Last week, Google made a surprise announcement regarding its smart home offerings. Later in October this year, the original Nest Learning Thermostats — Gen 1, Gen 2, and the European version of Gen 2 — will go “dumb.” They aren’t getting bricked, but Google is removing all the features that make the smart thermostats, well…smart. When this happens, they will be no better than a $20 unit you could buy at any hardware store.

It’s not all bad, though, as Google is already reaching out to people affected by this change with coupon codes to apply towards new thermostats. They are hefty discounts, too, at nearly 50% off. I wrote an explainer piece about all these enormous changes for Nest thermostats, which you should read if you own any affected products.

If you’re still holding onto an old Nest thermostat, Google recently broke some bad news about its future. The 1st and 2nd gen versions of the Nest Learning Thermostat are officially being laid to rest, with Google ending software updates and killing Nest/Google Home app compatibility on October 25. You’ll still be able to use them as traditional thermostats, but almost all of the smart functionality is going away.

If you’re upset or frustrated by this news, I don’t blame you. The models in question may be old, but if you’ve got one and it’s still working well, hearing that it’ll be reduced to a “dumb” thermostat in just a few months isn’t the best feeling.

It’s been over 10 years since Google bought the smart home company Nest. One would think that, over those 10 years, Google would have fully absorbed Nest. However, that’s not the case. There are still a few devices out there that require the old Nest app for specific functions. Notably, this includes older Nest thermostats, which rely on the Nest app for a core feature: scheduling.

Today, Google made sweeping changes to the Nest ecosystem, including the “dumbification” of older thermostats. While this might have come as a shock to folks who invested in Nest in its early days, it also came with some good news: older Nest thermostats will see scheduling functions move to the Google Home app at some point in 2025.

If you invested in the Google Nest ecosystem way back in the day by buying an early version of a Nest thermostat, we have bad news for you. On October 25, 2025, Google will terminate all support for early generations of the Nest Learning Thermostat. This not only means that the devices will stop getting software support — they will cease to be accessible in the Nest and Google Home apps, no longer be able to be controlled while you’re away from home, no longer support Google Assistant, and no longer support presence sensing.

In brief, your “smart” thermostats are about to become “dumb” thermostats. They will still fundamentally work — you’ll still be able to manually change the temperature and change schedules on the device itself — but it will no longer do most of the things you have relied on it to do for the past decade, and no longer integrate into your wider smart home.

Way back in October 2013, a young company called Nest Labs launched the Nest Protect, one of the first smart smoke/CO2 alarms to enter the burgeoning smart home market. Only a few months later, Google had swept in and bought Nest for $3.2 billion. Unbelievably, since then, not much has changed: Google still makes the Nest Protect () and has only moderately increased its price over the past 12 years.

Today, however, the company is finally sending the Nest Protect off to pasture. Starting now, production of the Nest Protect will cease, and Google will sell through all remaining stock.

Like many people, I love to embrace a good holiday season. I buy Halloween candy weeks in advance, cranberry sauce hates to see me coming, and my entire attic is dedicated to holiday decor, including a faux tree that’s much too large for my living room. Thanks to my Google Nest Doorbell, this year, my partner even got our visitors involved. In early October, he gleefully switched the doorbell’s chime to a Halloween one with squeaky bats and eerie sounds, essentially turning our front porch into a Disney-like haunted experience. However, when the season changed, I realized that the fun, spooky sound had overstayed its welcome and set to mix it up. This is how I discovered just how frustrating it can be to change something that should be simple.

Setting the tone (literally)

Last week, Google made an announcement that many of us saw coming — Gemini is set to fully replace Google Assistant. That means 2025 marks the end of the Google Assistant era on most Android phones that support Gemini. But the shift isn’t just happening on phones. Late last year, some Nest devices also started rocking a Gemini-powered Google Assistant, which could also soon turn into full-blown Gemini integration in the near future.

If you’re still using the first-generation Nest Aware plan, you may need to switch to one of the newer plans soon. Google is ending support for the original subscription in some markets.

According to 9to5Google, there’s at least one report in the UK of a user receiving an email informing them of “Important changes to your Nest Aware 1st generation service.” In the message, Google warns that it will “no longer support the Nest Aware 1st generation service” in some regions.

Google has introduced a new page in its online store, providing a one-stop hub for all your device needs. If you’re a Pixel or Nest device owner, you can now access detailed information about your devices through the new “Your Devices” page on the Google Store.

Google Home already exists at the core of the smart home experience for so many of us, and little by little it’s only picking up new functionality. One way we’ve seen it expand a few times over the years has been by way of integrating control from other apps — and specifically, Nest stuff. That’s already brought Wi-Fi controls to the Home app, as well as Nest camera feeds, and back in November we spotted evidence that Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors could soon join them.

Today, Google makes that addition official, welcoming Nest Protect to Home as part of the app’s Public Preview. If you’ve got a Nest Protect and sign up for the Home Public Preview, you can start getting smoke and CO alerts, adjust device configuration, and coordinate testing all from the Home app.

Google Assistant on Nest smart speakers and displays is set to receive a significant upgrade powered by advanced Gemini language models. Google shared its plans for the improved Assistant in August this year, highlighting that it would offer more natural-sounding voices with a Gemini Live-like conversational experience and richer responses. Although the upgraded Assistant hasn’t rolled out widely, it seems Google has started testing a new voice with a few users.

According to recent reports on Reddit (via 9to5Google), Google Assistant on Nest speakers appears to be using a new voice when answering specific queries. Users say that the Assistant only uses the new voice for conversational responses and reverts to the old voice for basic questions.

Recently, Google started allowing all Nest cameras from 2015 onwards to be added to the Google Home app. The transition hasn’t been smooth. An embarrassing number of features are missing once you migrate, and it appears that as a result, many users are now looking elsewhere for their security camera needs.

Google’s support page that details how to transfer from Nest to Google Home lists which features are missing from the latter, and it’s a longer list than it should be. The missing features that stand out are time lapses, safety clips, supersight close-up tracking, microphone sensitivity, zoom and enhance, changing Wi-FI networks without resetting, and more. Here’s the complete list:

Google has made it so that all Nest cams launched as early as 2015 can now be added to the Google Home app. The company announced the development in a community blog post, saying it’s expanding support for the Nest Cam IQ Indoor, Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, and Nest Hub Max in Public Preview in the Google Home app. So, instead of constantly switching between the Google Home app and the Nest app, users can now manage all their Nest cameras in one app, i.e., the Google Home app.

Google has been adding Gemini capabilities to many of its platforms and services. Now, the company has announced that the AI chatbot’s capabilities are coming to a few more platforms.

Google is rolling out a slew of new features as part of its fall 2024 Google Home update dump. One new feature that is coming to Google Home users is “Member Access.” It is designed to let users share their smart home with people they trust, like family members and friends.

As a Google Home user, you can share your entire home or specific devices in the Google Home app with others, such as roommates, kids, grandparents, or babysitters. For example, you could group your living room speakers, office lights, and thermostats into a “home” and then invite family members to join as members of that home. This allows everyone to control and manage the devices you’ve shared.

Google says users can choose to grant other users full admin access or customize member access according to what they want to share. Those who use the Nest app and haven’t migrated to a Google account can manage their home and shared access through the Nest app. Google has listed the nitty-gritty of managing Member Access on this support page.

The Member Access feature will soon be available to those who have enrolled in Google’s public preview program. This program gives early access to Google Home features before they are widely available. If you’d like to join the Google Home public preview program, follow the instructions listed here.

A smart home not only offers more convenience, but it can also offer you more peace of mind. Devices like smart security cameras and smart smoke sensors can add a layer of automated vigilance, and thanks to their smart features, you can build further automation over their functionality. Curiously, Google’s signature smart home app, Google Home, does not support its own Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detection sensors, rendering your smart home setup incomplete without the Nest Protect app. Google could soon fix this oversight by integrating support for smoke and CO sensors into Google Home.

An internal testing version of the Google Home app reveals that Google is working on integrating support for smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detection devices. We could locate a bunch of strings related to this possible feature, some of which are reproduced below:

Location will be used to find, silence, and test smoke & CO devices
Try moving closer to your smoke & CO alarm and make sure it’s online
This is only a test. The alarm will sound. The alarm is loud.
All compatible smoke & CO devices will be tested
Smoke & Carbon monoxide detected
Emergency • Smoke & CO detected. Move to fresh air.
Smoke & Carbon monoxide detected
This alarm can’t be silenced because smoke levels are too high
Can’t silence. Smoke level too high.
There is a problem with the smoke sensor. This device needs attention.
Smoke sensor problem. Replace device now.

As you can see, the strings are rather straightforward. The Google Home app could soon allow you to connect to smoke and CO devices and test them with a loud alarm. Presumably, once the devices have been tested as compatible, they can be used to present smoke and carbon monoxide notifications and alarms. These notifications and alarms could be persistent, highlighting the situation’s urgency. The Google Home app could also possibly notify you if there is a need to replace the device.

On the face of it, it looks like the Google Home app could support the wide variety of smart smoke sensors available on the market. There’s nothing here to indicate any exclusivity, but it is worth pointing out that Google Home does not support the currently available Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm, one of the best Google Nest products out there. Nest Protect users have to use the Nest app for the smoke detection alarm. So integrating the feature into Google Home will allow the Google Home app to serve as a one-stop-shop for all your smart home devices and further allow you to build out automation and more with these smoke and CO sensors.

It’s not immediately clear if the current Nest Protect will be supported, or if this support is being added for a future version of the Nest Protect.

Smoke and carbon monoxide sensor support is not currently available in the Google Home app. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more about this feature.

Apple has gradually been widening its product range. What started as a company for desktop computers now also sells flagship phones, tablets, smartwatches, true wireless earbuds, and more. However, its ambitions aren’t limited to just that. According to a fresh report, Apple is working on a smart home camera that could potentially rival Google Nest Cams and the like.

Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that an Apple smart home camera and AirPods with more advanced health features will enter mass production in 2026. Based on the report, the upcoming camera will offer deep integrations into Apple Intelligence and Siri, along with other tight ecosystem ties.

While the report doesn’t explicitly mention Apple HomeKit, we can safely assume the rumored device will be compatible with it. After all, the built-in Home app on iOS already supports smart cameras from third-party manufacturers. Some of its native features include live video feeds, cloud storage, and more.

Beyond the smart home camera, Apple appears to be working on upgraded AirPods that offer more health-related features. For now, the details on this project are scarce, and we don’t know what specific sensors the company will add. Some potential additions could be support for body temperature or heart rate monitoring. Ultimately, it’s too early to pinpoint the final product’s features, as it won’t enter mass production until 2026. By then, Apple could tweak its plans or axe them altogether.

Google’s Nest smart home products are amazing, but they are pricier and don’t often go on sale. Today is your lucky day if you’ve been hoping to get a great smart doorbell. The Google Nest Doorbell Wired (2nd Generation) is very nicely discounted right now, saving you $80 and slashing the price to $99.99.

Get the Google Nest Doorbell Wired (2nd Generation) for just $99.99

This offer is available from Best Buy and Amazon. That said, Amazon only offers this lower price for the Snow and Ash color models. This is why we’re linking to the Best Buy sale, which applies the discount to all available colors: Snow, Ash, Ivy, and Linen.

The only downside about the Google Nest Doorbell Wired (2nd Generation) is that, as its name entails, it needs a hard-wired connection. Some of you prefer this, though, as it means there’s no need to be worrying about swapping batteries or charging the device. Additionally, it allowed Google to make the unit much smaller. It measures 5.2 x 1.7 x 1.1 inches, while the battery version is larger at 6.3 x 1.8 x 0.95 inches.

Of course, being a Google Nest device, it gets much better integration with our favorite Google products and services. You can control it using the Google Home app, as well as Google Assistant. However, you can also use Alexa if you prefer Amazon’s digital assistant.

The camera has a 1/3-inch 1.3MP sensor that can record at 1,280 x 960 resolution at 30fps. It supports 6x digital zoom and has a 145-degree field of view. It also has two-way audio with noise cancelation, an RGB LED status light, infrared night vision, and an IP54 rating to handle the elements — it will be outside, after all!

One crucial factor to keep in mind is that Google is one of the more generous when it comes to using the Google Nest Doorbell Wired (2nd Generation) without a subscription. You can still get motion detection, animal detection, person alerts, package detection, set activity zones, and save up to three hours of activity video. All without paying a penny! If you upgrade to a Nest Aware paid subscription, you can get access to features like familiar face alerts and 30 days of event history clips. You can even opt for Nest Aware Plus and get 10 days of 27/7 video recording!

Want in on this deal? Go get it sooner rather than later. Remember, Nest products are rarely on sale! You have to take advantage of deals when they show up! And since this is also a record-low price, we wouldn’t be surprised if the device goes back to its normal pricing very soon.

Google’s Nest smart speakers are great, but they are not as accessible as Amazon’s Echo options, and they also rarely go on sale. If you’ve been waiting for a good deal on Google’s smart higher-end smart speaker, today is your chance. The Google Nest Audio speaker is 45% off, slashing the price down to just $54.99.

