TJIII,

Thank you for your response. I appreciate all the information. 

Please do the following to your Nest Hub:

• Unplug the power cord from your Nest Hub and reconnect it (reboot). Here are the steps:

1. Disconnect the power cable from your Nest Hub.

2. Leave it unplugged for approximately one minute.

3. Reconnect the power cable back into your Nest Hub.

Please let me know how it goes.

Regards,

Byron

[TJIII]

Thank you, I've done that...several times overtime, and still the issue persists. Like I said, sometimes Google follows the morning routine....hit or miss, same with requests to  show me the driveway nest cam.....sometimes it does, other times it tells me that the cam is not available., when nothing has changed at all.

[ByronP]

Hi TJIII,

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the detailed information and all your efforts in this situation. Let's explore additional options.

Since you mentioned that there is a morning routine and sometimes it fails to start with the driveway Nest Camera, let me ask you the following:

• Is this a personal routine or a household routine?

Also, to improve your routine, please rename your "driveway Nest Camera" to something else. Here are the steps:

1. Open your Google Home app.

2. Tap Automations.

3. Choose a routine to edit.

4. Tap under your routine to edit.

5. To rename your Nest Camera routine, tap Edit actions and change the routine's name.

6. To ensure your Nest Camera works with your morning routine, rename your Nest Camera in the Google Home app to match your morning routine's name, then try again.

Please let me know how it goes.

Regards,

Byron

[TJIII]

Oops...I think I misled you. The Driveway cam is not part of any routine.  I was just relating that sometimes Google does what is requested, other times it doesn't. It's a rarity that Google will say "OK streaming the driveway camera"  on the first try, it's usually "Sorry the driveway camera isn't available". Sometimes she'll say ok on the 2nd,....sometimes the third request. Just for giggles (not Googles) I did verify my routines, and saved them again. Time will tell. Thanks again.

[ByronP]

Hi TJIII,

Thank you for your prompt reply. I appreciate the clarification.

We're always seeking ways to improve our Google products. When you get a chance, please share your thoughts and experiences by submitting them to the feedback form so they improve in future updates.

Don't hesitate to reach out to us if you still need assistance.

Regards,

Byron