Buy the Google Nast Audio smart speaker for only $54.99

This offer is available from Best Buy, which we’re focusing on for the sake of convenience. That said, you can also get the Nest Audio for $54.99 straight from Google. The offer applies to both the Charcoal and Chalk color models.

The Google Nest Audio is a great smart speaker. I’ve personally compared it to the Amazon Echo, its direct competitor, and can say the Nest Audio’s sound quality is much better. It also looks really nice, featuring a fabric cover that will make it blend into any environment elegantly.

Of course, looks and sound quality are only part of the equation. This is a smart speaker, after all, and it is full of intelligent features. The Nest Audio gives you direct access to Google Assistant, so you can use voice commands to get information, set timers, create alarms, use routines, manage reminders, play music, control your smart home devices, and much more. It also comes with Chromecast support, making it simple to Cast media to it from any smart device. You can even set up a couple of speakers for stereo sound, and you can also set up multi-room playback.

Remember, the Google Nest Audio isn’t discounted very often, so take the chance while you can. We’re not sure when we’ll see it at this lower price point again, and we don’t know when this sale ends.

Even with positive developments like growing Matter and Thread adoption, the modern smart home is still plagued by incompatible standards, expensive subscriptions, and discontinued products. Nest, under the stewardship of Google, is responsible for its fair share of those annoyances, but the original Nest product line continues to be the gold standard: the Nest Learning Thermostat. Perhaps the best thing I can say about the new 4th generation model is that it works every bit as well as the 3rd generation Nest it replaced in my home.

The Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is emblematic of the promise of smart home tech. Like its predecessors, this smart thermostat is easy to install, includes useful automation features, and it can even save you money. If you can get over the high price tag, you’ll probably love this device, especially if you’re deeply embedded in the Google smart home ecosystem.

So easy even I can install it

While I regularly tinker with computers and gadgets, I’m not what you’d call handy around the house. As soon as I have to dig around in a wall for wires or pipes, I usually think about calling a professional. However, I have never had a problem installing any of the four Nest thermostats I’ve reviewed. The specifics are a bit different with the radical redesign of the 4th generation, but getting this device working was as smooth as can be.

This is the first Nest Learning Thermostat that works natively with the Home app right out of the box (the 2020 Nest didn’t have learning features, and the 3rd gen Learning model was awkwardly shifted from Nest to Home long after launch). Like the old Nest app, Home guides you through the installation process with remarkable specificity. It can be a little too basic at times — I’m sure most of us can figure out how to use screws without diagrams and videos — but it’s almost impossible to make a mistake. The setup workflow even prompts you to snap a photo in the app so you don’t mix up your wires.

The way Nest handles your existing wiring is impressive. It walks you through what you do and don’t need, and the most significant detail for me is that you don’t need a C-wire. Most smart thermostats need this 24v connection for a constant flow of power, but Nest can harvest power from your home’s heating system. That’s nice because most houses, including my own, don’t have C-wires, and it’s a real pain to install one.

I installed the 4th gen Nest with a typical four-wire setup for a gas furnace (W1), heat power (Rc), fan (G), and air conditioning (Y1). Since I was moving from a 3rd gen Nest to the new one, it was a snap to plug the wires into the 4th gen mounting bracket. You might have to re-strip wires or remove jumpers if you’re moving from something else, but the app will explain all that. Like the old version, it’s round with an array of connectors that should accommodate just about any HVAC system in North America, provided it does not use high-voltage wiring.

Installing the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is relatively simple. It shouldn't take you more than a few minutes to get the mount attached and wired.

The Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) has the trademark bubble level built into the mount. It’s easy to line up, and it only takes two (included) screws to secure it to the wall. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to get the mount attached and wired. The setup process can even detect if one of your wires isn’t plugged in far enough, prompting you to fix it with a helpful on-screen diagram. I was pleasantly surprised to see the level is now illuminated, which makes it easier to read and also helps confirm that your system is getting power.

With the mount in place, all you have to do is snap on the thermostat itself. It should start up immediately and appear in the Home app for configuration. And that’s it — you’re done installing the thermostat.

The Nest is already expensive at $279, and it gets even worse with professional installation, which raises the price to $435. So, it’s all the better that the 4th gen Nest Learning Thermostat is so easy to install. Trust me, if I can do it, you can do this yourself.

Like a Pixel Watch on your wall

The Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is round like all the previous Nests, and it retains the rotating bezel design. To change the temperature, simply spin the bezel. The mechanism is smooth and takes just the right amount of force to turn. You can select items in the interface by pressing down on the thermostat, which clicks like a giant button. Both mechanisms are satisfying to the point I have to remind myself not to idly fiddle with the thermostat when I walk past.

The thick metallic bezel is gone, and the larger display fades seamlessly into the edge, which makes it a bit reminiscent of a Pixel Watch. The 4th gen Learning Thermostat looks undeniably excellent from the front. However, the base is visible from the side, and it doesn’t look as nice from this angle as the 3rd gen. This is particularly true if your wall has been punched with holes from multiple thermostat installs. The base doesn’t cover very much of the wall, so you’re more likely to need the included trim kit, which makes the Nest look somewhat less fancy.

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) has all the elegant style of the Pixel Watch from the front.

The display remains off when no one is around, but it lights up with the current temperature setting when it detects your presence. As you approach the Nest, it activates the revamped Dynamic Farsight interface. You can customize this screen with clocks, different data displays, and so on. It’s useful and looks very elegant.

You might have heard or read reports that the screen on the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th) is a bit dim, and that’s true. I have the thermostat in a room with south-facing windows, which makes the screen a little hard to read at certain times of day. A recent software update added an option to boost the brightness, but this means turning off auto brightness. Aside from this foible, the screen looks great.

Unfortunately, the new Nest does not support the older model Google temperature sensors straight up — you have to remove them from your Nest app and add them again via the Home app before your thermostat will be able to access them.

If you don’t have existing sensors then you’re in luck anyway, as this is the first Nest thermostat that comes with an external temp sensor in the box (Ecobee and Honeywell thermostats have been doing that for years). The new Nest Temperature Sensor has a similar design aesthetic of a rounded pill. This is the only part of the package that didn’t work right out of the box — it took several tries to get the Home app to connect to the sensor. Google says this bug should be sorted out for new users, and the sensor has worked fine since I got it set up. I have it in the bedroom to control the nighttime temperature, which can be a few degrees different from the thermostat’s location. If you need to buy more, you can grab them in packs of one or three ().

Right at Home (app)

You can control most of the thermostat’s functions from the device itself, spinning and tapping to change the mode, temperature, and UI layout. For the full suite of features, you’ll have to go to the Home app.

Little by little, Google is migrating its smart home ecosystem to the Home app. It’s been a slow, laborious process of new product releases and porting old devices to the app, but it feels like Google is almost ready to leave the Nest app behind forever. The Home app has its flaws, but Nest is looking pretty outdated these days. So, the native Home support is a plus.

Google has completely reimagined the scheduling functionality for the new learning thermostat, and it’s much easier to set up than the version from the old Nest app. In a few minutes, I had a basic schedule for daytime and night temperatures. I also love the dual heating and cooling mode, which lets you set a temperature range and allow the Nest to turn on the furnace or AC as needed. I got very used to having this setting on past Nests, and I don’t think I’d want to use a thermostat without it.

Of course, part of the appeal of the learning thermostat is that it can make some adjustments on its own. You might see alerts like “cooling naturally” when the system accounts for outdoor temperatures. Rather than run the AC longer, the thermostat relies on cooler air outside to do the job. It can even ramp up cooling so your “comfort” mode feels just as cozy on humid days as on dry ones. These modes seem to pop up relatively often. Google has talked up the use of AI in monitoring your preferred heating and cooling schedules, and while I can’t tell if that’s making a significant difference, I can say that the adjustments seem less disruptive than the changes made by the 3rd generation Learning Thermostat.

The Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) can even ramp up cooling so your 'comfort' mode feels just as cozy on humid days as on dry ones.

Because the new model is built for the Home app, it is integrated with your home/away modes, as well as other Nest devices for presence sensing, in addition to its own Soli radar system (yes, that’s the same Soli we saw in the Pixel 4). It can participate in automation and routines configured in the Home app, too. The thermostat also has a slick interface in the Home app when you add it to your favorites. The tile shows the current settings with buttons to change the temperature.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) review: The verdict

The stakes were high for the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen). I can forgive a few flaws here and there with most gadgets, but smart home tech is a bit different. If you live with someone else, these devices affect them as well. And your thermostat is even more mission-critical than other smart home gizmos like lightbulbs and switches. A thermostat malfunctioning at the wrong time can lead to big problems like frozen pipes or dangerous heat levels.

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is a piece of smart home tech that will actually make your house smarter.

The new Nest thermostat cleared those hurdles. My wife, upon whom I have inflicted numerous smart home nightmares over the years, has learned to speak her mind about new technology in the house. Luckily for me, she has nothing bad to say about the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen). It’s been completely reliable, and the functionality is there.

If you want a smart thermostat and money is no object, you should get the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen). Even if you’re a bit unsure about spending $280 on a thermostat, you should consider the Nest. It’s well-designed, easy to install, and the smarts are not oversold. It’s also Matter-compatible, which means it will even play nicely with Apple HomeKit-based homes.

The best thing I can say about the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is that this is a piece of smart home tech that will actually make your house smarter, particularly if you already have more smart home devices connected to the Google Home app.

The Google Nest Wi-Fi Router is a solid option if you want an easy-to-use router that’s a step above basic offerings. The device initially launched in 2019 at $169 but has seen several major deals since then. Now, the device is going for a steal online.

Google’s Pixel 9 series launch focused so much on AI that it would be easy to forget that a set of flagship smartphones had also arrived. Bundled with the software announcements was a segment on the new Pixel Weather app. The redesigned tool offers a more detailed look at weather conditions compared to its frog-helmed predecessor, complete with a cleaner design. It makes for a pleasant experience, but like all weather apps, the true test is the accuracy of its information.

While some apps address this by providing multiple sources, Pixel Weather offers no such option. Instead, it relies entirely on a single source for its data. There’s nothing explicitly wrong with this, but every source has its limitations.

As it’s 2024, Google sees the benefits of using AI to simplify the weather. The Pixel Weather app includes a Gemini-powered summary feature that reduces the plethora of metrics and numbers into a brief, actionable sentence or two. A personal forecast, of sorts. However, these insights are limited by the accuracy of the data provided. An easy fix involves building on Google’s smart home foundations. It could offer a Nest-branded weather station for the home.

Weather is personal

Sure, many might see a personal weather station as overkill, or a product that would be too niche for Google. Some may feel that the current data served by Google’s apps may be accurate enough for their uses. But the weather is personal and capricious. Conditions can differ vastly across a relatively short distance, let alone the span from one’s house to the provider’s nearest weather station.

This highlights Pixel Weather’s problem with limited source selections. Inaccurate data means inaccurate forecasts, and more importantly for Google, its AI weather summaries. Why would anyone bother using Pixel Weather if its forecasts are inaccurate? Utilizing local data sourced on site would mitigate this, providing consumers with the most accurate data possible.

Inaccurate data means inaccurate forecasts, and more importantly for Google, its AI weather summaries.

If you live in a city with microclimates, you’ll appreciate this particular problem. For example, let’s take Cape Town, South Africa. The city’s famous for experiencing four seasons in a day, sometimes all at once. With a mountain in the way and the primary weather station situated miles away at the international airport, there are almost always discrepancies between the city center’s conditions and the general area forecast.

In these situations, hyperlocal weather data would provide a more accurate report than any other source available. A household weather station could easily accomplish this task. I’m not saying that providers should be disregarded entirely — you’ll still need them to provide broader insights — but having layers of information reporting would only improve summary accuracy.

Why a weather station makes sense for Google and consumers

The benefits for consumers are obvious: more accurate data means better forecasts and immediately accessible readings. However, for Google, a smart home weather station that plugs into its ecosystem also offers an opportunity to expand its device line.

There’s currently a void in this particular area of the Google smart home lineup. A smart weather station would fit nicely into the Google Nest repertoire, too, working alongside and improving the Thermostat and other products, like Nest Audio, Google TV, and Pixel Weather. This weather information could be used by these products and apps, allowing consumers up-to-date information in real time, be it through voice requests or visual updates.

More importantly, this data would improve automation accuracy in the smart home. If the weather station detects a certain precipitation threshold, it could trigger an alert to bring in the laundry or park the car. An outside temperature peak or dip could prompt a connected Google Thermostat to increase or lower the indoor temperature or adjust eco mode.

The benefits for consumers are obvious: more accurate data means better forecasts and immediately accessible readings.

The weather station wouldn’t need to be too expensive, either. Google could opt for a modular design, allowing users to start with the basics and gradually scale up their stations with additional meters, anemometers for wind, or rain gauges for precipitation. They can buy and attach a relevant meter if they desire air quality information. There are options here.

More importantly, and in keeping with Google’s tendency to crowdsource information through its services, individual household station data could be used to provide more accurate weather forecasts across Google services in a region. Much like how users can report traffic incidents on Waze, Google could utilize the weather data gathered by stations for use on its platforms.

Importantly, a weather station wouldn’t be a replacement for third-party sources. For instance, Google would still require data from established weather sources to issue alerts, warnings, and general forecasts of an extra-local area. However, a standalone, personal station would only improve the user experience.

A Nest weather station could provide torrents of value

A weather station might be a tough sell. Only smart home or weather enthusiasts might be interested in such a device. However, we all experience varying weather conditions daily. There is room for innovation in this segment that dovetails with Google’s AI, smart home, and weather-related projects.

With a smart weather station, Google’s smart home offering would be more complete, improve its AI optics and overall performance, and provide broader data that could be used across services. Consumers would benefit from better weather details and forecasts. It’s a win-win.

This segment isn’t completely uncharted, though. Third-party weather stations that plug into smart homes are readily available from other manufacturers. However, having a weather station that easily syncs with an already-established Google ecosystem makes so much sense.

When you’re thinking “Google hardware” these days, everyone’s thoughts are going right to next month’s Pixel 9 launch. But Google’s got a lot more hardware than its phones (and wearables), and just yesterday we picked up the trail of what could be some new Nest Learning Thermostat and Temperature Sensor hardware. We’re following that up with some more smart home news today, as Google share word of new features for Nest cameras in the Home app.

Often find yourself wondering if your garage door is closed? Did the beam accidentally get tripped while you were pulling away and you never noticed it was still open? Irresponsible kids just can’t be bothered to close it behind them? You’re in luck, as Google is bringing AI-powered garage door state detection to Home.

This feature got started last fall in the app’s Public Preview program, and after months of testing, is finally hitting the main release. You’ll need a compatible Nest Cam connected to a wired power source, with a clear view of your garage door — from either inside or outside. Once you’ve got it configured, you can get notifications and see video clips when your garage door opens, closes, or is left open for the length of time you set as the threshold. You’ll need to be a paid Nest Aware subscriber in either the US or Canada to take advantage of this new support.

Speaking of the Public Preview, Google’s got something new it’s ready to start trying out for users up for helping with the test: support for the original wired Nest Doorbell (formally Nest Hello) in Home itself.

Google’s been slowly upgrading the Home app with robust management and timeline tools for Nest cameras. Instead of simply getting to view a live feed, cameras that have been transferred from the Nest app over to Home get access to Home’s updated camera history experience, as you can see above. While some features, like livestream sharing, are still exclusive to the Nest app, you can always move your camera back over — it’s just a little annoying that you can’t have it set up with both apps at once. If you’re interested in trying this out, get started by enrolling in the Public Preview and look for Nest Doorbell support to arrive over the next few weeks.

Google’s got a hardware event coming up in just a few weeks, where the Pixel 9 family will make its debut — likely alongside the next Pixel Watch. But will it only be new Pixels on the agenda, or could Google have some broader plans? What about the company’s smart home devices? Just this week we heard about what could be the spiritual successor to Chromecast streaming, and earlier in the year fielded rumors about new Nest Audio models. As we wait to learn everything August 13 will hold, some new leaks tease the possibility of a Nest Learning Thermostat refresh.

Frequent tipster Arsène Lupin shares their latest find over on X, consisting of some very official-looking Google product renders of new Nest hardware.

The biggest deal here looks like a fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat. It’s been almost a decade since Google introduced a new Learning Thermostat model, with the 3rd generation launching back in 2015. Since then we’ve gotten the since-discontinued Thermostat E, as well as the affordable Nest Thermostat (minus the “Learning”). From the render, it looks like Google could be planning to update the UI a little, but without reinventing the wheel. The Thermostat’s display appears to be getting slightly larger, and we wouldn’t be surprised from that smaller iconography if it were higher resolution, too.

Unfortunately, we don’t get any real detail on that 4th generation Nest Learning Thermostat, and the meat of this leak concerns a new Nest Temperature Sensor. The existing model works with either the 3rd-gen Learning Thermostat or the Thermostat E (but notably not the Nest Thermostat) as a battery-powered wireless extension that lets you monitor temperatures in another room. The $40 Sensor has been available since 2018.

Functionally, it doesn’t sound like we’re looking at any big changes from the original. Pricing is supposed to stay at $40 a pop, with the same three-for-$100 deal Google offers now. While there may be some interesting tech upgrades within, the most pronounced difference we can see from here is the new, sleek design. Instead of a puck-like, flat-edged Sensor with a big G for Google on top, this model smooths all that out to oblivion, leaving us with a flattened egg look that almost resembles a steamed bun — or maybe one of those stick-on foam deals for stopping doorknobs from ruining your walls.

We do have at least one concrete reason to look forward to this new hardware: while the existing Nest Temperature Sensor advertises two-year battery life, this copy tells us to expect three years. Whether it plans on using another CR2 3V lithium battery remains to be seen — we certainly wouldn’t complain about a more accessible replacement. With Google’s Pixel event just under three weeks away, we may start getting our answers very soon.

Those fancy mesh router systems that cover the floor space of a mansion and cost hundreds of bucks are mighty impressive, but most of us just want a single router that does the basics very well. The original Google Nest Wifi router does just that, and it’s 70% off on Amazon right now.

Google Nest Wifi router for $49.99 ($119 off)

It’s been quite a while since Google launched the Nest Hub Max and the Nest Audio smart speakers. With the Pixel tablet offering somewhat similar smart hub capabilities, it seemed like Google’s dedicated smart speaker/smart hub lines might have been winding down. However, a compelling discovery suggests that Google may be working on new Nest devices.

9to5Google‘s exploration of the latest Google Home app (version 3.16) revealed a device labeled as a “Nest Hub Max” alongside the previous 2019 model. Interestingly, this new model appears to retain the classic Google Assistant-powered smart display experience characteristic of the Nest Hub series rather than adopt an Android-based system.

Furthermore, the publication uncovered a product labeled “Nest Audio” tucked away in the code. This suggests a long-awaited follow-up to the 2020 Nest Audio speaker could be in the works. We’ve already brainstormed a wishlist of features we’d love to see in the next-generation Nest Audio.

It’s important to remember that while finding references to new devices within app code is exciting, it doesn’t always mean a product launch is right around the corner. Sometimes, these are hints of potential future projects, and their release timelines can be unpredictable.

AI in our home?

In recent months, Google has heavily promoted its Gemini AI across products and services, even offering it as a replacement for Google Assistant on smartphones. Gemini will likely play a role in all future Google products, including any potential new smart speakers. If and when these Nest products materialize, it’ll be fascinating to see how Google fully adopts Gemini for its smart home ecosystem.

For now, we’ll add these new Nest products to the growing list of anticipated hardware launches at Google I/O 2024, kicking off on May 14th. Would you embrace Gemini in your smart home, or is the tried-and-true Google Assistant still your preference? Let us know in the comments below.

Back in February, Google introduced an online, mail-in replacement service for its Pixel Watch 2, eliminating the need to contact customer support for repairs. Now, the company has further streamlined after-sales support with a new interactive tool to simplify the process of checking warranty coverage and initiating claims.

Despite being announced as the “Pixel Watch Warranty Helper,” the feature is currently supporting a wide range of Google devices, including Pixel smartphones, earbuds, and Google Nest devices.

The Warranty Helper integrates directly with your Google Account, seamlessly displaying all eligible devices and their current warranty status. To use the tool, simply sign in to your Google Account and select the type of device for which you’re seeking support.

The Warranty Helper provides essential details like serial numbers, warranty start and end dates, and any active return windows. Additionally, it offers quick links for troubleshooting common issues, initiating repairs, or exploring further warranty details.

At present, the tool seems fully functional, offering a convenient way to check warranty coverage and get help for Google products. However, Google’s warranty terms may differ based on the country of purchase, and online or on-call warranty support might not be available in regions where those particular products aren’t officially sold.

The Google Nest team is pushing out a significant update to Google Home for web. The update brings a number of long-awaited features to the service.

Today, Google announced it’s giving a big boost to its camera experience for Nest cameras and doorbells. This update directly addresses user requests by incorporating features like event and timeline history, clip downloads, custom clip creation tools, and picture-in-picture support for live camera views.

The update coincides with Google Home for web being made available for the general public, giving users a more feature-rich experience right off the bat.

The company states that users can now access their camera history directly from their web browser, search for specific events by date and time, and download clips for easy sharing. Google is also introducing a new custom clip creation tool that allows users to create personalized video snippets from their camera history by selecting a start time and adjusting the duration with a slider.

Public Preview program

Google Home for web now also offers Public Preview enrollment, allowing users to try out upcoming features before a wider release. Users can opt-in via the Google Home app or through the web interface. This program offers several intriguing features to try out, including a Script Editor for Home Automation — which allows users to view, create, edit, or deactivate scripted routines for their smart home directly from their browsers.

Nest Aware subscribers can leverage another perk in the Public Preview program, termed Garage door detection. With compatible wired Nest Cams, Nest Aware subscribers can receive alerts if they accidentally leave their garage door open. This feature is said to use AI-powered image detection and on-device intelligence to eliminate the need for additional hardware or sensors.

Finally, the Public Preview program extends to first-generation Nest Cam Indoor or Outdoor owners. These users can transfer their devices to the Google Home app to experience the new camera history features on both the app and Google Home web.

The custom clips update is rolling out over the next few weeks and will be compatible with a wide range of Nest cameras and doorbells. This includes Nest Cam (indoor, wired, 2nd gen), Nest Cam (outdoor or indoor, battery), Nest Cam with Floodlight, Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen), Nest Doorbell (battery), and even first-generation Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor models once transferred to the Home app.

Update: March 6, 2024 (2:16 PM ET): A Google spokesperson has reached out to Android Authority with the following statement confirming Fitbit Premium and Nest Aware as benefits for subscribers in the UK:

Google One Premium plans already offer amazing value, with 2TB of cloud storage, family sharing, premium features in Meet and Calendar, and more benefits that help members get the most out of Google. Fitbit Premium & Nest Aware are currently available with Google One Premium plans in the UK. We don’t have anything else to announce.

Original article: March 6, 2024 (12:49 PM ET): Some Google One subscribers are getting a pleasant surprise today. The service appears to be expanding its benefits package to include Fitbit Premium and Nest Aware.

First spotted by 9to5Google, subscribers of Google One are reportedly getting emails from Google informing them that they now have Fitbit Premium and Nest Aware at no extra cost. One Redditor has shared the contents of the email telling them they now have Fitbit Premium:

Just got an email with the following:

You’ve got Fitbit Premium at no extra cost

Your Google One plan now includes all the benefits of Fitbit Premium, including personalized health insights, 1000+ guided workout videos, and more.

Your previous Fitbit Premium membership was canceled, and you’ll get one bill, plus a refund for any remaining time.

Thank you for being a part of Fitbit. We’re excited to continue our journey together, supporting your health and fitness in new and innovative ways.

More to come, Fitbit

Another report shows a user with a 2TB subscription to Google One getting Nest Aware. According to the outlet, a commenter mentioned that subscribers are receiving the base Nest Aware plan and have the option to get Nest Aware Plus as an “add-on.”

Fitbit Premium currently costs $9.99 per month ($79.99 annually) and offers detailed insights, additional health metrics, online workouts, and other features. While the base plan for Nest Aware is $8 per month ($80 annually) and provides 30 days of event history. Getting both of these subscriptions at no extra cost could save you $160 over the course of the year if you were already using these services.

We have contacted Google asking for confirmation of the new benefits, as well as when these perks will become widely available. We’ll update this article when we get more information.

Google’s Nest Aware subscription for Nest cameras grants you access to your video recording history, smart alerts, and more. Now, it seems like Google is continuing to work on rolling Nest Aware into its Google One service.

9to5Google spotted a variety of curious strings in version 3.13 of the Google Home app. These strings contain references to a combined Nest Aware/Google One offering.

One string mentions that the Nest Aware subscription is included in your Google One plan, but that you can “add more video history through Google One.”

This suggests that users are only getting the $8/month Nest Aware plan at no extra cost but that you’ll need to pay extra for the Nest Aware Plus offering. Nest Aware Plus costs $15/month but includes 60 days of video history (versus 30 days for Nest Aware) as well as 10 days of 24/7 video history. Indeed, another string mentions that you can add Nest Aware Plus to your Google One plan.

The big question is which Google One tier will receive the Nest Aware plan. An earlier leak points to a combined offering with 2TB of storage, suggesting it could either be the Google One AI Premium plan (which includes 2TB of storagE) or the standard 2TB offering.

Opinion post by

C. Scott Brown

In 2010, a pair of former Apple engineers started Nest Labs. The company’s debut product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, was an instant hit. Just under four years after its founding, in January 2014, Google swooped in and bought Nest Labs for $3.2 billion in cash. Google wanted to get into the smart home game, and buying Nest was the easiest way to push its foot in the door.

When Google announced the deal, it made a bunch of promises. It promised to keep privacy paramount, not change existing warranties, and continue supporting current products. Unfortunately, the company never promised to make the transition smooth, and it certainly hasn’t been.

Now, here we are 10 years later, and Google’s acquisition of Nest has been…well, let’s just say “messy.” It hasn’t been all bad, of course, but the problems we still have now, a decade after the deal was closed, are remarkable.

Google and Nest: What’s still a mess?

When Google first purchased Nest, the Nest app was the only way to interact with its products. While not the greatest app in the world, it worked just fine for operating Nest devices, which at that point included two generations of the Learning Thermostat and the Nest Protect smart smoke alarm. That remained the case in the early years of the deal, with the Nest app controlling the best Nest gear, including cameras, doorbells, security systems, and more.

Eventually, Google started adding support for Nest products in the Google Home app. This made things slightly confusing, but you would still set up everything in the Nest app first, so it wasn’t a total mess. It was akin to setting up your lights in the Philips Hue app, but also having the option to control them in Google Home.

In 2021, however, Nest launched products that, for the first time, required the Google Home app and were incompatible with the Nest app — the 2021 indoor and outdoor cameras. At this point, it was clear that Google would eventually kill the Nest app and push everyone to use the Home app instead. We foresaw an inevitably chaotic period but expected Home to swallow Nest within a year, maybe two, tops.

The Nest ecosystem is still split across two apps, which creates way too much confusion.

Welp, here we are in 2024, and the Nest app is still around. In fact, you still must use the Nest app for certain products, such as Nest Protect and the Nest x Yale smart lock, two products Google actively sells today. Remarkably, the Nest Protect doesn’t even appear in the Home app at all, which means it cannot be a part of any Google Home-based automation. Other third-party sensors are supported by Google Assistant and the Home app, but not Google’s own.

Additionally, many features of the Nest app aren’t supported in the Home app. For example, you still cannot set up a weekly schedule for your Nest thermostat in the Home app, but you can do so in the Nest app. This is all unbelievably confusing from a consumer perspective.

Honestly, I might be able to look the other way on a lot of this if Nest hardware was priced well and offered plenty of cutting-edge features to make up for it. However, Google also fails on both counts. Nest hardware is usually some of the most expensive on the shelf while offering years-old features. For example, it was only in 2021 that Nest launched any kind of a wireless outdoor camera (a fact that still shocks me to this day), and its starting price was $180 — much, much more expensive than similar wireless security cams. The company doesn’t even actively sell any cameras with 4K support (the Nest Cam IQ supported 4K, but it was discontinued in 2021), while 4K is ubiquitous on the market from cameras that are half the price of a Nest model.

Finally, there are also so many smart home gadget categories that Nest has no presence in, such as lights, switches, plugs, weather meters, blind/curtain controls, and on and on. I’m sure Google could make some amazing products in these categories, but nope.

In brief, the Nest portfolio is thin, and the devices it does have are behind the competition and overpriced. Meanwhile, Google’s app situation is pure chaos. It’s unbelievable that I can say these things 10 years into a $3.2 billion acquisition.

To be fair, there have been improvements

It would be unfair to Google and the Nest team to spend an entire article bashing them for not making the most of the past 10 years. To the company’s credit, there have been some terrific improvements to Google’s overall smart home strategy.

Despite the inconsistencies with the Nest app, the Home app has become one of Google’s best products. In the past two years alone, we’ve seen significant strides, such as the introduction of a web portal and the ability to manually create automations through code (and use generative AI to do it!). Google even brought over some essential Nest app features, such as the ability to save any video clip captured by your cameras, not just the ones Google labels as an event. The 2023 Home app redesign is also well-liked, with plenty of options for customization and organization.

For all the problems the Google/Nest partnership still faces, we've seen some great improvements in the past few years.

Google is also doing a great job building a proper ecosystem for its hardware, and Nest is an integral aspect. Google smartphones, tablets, and wearables all integrate pretty well with Nest devices. Sure, the ecosystem isn’t nearly as robust as what we see from Apple, but even as recently as CES 2024, Google launched a slew of new features that brought all of its devices closer together. I discuss this in-depth in the video embedded above.

Nest also has some industry-leading products. Even today, the Nest Learning Thermostat is unparalleled in its elegance, simplicity, and effectiveness. The Google Nest Hub Max, launched in 2019, is still the best smart display you can buy and an integral device to any Google-based smart home. Remember when Google tried to get people to drop it for the much more powerful Pixel Tablet, and most Nest Hub Max owners balked — including me? That should be all you need to know about how terrific the Nest Hub Max really is.

Google deserves a lot of credit for these successes, even if the messiness of the experience brings it all down.

What do the next 10 years hold?

The fact that Nest hasn’t been sold off or pushed to the infamous Google Graveyard is a testament to its staying power. Yes, there are many problems, but Google isn’t pulling the plug like it did with some of its other messy acquisitions (*cough* Motorola *cough*). There is every reason to believe Nest will survive another decade — possibly even beyond. What do we hope to see by then?

Obviously, the top priority should be to clean up the software mess. The Nest app needs to be put to bed and every Nest-branded product needs to have complete compatibility with Google Home. This needs to happen yesterday. Of course, Google could also do the opposite and move all Nest products back to the Nest app — but the chances of that happening are near zero, so full investment in Home is key.

A unified app strategy, and better and more products are essential for Nest's survival.

Google should also expand its Nest portfolio. There were no new Nest-branded products launched in 2023. So far, we have no solid rumors of any Nest hardware launching in 2024. We don’t think Nest needs to be like Amazon and launch a dozen new products every year, but more than “zilch” is probably a good idea.

Nest also needs to make its products more competitive, both by being more feature-rich and better priced. I shouldn’t need to sacrifice something as integral as 4K for a nearly $200 security camera, and I shouldn’t need to spend $250 on a thermostat that last saw a refresh in 2015.

Really, though, Google needs to be thanking its lucky stars that Apple still has little presence in the smart home world. Yeah, the HomePod and Apple TV could be considered smart home products, but it takes more than that to be a player. Just look at Amazon and its Ring, Blink, Echo, and Fire TV ecosystem! Despite its squandering over the past 10 years, and despite lagging behind Amazon, Google is still head and shoulders above Apple, and it needs to take advantage of that lead. I can only hope the next decade doesn’t show Apple launching a smart display or a security camera and Nest’s mindshare going up in smoke as a result.

What do you hope to see from Nest over the next decade? Let us know in the comments below!

Google is about to make a nice little change to its Digital Wellbeing tools for Home and Nest devices. Soon, more users will have control over how your household’s smart devices are used.

As you may be aware, Google Nest’s Digital Wellbeing tools are designed to help users set limits on how Nest or Home speakers and displays are used. There’s one drawback, however: only the person who set up the device can manage the feature. So if you’re just a home member and need to adjust a filter for some reason, but that person isn’t available, you would be out of luck.

But it won’t be that way for much longer. Google has announced that control over Digital Wellbeing filters and Downtime schedules will be expanding to home members. If you go to the Google Nest Help website, you’ll also see the language has changed to refer to Home members. This way, more than one person can manage Nest and Home filters.

According to the tech giant, this change is rolling out this month. So if it’s not available for you right now, the update should happen sometime soon.

Google is organizing a major restructuring of its hardware teams. According to a 9to5Google report confirmed by Google, the company will be merging its Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit hardware teams. Many in the hardware team are also getting laid off, amongst hundreds from other divisions.

Currently, all three teams operate separately, making standalone decisions on things like design, software, hardware engineering, etc. As part of the new reorganization, these operations will come under one single hardware team responsible for products across Google’s smartphone, wearables, and smart home verticals. The merged Google hardware team will also come under a single leader.

Google didn’t say why it’s reorganizing the hardware teams and it remains to be seen whether the shuffle would result in a more cohesive and integrated product lineup going forward.

Meanwhile, Google will also be losing Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman amongst other crucial Fitbit leaders. The executives first came to the company when Google completed the Fitbit takeover in 2021. Park played a key role in the launch of the Pixel Watch and also presented the Pixel Watch 2 last October.

For what it’s worth, a Google spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that Fitbit will live on despite the high-level exits.

“We remain very committed to serving our Fitbit users well, innovating in the health space with personal AI, and building on the momentum with Pixel Watch, the redesigned Fitbit app, Fitbit Premium service, and the Fitbit tracker line. This work will continue to be a key part of our new org model,” said Google’s Courtenay Mencini.

More layoffs at Google

Google will also lay off hundreds of employees from its AR development teams, signaling that it’s done trying to make its own AR hardware. The company decided to pivot to AR software development for partners last year. It’s currently working with Samsung on its upcoming XR headset.

Hundreds in the Google Assistant team are also getting the axe. Google told Semafor is eliminating a number of roles in its knowledge and information product teams. The company said the restructuring will help improve Assistant as it looks to adopt more AI features.

The New York Times reports Google has also pink-slipped employees in its core engineering division.

“We’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” a Google spokesman said in a statement.

When it comes to security cameras, Google’s Nest cams are some of the best, specifically for their terrific AI smarts. However, Google’s reliance on AI has been a considerable drawback, too. For example, since Google moved everything over to the Google Home app, users have been unable to create and download their own video clips from their history. Their only choices have been the clips Google’s AI says are worthy of attention. Thankfully, this silly limitation is finally ending!

Starting with folks in the Google Home Public Preview program, you can pick any clip you want from your full video history (via Google’s blog). You’ll need to be a Nest Aware Plus subscriber to access your entire video history for this to work, but assuming that’s the case, you’ll no longer be limited to clips Google has deemed worthy of saving.

In addition to this, you can also finally trim the clips Google’s AI has captured. Just select the clip, choose a start time, and then select from a preset group of time options to create a new, shorter clip. Don’t worry: the original, full-length clip doesn’t go away.

Google is also working on a way to access event and timeline history for cams on the web, along with the ability to download clips from that interface. The company had no news on when to expect these features.

Custom clips, however, will roll out this week to folks in the Public Preview program and will likely come to normal users in the coming weeks. This will support the Nest Cam 2nd-gen (wired indoor), Nest Cam 2nd-gen (battery outdoor/indoor), Nest Cam with Floodlight, Nest Doorbell (wired), and the Nest Doorbell (battery). Have a first-gen Nest Cam? You’ll be excited about the next bit of news.

First-gen Nest Cam support, garage notifications

Nest Cam Indoor (1st-gen) and Nest Cam Outdoor (1st-gen) are finally coming to the Google Home app. This will also come first to people in Public Preview. Once moved over, your OG Nest Cam will work just like second-gen cams do in the Google Home app. You can see the screenshots above for a look at what a first-gen Nest Cam’s feed will look like after the update.

As part of this transition, first-gen Nest Cams will also have access to custom clips.

Elsewhere, Google is launching a new way to check on your garage door. If your garage door is visible in a Nest Cam’s feed, you will now be able to get a notification if you accidentally left the garage open. This is thanks to new AI training, so you don’t need any new sensors or equipment. This is rolling out this week to Public Preview in the US and Canada for folks who have a Nest Aware subscription and a wired Nest camera.

It can be tricky to get a stable Wi-Fi connection across your entire home, especially if you have a larger house or multiple floors. You not only need a good router but there’s a chance you need a couple of them to ensure a strong connection in all corners of your house. If you’ve been holding out on a router upgrade, now is the best time to do it, as the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro is at its lowest price for a 2-pack.

Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro (2-pack) for $199.99 ($100 off)

Shortly after moving into our home on Oahu, my partner and I installed what felt like a lot of security cameras. Our house boasts an excessive number of exterior doors, plus a whole lot of windows, and I watched too many scary movies as a kid. We also wanted the ability to keep an eye on the place when venturing off-island. What we didn’t anticipate was how much entertainment we’d get from unexpected camera footage. Our Google Nest Cam with Floodlight, in particular, has provided reassurance, amusement, and helpful lighting.

When shopping for a smart home camera system, there are always a number of considerations. Personally, because I’ve chosen to relocate to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, extended travel is most practical when visiting family and friends on the mainland. This also makes a wired camera more convenient, as a rechargeable battery adds one more thing to remember before heading out the door. Above all, I shied away from anything too large or eye-catching because I didn’t want my brand-new neighbors to think I was a) paranoid or b) guarding the sorcerer’s stone in here. Finally, I needed an easy app experience so that checking on my home wouldn’t become a headache.

Google Nest Cams offer all the basics of a home camera, plus easy installation and fantastic integration with the Google Home app.

The Google Nest line checks all of the above with moderately sized, user-friendly cameras that are easy to install. Each unit has a 2MP 1/2.8-inch sensor that records in a 16:9 aspect ratio at a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. The cameras also support HDR, offer a night vision feature, and boast an IP54 rating so they can stand up to the island’s rainy season. All parts even come in white (Snow), which blends in with my home’s trim.

The cameras communicate seamlessly with the Google Home app, and each pushes notifications to your phone when triggered. They can even broadcast to a Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa display. The Google Nest Cams also use an on-device chip to send accurate smart alerts more privately. They can recognize people, animals, vehicles, and general motion (including swaying trees, which I can vouch for). You can even designate zones to ignore types of movement, like vehicles or animals. If you pay for Nest Aware, the cameras can recognize and notify you of specific people (like “Kaitlyn seen,” for example, when I grab laundry I forgot about at 2:00 AM).

In short, these cams can do a lot. And yet, there’s one that does even more: the Google Nest Cam with Floodlight. My favorite of the bunch, the Nest Cam with Floodlight, adds the power of illumination. As the name suggests, the unit comes with a powerful set of bulbs that turn on when it detects motion. It also features two-way audio for talking to anyone who approaches. It is designed to replace an existing outdoor floodlight. You can customize its light settings and brightness, set up a schedule, or turn on the light as needed from a distance.

This might sound like a simple concept, but the addition of lights makes the camera more useful than just a security measure. Attached to our back shed, the floodlight makes it easier to complete evening tasks (i.e. the aforementioned laundry). Plus, when it pops on as I make my way to the gate at night, I feel like I’ve just gotten caught trying to escape Alcatraz. It also makes alerts less creepy as you can immediately see what the camera detected. (Not that the girl from The Ring would be any less alarming in a spotlight.) It’s a comfort and a convenience.

The Google Nest with Floodlight adds broad illumination for an even more useful security device.

Fortunately, though, it consistently captures nonthreatening footage in its 130-degree field of view instead of anything sinister. For example, I had no idea how many cats parade along our back wall each night or that cats had such late bedtimes. I even watched one stalk a gecko like I was recording my own personal discovery channel.

By day, the camera regularly records our attempts at domestic chores and home improvement projects. I’ve watched the film of me paint-spraying wicker furniture, and I have to say, the form is impeccable. Meanwhile, when my partner sets up shop to work with power tools, I can check on him live like an adult baby monitor. Plus, if he runs behind schedule, the floodlight is ready to keep him working after hours.

I can’t say enough about the ease of the Google Home app or the reliability of the Google Nest Cam with Floodlight. It installs in minutes with basic tools and offers all the basics of a home camera system. From creatures of the night to behind-the-scenes struggles of home maintenance, the Google Nest Cam isn’t just practical; it’s a fun investment as well.

Update, October 10, 2023 (3:18 PM ET): Google has responded to the overturned ruling. In that response, the company has confirmed it will bring back the ability to seamlessly group and integrate Google smart speakers.

Original article, October 10, 2023 (2:21 AM ET): Google was forced to remove a few features from its Nest speakers and smart displays following legal action by speaker company Sonos. Now, it looks like Google could be a step closer to resurrecting these features.

A California judge overturned a recent $32.5 million jury verdict in favor of Sonos against Google (h/t: Reuters), declaring that Sonos’s patents were unenforceable.

Judge William Alsup found that Sonos had tried to “improperly” connect its 2019 patent applications for multi-speaker technologies to provisional applications filed in 2006.

“This was not a case of an inventor leading the industry to something new,” Alsup was quoted as saying by Reuters. “This was a case of the industry leading with something new and, only then, an inventor coming out of the woodwork to say that he had come up with the idea first.”

Google had argued that Sonos deliberately held off on applying for these patents until the search giant had launched devices with this tech.

What happens now?

Back in May, a jury found that Google’s Chromecast and Nest devices had infringed on Sonos’s patents regarding multi-speaker functionality. This May 2023 verdict also followed a 2022 ruling against Google in favor of Sonos.

These earlier rulings resulted in Google removing features like multi-speaker groups, the ability to control the volume of a multi-speaker group, and the ability to tap your phone’s volume rocker to control the volume of a speaker group.

However, this latest decision to overturn the jury verdict potentially opens the door for Google to reintroduce these features. In saying so, Sonos and Google are still reportedly embroiled in legal battles in the likes of Canada, Europe, and the US. You, therefore, might not want to hold your breath for these features to return to Google devices just yet.

When you think about it, Google has a lot of subscription services. There’s Google One, which offers cloud storage along with numerous other Google perks. Nest Aware supports its Nest smart home products, YouTube has multiple subscription programs under its roof, and even Fitbit Premium is a Google product now. It’s a lot!

However, it looks like Google could be working on a way to bundle at least two of these services together. According to an APK teardown of the Google Home app (v3.7), an “all-in-one plan” could be offered soon. As discovered by 9to5Google, a code string clearly defines the Google subscription bundle as “Nest Aware, 2TB of storage for Photos, Drive, and Gmail, and more benefits.”

It’s unclear what the “…and more benefits” portion means. It could be that other services are included here, such as premium YouTube membership or some other Google-owned service. However, it’s also possible it could just be referencing other Google One benefits not listed there, such as access to a free VPN.

Either way, the alleged bundle includes Nest Aware and a 2TB Google One plan, which is a pretty useful combo for folks with a Nest-based smart home.

Of course, bundles are only helpful if they save you money. Google recently increased the price of a Nest Aware subscription to $8 each month, and a 2TB One plan costs $9.99 each month. Therefore, if this bundle doesn’t cost less than $17 each month, what would be the point of bundling?

Interestingly, this rumor of a new Google subscription bundle comes right on the heels of the death of a previous subscription bundle called Pixel Pass. Pixel Pass bundled several Google services together and included the latest Pixel phone. However, it didn’t even make it two years before Google shuttered it just weeks before the Pixel 8 launch.

Google Nest device owners have long had the ability to organize their speakers and smart displays into multiple speaker groups. Unfortunately, Google recently removed the ability to add a Nest device to multiple groups as a result of a legal decision (presumably involving Sonos).

That got us wondering whether you used speaker groups in the first place. We posed this question as a poll in our news article last week and here’s what you told us.

Do you use speaker groups on your Nest devices?

Results

This was a popular poll, as almost 5,500 votes were tallied as of writing. It turns out that 60.9% of respondents have several groups for their Nest speakers. We’re sure that the article attracted plenty of people who use multiple speaker groups and who were alarmed by Google’s changes. Nevertheless, it’s still interesting to see how many people use several speaker groups as part of their smart home setup.

Otherwise, 17.1% of respondents use one Nest speaker group, while 16.4% of surveyed readers said they simply didn’t use speaker groups. We’re guessing that both of these camps only have a few Nest devices in their household, reducing the need for multiple speaker groups in the first place.

Finally, 5.5% of polled readers said they didn’t have a Nest device in the first place. Presumably these respondents either don’t have smart speakers or displays or use products from other manufacturers.

Comments

• Loki: Speaker groups haven’t worked properly for me for more than a year now. I gave up on them.
• roaduardo: Difficult to invest in Google products because you expect issues like this to always come up. Either they’re in some legal trouble or they just give up on a project and abandon it.
• markinapub: I guess you could get round this by just using the Home app to add the speakers you want to be playing once you’ve started the music. But it seems a rather petty legal decision.
• Wolfie: Think my speakers are older so no issue I guess but kinda annoying. I have every room as a group and then I have every single speaker in a group called “home” in case I want everything to play
• Tizio: I detest Sonos so much. I left them before Google home was a thing because they hadn’t innovated in years. Then instead of doing anything worthwhile to make their own products relevant again, they spend all their time making everyone else worse.

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Opinion post by

Rita El Khoury

Google’s smart home strategy has seen many false starts over the last decade and a half. From the early 2010 iteration of Google TV to the ill-fated Nexus Q, everything was funky and experimental. Then Google Assistant and the first Google Home smart speaker launched and it seemed like Mountain View finally knew what it wanted to do with the smart home. Fast forward seven years or so and things have taken so many twists and turns that it’s starting to feel like another episode of Google’s messaging app saga.

But let’s back up a bit. Few products in Google’s line-up have shown a relatively stable vision over the decades. Search, Maps, Photos, and Gmail count among those most steady, unsurprising services. Everything else, from Wallet-Pay-Wallet to Google TV-Android TV-Google TV or Gsuite free-paid-Workspace has seen more ups and downs than I can count. None, however, has been as confusing or flippity-floppity as Google’s smorgasbord of messaging services and strategies.

And I’m afraid that the smart home is steadily taking a similar path. We’re slowly approaching the Allo-Duo-Hangouts-Meet-and-even-YouTube-chats era. The lack of a clear sense of direction in Google’s smart home strategy is jarring.

This has become abundantly clear over the last year, with the launch of a half-baked smart display integration in the Pixel Tablet, along with the dozen changes that have gutted existing smart displays and speakers from important features. All of this has punctuated what has been a very perplexing smart home strategy from Google.

From an omnipotent Assistant to a ghost Assistant

For the first four or five years of its existence, Assistant was the crown jewel of Google’s strategy. Everything the company launched, every product and service had some form of integration with Google Assistant. It was supposed to be your all-powerful helper, both around your home and outside of it.

Assistant was first integrated into the Allo messaging app and later into Google’s Messages app; the first was sunset, and the latter recently lost all signs of it. Assistant was supposed to take over Google Maps’ driving mode, but that was canned too. An Assistant “Snapshot” of your day was developed for years as a replacement for the late Google Now, then got unceremoniously killed.

Remember Google Assistant’s in-app actions? Assistant reminders? Assistant’s screensaver-like Ambient Mode on certain phones? The dedicated Google Assistant button on Nokia phones? All gone now.

Remember Assistant's driving mode? Ambient mode? Reminders? Integration in Google Messages? It's all gone now.

For several years, Google kept Assistant open to all kinds of third-party developers and services with Actions on Assistant. For example, before smart locks were officially supported in Google Home, developers added them through Actions; I was able to control my Nuki smart lock by saying, “Hey Google, ask Nuki to…” Task managers, banking and financial services, educational tools, and thousands of services were available everywhere you could access Assistant. Not anymore. Now there are basic Assistant Shortcuts that only work on phones and only if their app is installed on your phone…

…which highlights another issue. Assistant’s abilities differ greatly between phones, tablets, speakers, smart displays, TVs, smartwatches, headphones, and cars. Each one had a specific set of supported commands and restrictions. If something works on your phone, there’s no guarantee it’ll work on your Wear OS watch. Oh, and there was an entire year when Assistant all but stopped working on smartwatches!

Worse yet, Assistant doesn’t work half the time, is very slow to answer, and keeps getting dumber. Commands it perfectly understood a few years ago leave it confused now, while errors and “Sorry, I can’t do that” are frequent answers to every request. Heck, for the best part of this year, I couldn’t turn on or off my Hue lights with my voice (my husband’s voice worked) because Assistant kept telling me “I don’t understand.” I had to use “set the lights to 0% / 100%” to get it to execute the command— as if that’s easier to “understand.”

Assistant was supposed to become the backbone of the smart home and our entire digital life. That fell to pieces.

Google Assistant was poised to become the backbone of the smart home — and our digital life in general — but it’s been falling to pieces. Google tried to do too much, too fast, too soon. Launching projects left and right with zero follow-up, no long-term planning, and no will to fix issues and consolidate everything. In predictable Google fashion, it ended up with too many loose strings that were easier to cut out than tie together. And now we’re supposed to trust Bard?

Puzzling hardware and software strategy

Since buying Nest in 2014, Google’s Nest hardware strategy has been nothing short of perplexing. Moving past the “Google Home” speaker versus app naming confusion and the ensuing rebrand to Nest hardware, I can think of several questionable decisions:

• Why did Google spend years developing Android Things for smart displays, kill it, spend more years developing Fuchsia OS, and move all hubs to that only to kill it too? What operating system will future hubs run?
• Why is the Nest Hub (2nd generation) a sleep monitor and why did it never integrate with Google’s Fitbit? Will sleep monitoring ever come back in another Nest Hub or is it a one-time thing?
• Why is the Nest Hub Max the only one with an integrated Nest security camera? And why is the Pixel Tablet a, you know, tablet? Are those one-offs too or will we see their successors someday?
• Why does the Pixel Tablet lack the basic features of any modern smart home hub, like a Thread radio and Matter compatibility?
• Why do satellite points of the Nest Wifi lineup act as Assistant smart speakers, but not the satellite units of the Nest Wifi Pro? “Pro” is in the name, it’s supposed to do more, not less.
• Why was the Nest Secure security system killed? And will there ever be a new Nest smoke alarm or smart lock?

Not content with mangling up the hardware side of things, the forced migration from the Nest app to the Google Home app has been nothing short of problematic. Features were stripped away only to be slowly and incompletely added back to the new Home app. Older security cams were stuck in the Nest app, others had to be moved, and you needed to wrap your head around a slow and hacky migration process.

The in-house Nest line-up is perplexing and third-party hardware makers were left in the cold.

On top of that, Google dragged other companies into its smart home whirlwind. JBL, Lenovo, LG, Sony, and others started making smart speakers and displays. For a couple of years, the ecosystem of Assistant-compatible smart gear was blossoming, then updates slowed down and new releases became rare until Google announced that it was discontinuing support for all third-party Assistant smart displays. Speakers are still handled — for now. Who knows what the future holds?

The real losers are long-term users

I bought the first Google Home smart speaker in 2016 and have run a Google-only household since. But I keep asking myself why I put myself through this. Things don’t work like they used to and over the past year, I’ve lost more features than I’ve gained. Oh wait, I’ve gained… nothing?! I can’t remember when was the last time Google introduced anything interesting or useful to Assistant.

But I do remember that it abandoned my Lenovo Smart Display, removed games and third-party actions from my Nest Hub (2nd generation), discontinued support for third-party notes and lists providers in Assistant (Anylist and Bring), and is taking away Google Meet and Zoom video calls from the Nest Hub Max.

Every Google Home or Nest product I've bought has lost one or many features it originally launched with.

I also strongly remember how instead of coming to an agreement with Sonos, it decided to nerf its entire lineup of smart speakers and Chromecasts by removing group volume controls, messing up the setup process, and now, we’re learning, taking away the ability to add a speaker to several groups. I’ve set up my Pixel Tablet and Nest Audio as a living room group but also added them to my entire home group, and now I’m afraid that if I need to reset any of them (or if I upgrade), I can’t have them join both groups.

When a company decides that removing features its users have become accustomed to is a better move than licensing a few patents, you have to wonder whether your experience is the very last thing it cares about.

The only constant in this mess is that every Google Home or Nest product I’ve bought has lost one or many features since it launched. So I have to try not to get accustomed to any functionality because it too might go away soon. Marie Kondo would be proud of my ability to let go.

What is Google’s smart home strategy now?

I want to end this on a positive note. A lot of what I said spells doom and gloom on Google’s smart home efforts, but I think there’s still a bit of hope.

After culling all the unnecessary and secondary Assistant features, all the hardware side quests, and all the software duplicities, Google is left with a leaner and more focused smart home ecosystem. The Google Home app has also received an update that made it a lot easier to use and more centered around controlling your home. What is available works now (aside from Assistant’s volatility) and is a more solid ground to build from. That’s a low bar for a compliment, but it’s a compliment nonetheless.

Google's smart home strategy is leaner and more focused, but Google squandered its early start.

The question, though, is whether it was too little too late to consolidate everything. Going back to the messaging strategy parallel I drew at the beginning of the article, I can’t help but feel that Google squandered its early start in the smart home just like it squandered its established Google Talk roots. Its smart home now sits in the same spot as the Google Messages app: It’s there and it does what it’s supposed to do. But it had the potential to be better, more widespread, and dominating. It could have captured the same magic as the early days of Search, Maps, Chrome, or Photos, but it didn’t.

The only difference is that Apple is in on the Matter smart home standard, unlike RCS, so there may be a bit more hope for the future of Google’s smart home after all.

Google Nest devices allow you to create speaker groups so you can simultaneously play audio from a specific set of Nest gadgets. Google also lets one Nest device belong to multiple speaker groups, but that’s changing now.

9to5Google spotted the introduction of “speaker group device limitations” on a Google support page. And it turns out that loads of Nest devices are only able to join one speaker group rather than multiple groups.

“If you try to add one of these devices to a second speaker group in the app, you’ll get an error message,” Google explained on the support page.

The affected devices are as follows:

• Google Nest Mini (second-generation)
• Google Nest Audio
• Chromecast with Google TV (HD and 4K)
• Google Nest Hub (second generation)
• Google Nest Hub Max
• Google Nest Wi-Fi Point
• Pixel Tablet (in Hub Mode)

“In light of a recent legal decision, users will no longer be able to add new Nest devices to multiple groups. There are no changes to existing speaker groups,” a company spokesperson told 9to5Google.

Your current speaker groups shouldn’t be affected then, but this is still a disappointing turn of events for Google’s smart home ecosystem. You can theoretically edit a speaker group in the Google Home app every time you want a new Nest device to play in a different group. But this will likely get annoying fast.

In saying so, some older products like the Google Home, Google Home Max, first-generation Home Mini, and Chromecast Ultra aren’t listed as affected devices. So we’re guessing these gadgets might still support multiple speaker groups if they aren’t too old. We’ve asked Google to clarify this situation and will update the article accordingly.

Either way, this change comes a while after Sonos successfully sued Google over several smart speaker patents. There’s no word if Sonos is the reason behind this latest restriction, although speaker groups were part of the legal tussle.

Updated, September 18, 2023 (05:00 PM ET): In the article below, we talk about a rumor that Google could remove support for Google Nest Hub Max video calls. This would be a huge limitation for the smart home devices. However, we now have clarification from the company that this is not happening. Google is changing how Meet works on Nest Hub Max devices, but video calls will still be possible.

Here is the statement from a Google spokesperson:

There is no change to making 1:1 and group video calls to friends, family, and businesses with Google Meet. What’s changing at the end of September is the support for joining meetings via meeting codes and links in Meet.

In other words, you will still be able to make and accept video calls through Meet on your Nest Hub Max. You just won’t be able to receive a meeting code or link to connect. You’ll need to create/receive the call on the Nest Hub Max itself.

Google told us it is working on establishing a support page to explain this change, which will roll out in October 2023. Why this document wasn’t ready before now is anyone’s guess.

Original article, September 18, 2023 (11:05 AM ET): One of the key smart home features of the Google Nest Hub Max is its ability to make video calls. In July of this year, we found out the smart display would no longer support Zoom calls starting at the end of this month. However, it looks like the lone remaining video call service might also be disabled soon.

Inexplicably, users on Reddit are reporting seeing notifications of the removal of Google Meet from the Nest Hub Max (via 9to5Google). Once Zoom leaves, Meet would be the only video chat service on the device. In other words, if Meet leaves the Nest Hub Max, it will no longer be able to make video calls at all.

Obviously, the Nest Hub Max is a years-old product, and the Google Pixel Tablet exists. It’s likely Google is trying to lower the costs of supporting the older hardware and invest more in supporting the new hardware. This would be fine if the Pixel Tablet were a full replacement for the Nest Hub Max, but we know that isn’t true.

If Google kills Google Nest Hub Max video calls, the camera on the front will only have three purposes: supporting Look to Talk (which allows you to initiate a prompt just by looking at the display instead of saying “Hey Google”), playing/pausing music through hand gestures, and acting as a Nest security camera. While these are useful features that make the Nest Hub Max a superior product to the smaller Nest Hub, there are probably a lot of users out there who specifically bought the Hub Max for video calling.

We have reached out to Google for an explanation of this. We will update you if and when the company gets back to us.

If you’re a Nest Aware subscriber, you’re going to have to fork over more money soon. Google has hiked up the price of its Nest subscription service.

On the Google Store page, you’ll now see that the price of Nest Aware has shot up from $6/month or $60/year to $8/month or $80/year. Nest Aware Plus has also been increased from $12/month or $120/year to $15/month or $150/year.

If you’re unfamiliar with Nest Aware, it’s a service you can pay for to gain additional benefits with the best Google Nest devices. By default, Nest cameras record about three hours of event history. The standard plan extends event history to 30 days. In contrast, the Plus plan stretches this out to 60 days and adds the benefit of 10 days of continuous video history. It also provides face detection, sound detection of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, allows the Nest Hub Max to act as its own camera, and makes it easier to contact the 911 call center closest to your home.

If you’re a new customer, you’ll see the price change starting today. Existing subscribers in the US, UK, and Australia, on the other hand, will see the change in fall 2023. Other countries will reportedly be notified 30 days prior to the price increase.

Not everyone will be affected by the price change, however. Google says, “Price changes are not applicable to you if you have canceled your subscription, or if you receive Nest Aware through one of our partners, like ADT.” If you don’t know if you have Nest Aware through one of Google’s partners, the company explains how you can check on its support page.

As for why we’re seeing a price increase now, Google gives a vague answer. “Subscription prices can change to keep up with market shifts, which can include inflation and local tax updates.”

If you’re shopping for smart thermostats, it’s almost impossible to ignore Google Nest. The original Nest Learning Thermostat kicked off the category’s popularity, and Google has the financial muscle to make sure you see the brand everywhere, including big-box hardware stores.

At the moment there are two Nest thermostats available: the 3rd gen Nest Learning Thermostat, and the more recent Nest Thermostat, released in 2020. We’ll explore their differences below, which should point you towards the best model for your home.

Nest Thermostat vs Nest Learning Thermostat: Design

Superficial or not, this is the first thing most people are going to notice. The Learning Thermostat (above) looks more “premium,” owing to metal housing and a sharper (480 x 480) display. The vanilla Thermostat (below) still looks good, but uses plastic, and covers its display with mirrored glass that helps mask its 240 x 320 resolution. Some buyers may prefer the mirroring, whether for blending with a room or because it looks less “techy.”

The Learning Thermostat is sold in 7 different colors: Stainless Steel, Mirror Black, Brass, Polished Steel, White, Black, and Copper. Its counterpart is offered in only 4, namely Snow, Sand, Fog (light green), and Charcoal. Either way there shouldn’t be a problem matching hardware to your décor, but if you’re picky, the Learning Thermostat could win out.

One advantage of the Learning model is Farsight. If it detects motion within 20 feet (about 7 meters), you’ll see information such as time, weather, and (of course) indoor temperature from across the room. It’s not a major omission on the regular Thermostat, but it’s convenient to see the time or weather without raising your phone or watch.

A few other things to note: whereas the Learning Thermostat uses a built-in rechargeable battery, the 2020 Thermostat uses 2 AAA, 1.5V alkaline batteries. The latter also doesn’t come with a trim plate to hide any holes in your wall, so if you need one, you’ll have to buy it from Google for $14.99.

Nest Thermostat vs Nest Learning Thermostat: Installation and compatibility

Both models should be relatively quick and easy to install. Google provides plenty of guidance, including a compatibility checker you can use to see if your HVAC system and its wiring will work. Note though that while the Learning Thermostat is said to be compatible with 95% of home HVAC systems, that falls to 85% for the standard Thermostat, which may also need a C wire or Nest Power Connector for heating-only, cooling-only, zone-controlled, and heat pump systems. Some buyers may have no choice but to upgrade to the Learning Thermostat. If you’re not comfortable installing either unit, or just value time more than money, you can pay for professional installation.

Both thermostats can be added, managed, and controlled in the Google Home app for Android and iPhone. Technically speaking the Learning Thermostat can also pair with the Nest app, but Google is migrating people away from Nest-only accounts, so it’s not recommended.

The products also support automation and voice control through linked Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices. You can, for example, ask a smart speaker to change the temperature and mode, or create routines triggered by various conditions.

Significantly, the 2020 Thermostat doesn’t support Google’s optional external temperature sensors. Those help ensure that specific rooms are the right temperature at the right time of day. So while the product’s internal sensor is probably good enough for most people, you can’t maximize comfort the same way you can with the Learning Thermostat.

Nest Thermostat vs Nest Learning Thermostat: Interface

In terms of on-device menus the two products are similar, some layout and feature-based differences notwithstanding. Google uses a circular motif, which makes the most sense on the Learning Thermostat, since you twist and press its metal ring to adjust temperature and/or navigate menu options. The regular Thermostat requires swiping and tapping on its side, which isn’t hard by any means, but is less intuitive.

The biggest difference is, of course, the Learning Thermostat’s namesake feature. After a short period of initial data collection, it can start adjusting schedules automatically based on your habits. If you regularly turn the temperature down to 70F at 10PM, for instance, it may start doing that every day. You can use manual scheduling or Assistant/Alexa automations as a fallback. On the 2020 Thermostat, those are the only scheduling options.

Nest Thermostat vs Nest Learning Thermostat: Price

• Nest Thermostat: $129.99
• Nest Learning Thermostat: $249

Cost is clearly the incentive to choose the basic Thermostat. It’s almost half the price of its sibling, which can matter a great deal if you’re on a tight budget or would simply rather spend the savings elsewhere. That’s especially true if your HVAC system has split zones that demand separate thermostats for each floor. The point is moot, however, if only the Learning Thermostat is compatible with your wiring.

Nest Thermostat vs Nest Learning Thermostat: Which should you buy?

Assuming your HVAC gear is compatible, we feel most people should choose the basic Nest Thermostat. It costs less upfront and offers all the essential features, including scheduling, app and voice control, and (most importantly) power bill savings through improved efficiency. On top of that it’s attractive, easy to use, and integrated well into Google and Alexa smart homes.

Unless you need its expanded HVAC compatibility or support for external sensors, the Learning Thermostat is mostly a luxury upgrade. The learning feature can be genuinely useful, but a manual schedule can work just as well (or better) if you set things up properly in Google Home. Things like Farsight, a sharper display, and a physical dial won’t make big improvements in daily use.

FAQs

It’s only been about a year since Google released the Nest Wifi Pro, with it quickly becoming one of the best Google Nest products available. But it looks like Google could be planning to launch a new model that may be cheaper than the current model.

The latest version of the Google Home app (version 3.4), currently available in the Play Store, appears to be hiding a juicy secret. In an APK teardown, 9to5Google discovered the codename “Breeza” mentioned within the underlying code. That same code appears to show the model number GS4VD.

Before going any further, it’s important to note that APK teardowns only hint at possible future features. Google may or may not choose to launch these features, so there’s no guarantee it will see the light of day.

According to the outlet, the Google Home app treats Breeza “almost exactly” as it does the Nest Wifi Pro. Which brings up the question, how does this new model differ from the existing model?

The Nest Wifi Pro differentiates itself from previous iterations by integrating the Wi-Fi 6E standard and by ditching the Wi-Fi mesh points that double as Google Assistant speakers (it still supports mesh nodes, however). It appears that there’s no sign of Assistant speakers in the code, so this Breeza model likely won’t be reintroducing these mesh points. Without more information, our only guess is that Breeza could be a cheaper version of the Nest Wifi Pro.

Google actually has a history of this. If you remember, Google originally launched the Google Wi-Fi router in 2016, but later reintroduced the tech in 2020 at a more affordable price point.

This is all speculation at this point, but if Google is planning to launch such a device, it’s possible we could get a reveal later this year during the Pixel 8 launch. Or the tech giant could give it its own announcement. But, then again, it’s possible it might not get any fanfare at all. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Update, June 22, 2023 (03:12 AM ET): Users report that the issue is now fixed. Google Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell now work properly in the live feed. While we have yet to hear from Google, the company issued a statement to 9to5Google on the same:

A recent server update caused an issue in the EU that prevented some devices from connecting properly, and resulted in those devices losing connectivity for a short period of time. Most users have been restored, and we’re working quickly to fully resolve the issue.

Users do not have to do anything for the fix, as it is solved on Google’s end.

Original article, June 20, 2023 (08:18 AM ET): Google’s Nest Cam has become fairly popular among smart home owners as it made smart security cameras accessible to the masses under a reputed brand. The Google Nest Doorbell had a similar story, as it is the first completely wireless doorbell solution from Google, making it accessible for people who want to dip into the smart home ecosystem. However, if you use either of these products, there’s a chance they aren’t working well for the past few hours, and you may be confused about why that is so.

We’ve spotted several reports on Reddit and Twitter from users who are complaining that their Google Nest Cam cameras and Google Nest Doorbells are showing a “Device offline” error. Users are unable to view the feeds within the Google Home app, although some users have been able to receive notifications that contain recorded videos. Most of these complaints appear to be from users in Europe and UK.

The live view does not appear to be working on the home.google.com either, and you cannot undertake any actions either such as turn cameras on and off, wake up inactive cameras, or view the status of your cameras. The devices simply appear offline, even though the internet connection is just fine.

Frustratingly, neither restarting nor factory resetting the devices appears to be fixing the issues. And to make matters worse, the Nest Status page does not show any signs of an outage, leaving users scratching their heads about what the issue is.

We could not locate the cause of the outage. We’ve contacted Google for a comment and will update the article when we hear back from them.

Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

Opinion post by

Dhruv Bhutani

As a smart-everything aficionado, if there’s one tech product category that has landed squarely on the boulevard of broken dreams for me, it would have to be smart speakers. Available in a range of shapes, sizes, and form factors, smart speakers and displays were supposed to change how we interact with the internet. However, in my opinion, the professed future of connected speakers becoming indispensable parts of our daily lives has simply not materialized.

I fully invested in Google’s Nest ecosystem and bought some of the best Alexa-powered Echo speakers on the market, and I have more than a few gripes with the products from both companies. But of all the things that bother me, the one that truly drives me bonkers is the astonishingly imperfect online shopping integration.

Less assistant, more gateway

With Amazon taking the lead with the original Amazon Echo and Google following suit, reinventing online shopping was one of the early promises made when showing off voice-first tech. That, obviously, did not happen. It’s hard to disagree that the almost-disposably priced speakers are little more than music streaming hubs and gateways to voice-activate smart plugs and lights.

There exists a glimmer of a futuristic shopping experience between the hubris of complicated control schemes.

Okay, let me rephrase that statement. There does exist an online shopping experience somewhere in the midst of Amazon and Google’s smart speakers. However, the sheer amount of friction involved in finalizing the purchase is enough to put off all but the most ardent users.

Let’s tackle Google’s ecosystem first, shall we? Despite being the custodian of practically all search and product queries on the internet, Google restricts smart speaker-based shopping to just the US. It’s not that Google Shopping, the service powering the back-end of Mountain View’s voice-first search, isn’t available outside the US.

In India, where I live, Google Shopping is a fairly competent aggregator and price comparison tool. Bouncing off users to the best available price when purchasing daily essentials shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for my Nest Hub. Instead, the feature is simply not available to me.

Not quite a one-command affair

I expected a better experience from my Echo devices, considering, you know, the shopping juggernaut behind it. Compared to Google’s offerings, things are a bit more streamlined — as long as you stay within Amazon’s ecosystem. However, even that comes with caveats.

If you stick to display-equipped speakers, the shopping workflow is serviceable. Issuing a simple command like asking Alexa to order a specific brand of coffee usually brings up a smorgasbord of options and variations on the display. The user is then expected to scroll or tap on the item and add it to the cart. Want more than a single bag of coffee? You’ll just have to go through the entire process again.

The Amazon Echo offers a more streamlined voice shopping experience compared to Google, but that’s not saying much.

However, in the case of Amazon’s non-display smart speakers, that same purchase journey turns into a long and cryptic SEO-optimized string wherein you’re never really sure if you’ve landed on the right product. Want two of those? Well, there you go again.

The disjointed nature of shopping using smart accessories rears its ugly head in yet another form. Shopping lists should be a pretty common use case for smart speakers. The Google Nest Hub, while unable to actually make purchases in India, makes a handily accessible list for me that syncs across over Google Keep or any other list-making app of my choice.

Amazon’s convoluted approach towards a simple shopping list is symptomatic of feature creep and lack of focus.

In the Echo’s case, the shopping list feature was previously buried three menus deep within the slow-as-molasses Alexa app. While Amazon made moves to improve this user experience by offering a fancy new home screen widget for iPhones and Android devices, it forgot one big feature — this shopping list has no integration with Amazon whatsoever. Essentially, if you are using your Echo device as a shopping hub, you have two completely distinct experiences available. Either shop via Amazon or figure your own way about it.

While I can see the train of thought that led to this product decision, it makes no sense that a centralized shopping list can’t give you the option to tick off selected items for your Amazon shopping cart. Moreover, the widget still drops you into the extremely sluggish and bloated Alexa app that makes performing any task an exercise in frustration.

The lack of streamlined innovation is perplexing

For all my rants and raves, it surprises me that the very smart speakers and displays that were supposed to be the cornerstone of our entire digital existence are still struggling with such rudimentary features. More so considering the impact this struggle has had on profitability for Amazon and how little the company has done to fix the problem.

Amazon’s Alexa division has burned through an estimated $10 billion, and yet the company has made no moves to fix or improve its shopping experience.

Amazon’s loss-making Alexa division is reported to have burnt through almost three billion dollars in just the first quarter of 2022, with lifetime losses estimated to be close to 10 billion dollars. That’s mostly down to Amazon struggling to find a way to monetize the platform. Selling the product at cost makes sense for competitors like Google since it benefits from gathering user data and running fine-tuned ads across all product categories. Amazon, however, only monetizes shopping which makes the poor experience even more perplexing.

All this to say that timers and weather updates are great, but with advertisements and shopping at the core of Google and Amazon’s business, I expected my Alexa and Google Nest speakers to revolutionize how I purchase daily essentials. Instead, the experience is so frustrating that after multiple attempts at making voice-based purchases part of my routine, I keep going back to shuffling between my shopping app of choice and a notepad for everything else. I don’t see that changing unless drastic changes come about.

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) announced the launch of Matter back in early November. Now we’re starting to see the fruits of that launch as Google announces Matter is coming to Google Nest devices, Android, and Google Home.

If you haven’t been keeping tabs on the latest developments in the smart home industry, Matter is a smart home interoperability standard that was developed in collaboration with Samsung, Amazon, Google, Apple, and hundreds of other companies under the CSA. Matter aims to fix the connectivity challenges between the large variety of smart home devices on the market. The idea is to make it easier for consumers to purchase whatever brand of smart home device they want and have it work seamlessly with the rest of their smart home ecosystem.

According to Google, it has started to enable Matter on Google Nest devices, Android, and Google Home. The Nest devices getting Matter include some gadgets you may already own such as:

As to how this will affect Android, Google says that the update will add support for Fast Pair. This feature will make it fast and easy to pair with Matter-enabled devices with your home network, Google Home, or other smart home apps.

The company also mentioned users will be able to connect their Matter-enabled devices to their home network through Wi-Fi or Thread — a technology that allows seamless connection over a long distance. Google states that its Nest Wifi Pro, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Hub (second-gen) will be updated to work with Thread.

Added to the announcement, the Mountain View-based organization provided a little insight into its plans for 2023. Those plans include not only enabling Matter on more Nest devices, but also adding iOS support and a deeper integration of Matter’s Multi-Admin experience. For example, when you open up the Google Home app, you’ll be able to see Samsung SmartThings devices and add them to Google Home.

Although this is all happening now, this has been the plan since this initiative started. In fact, all the way back in October, it was revealed that Samsung and Google were promising to roll out Matter-based syncing “in the coming weeks.”

Opinion post by

C. Scott Brown

I love my Google Nest smart home products. I have no shame in admitting that I am all in on the ecosystem. I have two smart displays, the Nest Doorbell (battery), two Nest security cameras, the Nest Wifi with two nodes, multiple Nest Audio speakers, and even a Google Nest Mini. In fact, there are very few Nest products I haven’t at the very least given a try.

But out of my whole collection, my Nest Audio speakers are my favorite. These small-but-mighty smart speakers create rich and full multi-room sound throughout my home. I can simply say “Hey Google, play Oasis” at any moment in any part of the house, and boom: Liam and Noel fill up every room sounding “biblical,” as they like to say.

See also: The best smart home devices you can buy

All that love, however, gets tainted by a huge complaint, which is that Nest speaker lights are a real pain. This applies to both the Nest Audio and the Nest Mini, but also to older products like the Google Home and Home Max. I understand the need for lights on these products, but I really wish Google would let me control them.

The Google Nest Mini is the perfect entry product to get you into a smart home powered by Google Assistant. It’s small, easy to use, comes in a wide array of colors, and isn’t too expensive.

However, at a list price of $49, it might be a little too pricey for some. But not today! Right now, at Walmart, you can get a Google Nest Mini deal that saves you 62% off, bringing the price down to just $18.

Now, this is a perfect way to start your smart home. However, maybe you already have a smart home going and don’t need this. Do you know someone else who might need one? At under $20, this just became the best stocking stuffer gift around.

The Google Nest Mini deal won’t last long, so get on it fast. As of right now, Walmart has all four colors available: Charcoal (dark gray), Coral (pink), Chalk (light gray), and Sky (blue). However, the neutral colors could sell out soon at this price, so if you don’t like the idea of being stuck with Coral, we’d jump on this now.

It took several years, but in 2020, Google finally introduced a follow-up to its original Google Home speaker. Known as the Nest Audio, the speaker has all the smarts of the Google Assistant-powered Nest Mini but similar sound quality to the original Google Home Max.

At an MSRP of $99, the Nest Audio isn’t an impulse buy but is pretty aggressively priced for what it is. Today, though, there’s a Google Nest Audio deal that brings the price to insanely low levels.

First, at multiple retailers, you can grab a Nest Audio for just $49.99, equal to 50% off. Best Buy is probably the most prominent retailer with this sale, and it offers the speaker in all five colors: Charcoal, Sky, Sage, Sand, and Chalk. Walmart has this price as well.

However, we’ve seen that price before. It’s good but will probably return for Black Friday. A deal directly from Google, though, gets you two Nest Audios for just $89.99. That deal gets you two speakers for $10 less than you’d normally pay for one.

This is the best Google Nest Audio deal we’ve ever seen. It likely won’t last so be sure to get on it quickly!

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Google claiming the company collected biometric data without user consent. To prop up his case, Paxton is using a law that has never been enforced until now.

On Thursday, the AG accused Google of violating a state consumer protection law by gathering facial and voice recognition information without the explicit consent of people in the state, according to The New York Times. The filing focuses on three of Google’s products, which include Google Nest, Google Assistant, and the Google Photos app.

To break down Paxton’s issues, Google Nest’s camera has the ability to recognize faces and send alerts when someone is at your door. Google Assistant can learn up to six people’s voices to give them personalized experiences. And the Google Photos app can help users find photos they took of specific people.

The law — called the biometric privacy law — was introduced back in 2009 and requires companies to inform users and get their consent before capturing their biometric identifiers. This includes data such as fingerprints, voiceprints, and a “record of hand or face geometry.”

Any company that violates this Texas law is forced to pay up to $25,000 per violation. Paxton claims that there are potentially millions of people affected.

Texas isn’t the only state that has a law like this. Both Illinois and Washington also have laws. However, in Illinois and Washington, the law enables individuals to sue companies directly, whereas Texas requires the state to sue companies on behalf of its citizens.

Since enacting the law in 2009, Texas has never enforced it, until now. Paxton first used it to go after Meta — the parent company of Facebook — in February for using facial recognition in the past that made it easier for users to tag people. This will mark the second time Paxton has invoked the privacy law.

“Google’s indiscriminate collection of the personal information of Texans, including very sensitive information like biometric identifiers, will not be tolerated,” Mr. Paxton said in a statement. “I will continue to fight Big Tech to ensure the privacy and security of all Texans.”

As Texas grows increasingly litigious toward tech companies, this could set a new precedent. For example, Instagram has to ask permission from Texas consumers to analyze their facial features before they can use any face filters. If Texas continues to sue more companies, this could lead to more developments that inhibit ease-of-use features. It could also encourage other states to adopt and enforce similar or even stricter laws.

Back in late 2021, Google announced that it had plans to release the second generation of its wired Nest Doorbell. After numerous leaks since then, and even someone finding the product on store shelves the day before, Google has officially announced its new wired Nest Doorbell. Here’s everything you need to know about the device.

You won’t see the second generation of the Nest Doorbell making any headlines due to its appearance. It looks pretty much the same as last year’s wireless offering. However, this new doorbell is 30% smaller than before.

Unlike its battery-powered sibling, this device’s wired connection will enable the new Nest Doorbell to record video all day every day. Speaking of all day every day, it will also support a 24/7 continuous video history for 10 days if you have a Nest Aware subscription.

As for the video quality, the wired Nest Doorbell will have the same 960p resolution that the 2021 battery-powered Nest Doorbell has. Despite that, Google claims that this new device provides the clearest image yet. Dxomark — a website that assesses lenses and cameras — seems to corroborate this remark by saying it was the best they tested so far in terms of image quality.

Something else the wired Nest Doorbell will borrow from the battery-powered doorbell is its features. Things like on-device processing, intelligent alerts, activity zones, and talk/listen will be making a return on this gadget.

For those with a Nest Hello looking to upgrade, you’ll be pleased to know that the drill holes in the wired Nest Doorbell are the same. Additionally, Google says that the wired Nest Doorbell is more powerful and faster than the Nest Hello.

Going on sale for $179.99 starting on October 4, the wired Nest Doorbell will be available in Snow (white), Ash (gray), Linen (beige/yellow), and Ivy (grayish green).

The price of this doorbell matches the price of this year’s battery-powered model, which we gave a 4 out of 5 stars. While it won’t have to worry about a nonremovable, slow-charging battery, unfortunately, it appears Google has decided not to improve its low-resolution camera.

With nonstop leaks of the Pixel 7 series and Pixel Watch over the last week, it should come as no surprise that another Google product has leaked before the company’s October 6 event. This time it seems that Google’s new wired Nest Doorbell has been spotted.

At Google’s hardware event this Thursday, we’re expecting to see a selection of new products. Outside of the Pixel 7 series and the Pixel Watch, one of the items we expect will make an appearance at the event will be Google’s yet-to-be-revealed wired Nest Doorbell.

The Mountain View-based business announced that it would put out a second-generation Nest Doorbell in 2022 last year. Although it has yet to show off any renders of the device, Google has said that the doorbell will be wired for continuous 24/7 video.

Now that we’re only a couple of days away from Google’s event, it seems some stores already have the product in stock. In fact, one eagle-eyed shopper happened to notice the device on a shelf at Best Buy.

According to 9To5Google, the shopper found the Nest Doorbell and attempted to buy the product at a price of $179.99. However, Best Buy’s register system prevented the purchase of the unreleased device. A manager revealed that the Nest Doorbell wouldn’t be available for purchase until October 4.

Fortunately, the shopper was able to take a picture of the doorbell’s packaging. Apparently, the packaging looks fairly similar to the battery version of the doorbell, but has the words “2nd generation” and “Wired,” states 9To5Google. Two color variants were also found which include white and dark gray.

In addition to the new wired doorbell, we’re expecting to see Google’s Nest Wifi Pro at the October 6 event. We’ve seen product pages leak details about the device, but no one has reported seeing one in the wild yet.

Google has announced the October 6 launch event for the Pixel 7 series and the Pixel Watch. It looks like that’s not all the company would be unveiling there.

On its Ideas & Info blog, Google has also revealed that the new Nest smart home portfolio will make its debut on the same day as its new flagships and smartwatch.

“All of the devices will be shoppable the same day at GoogleStore.com or if you’re in the New York City area, visit our physical Google Stores to check them out in person,” Google notes in its blog.

It’s unclear what exactly Google will launch, but a cheaper Chromecast has recently been in the news. A report from yesterday suggested that the 1080p streamer is on the brink of launch. A new Nest Wi-Fi and a wired Nest Doorbell have also been rumored for a while. All these devices fall under the Nest lineup of smart home tech from Google, so we might see them launch at the event.

A mysterious new Google device has turned up on the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) database. The listing is labeled “wireless device” with no mention of a product name or type. However, digging into the filing reveals a few attributes of the unknown Google hardware.

The device gets the model number G28DR and features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. This suggests it may be something that connects to other devices, possibly a smart home Nest device of sorts.

It appears to be powered by a 3.65V battery. The device was also connected to a laptop for one of the tests, suggesting it could be chargeable via a USB connection.

Since there’s no UWB, NFC, or cellular connectivity, it’s highly unlikely that the unnamed Google device belongs to the Pixel family. It’s also unlikely this is a new Chromecast, given the inclusion of the battery.

There was another mysterious Google device spotted on FCC back in June. However, that particular one had a different file number. Its tests also showed a connection between the device and earphones, as well as a controller. There are no such details mentioned in the latest filing.

With these two mysterious devices appearing ahead of the Pixel 7 launch this fall, Google might have more to show at its hardware event apart from its new flagship phones and the Pixel Watch. Until then, we’ll keep an eye out for any more details that might crop up about the possible upcoming Google devices.

Google has put out a community post blaming audio-maker Sonos for a new problem that Pixel phones are facing.

According to the Nest team, some Pixel users in the US and Canada may be unable to set up smart home devices that haven’t been connected to Wi-Fi in a while or ever.

Google hasn’t shared a list of affected devices, but they presumably include Google Home and Nest speakers and displays, as well as Chromecasts. Android and Google TV devices are not affected, and users can continue to activate them via standard methods.

For devices that aren’t connecting, the official blog post warns that Pixel users may encounter a message saying “Device needs to be activated before setup” in the Google Home app. Google says this is happening “because of an interruption caused by Sonos.”

The company doesn’t detail how Sonos is responsible for the problem, but it’s a result of the ongoing patent case between the two companies.

A Google spokesperson gave the following statement to 9To5Google:

This decision temporarily impacts a small number of Pixel users who set up a speaker or display for the first time with the Device Utility App. We will work with them to minimize disruption. Our support teams are on hand to fix any issues they have and if needed, we will send replacement devices or offer a Google store credit. Over the years, we have worked hard to make sure that our shared customers would have a positive experience and are disappointed that Sonos continues to use the legal system in a way that deliberately creates issues for these users.

Meanwhile, speaking to Android Central, a Sonos spokesperson said that  the following:

Google’s Pixel disruption is the direct result of its decision to infringe Sonos’ patents rather than license them, as the International Trade Commission ruled. It is entirely Google’s decision to inflict further harm to its customers rather than behave responsibly, and it’s the height of arrogance to try to blame the company whose innovations it’s misappropriating.

How to fix the problem?

Google says that if you are someone who lives outside the US or Canada, you can follow these steps to activate your device using the Device Utility app. However, if you live in the two countries, you are advised to contact Google Support.

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

The technology world was shaken late last week by a ruling of the US International Trade Commission saying that Google had infringed on Sonos’ patents. After a couple of years of legal back-and-forth, this was a difficult blow to Google. A US import ban on many products is looming on the horizon, and a few crucial Nest and Chromecast features were deemed illegally used. The company has explained several of the imposed limitations in a post on the Nest community blog. One of these concerns the setup of some Google Home/Nest speakers and Chromecasts.

Of course, the timing was perfect — I wish I could convey the extra sarcasm in my tone — for me. I moved into a new apartment about a month ago and was dragging my feet to set up my older Google Home Mini in my bedroom. Hey, in my defense, I had to move the bed to plug it in. So when I heard that the setup process was about to get worse, I thought I still had time to do it right. Alas, no.

Related: All the cool things you can do with Google Home, Nest Audio, and Chromecast

And so started a multi-hour ordeal of trying and failing to make the little coral puck connect to my Wi-Fi. Spoiler: It worked in the end, but it was a horrid experience. Let’s go through what happened, step by step.

A terrible setup experience

I plugged the Mini in and saw it pop up in the Google Home app, which asked if I wanted to set it up. After accepting, the animation spun for a while then told me I couldn’t carry on; I had to download a new app called Device Utility and continue there. I followed the link, got the app, and gave it all the permissions it asked for. Then it told me to turn off Wi-Fi to help it detect nearby speakers. “Curious,” I thought, but still did as asked. That was never the case with the Home app connection process, but I suppose one of the Sonos patents has to do with this seamless setup approach.

Device Utility detected the Mini and started spinning. I thought I was in the clear, but up popped an error saying it couldn’t connect and that I should get closer. My Pixel 5 was literally two inches away. I shrugged and tried again. I’m used to ‘smart’ devices acting very dumb on multiple occasions, so this didn’t surprise me. But when the error showed up again immediately without the app even pretending to look for the Mini, twice, thrice, five times, I was a little dubious.

Our picks: The best Google Home accessories

Google’s Fuchsia OS has finally arrived on one of its products, but it’s not a Pixel, Pixelbook, or Chromebook. Instead, 9to5Google reports that Fuchsia OS is now rolling out to the first-generation Google Nest Hub.

The rollout hints at the beginning of a wider public rollout of Fuchsia OS to Google devices. According to the publication, the update will arrive on the 2018 Nest Hub in the “coming months” for Preview Program users. Although it makes for a limited pool of devices, this should also allow the company to better test the OS in the wild. Users falling into this category shouldn’t notice much of a difference pre- and post-update, though. Fuchsia OS seemingly keeps the UI on the Nest Hub essentially unchanged.

Despite the lack of any visual revisions, the Fuchsia OS push marks a massive paradigm shift for Google. The OS, long rumored to replace Android, made its Github debut in 2016. Unlike the world’s most popular smartphone OS, it’s not underpinned by a Linux kernel. Instead, it’s developed by Google from the ground up. Fuchsia OS is also set to serve multiple devices, from smart home products to laptops and smartphones.

It’s unclear if Google plans to push the OS to other devices in the Nest Hub family. We’ve contacted the company for comment on its rollout plans and will update this article if/when we hear back.

For now, what are your thoughts about the Fuchsia OS developments? Do you still believe it will be the Android successor on future Google phones? Let us know in the comments below!

Google I/O 2021 is going to be all-virtual this year, which is better than what we got last year, which was no I/O at all. As usual, the event kicks off with a keynote speech from Sundar Pichai and other high-level Googlers. We expect there to be at least one hardware announcement during that event. That starts at 10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET) on May 18.

Later, though, it looks like we’ll see some new Google smart home products. On May 19 at 4:15 PM PT (7:15 PM ET), Google will hold an event centered on Google Assistant and the smart home. Per an official blog post related to this event, we can expect new product announcements then.

See also: Smart home devices: The best ones you can buy

Unfortunately, Google doesn’t give any hints on what to expect. It’s also not clear if these “new product announcements” would be hardware- or software-based. However, we think it’s a safe bet that we’d see at least one piece of new smart home hardware launch during I/O.

Recently, Google discontinued its popular line of Nest-branded security systems. Is it possible we’ll see a replacement launched at the event? Also, it’s been a while since we’ve seen any new Nest cameras, so maybe an update to that line is on the way.

This year’s I/O will mark the fifth anniversary of Google Assistant, so Google is probably going to make it a pretty big deal. Stay tuned for more rumors related to this launch, and check out our full rumor hub on I/O for all the latest.

Whether you’re using an Amazon Echo, Google Nest device or Apple HomePod, there’s a mic switch (if sometimes virtual) to stop your smart speaker or display from listening for commands. It can be helpful if you’re worried about accidental activations, or don’t want your gadget listening without your explicit say-so.

But do you use that mic switch, or does it mostly stay idle? It’s a handy feature, but it might also be a hassle if you’re not particularly concerned about a microphone-equipped gadget sitting in your living room. Please let us know your habits in the poll below.

There’s not as much need to use a mic switch as you might think. While some are convinced that an always-ready microphone means your device is recording everything you say, that’s not really true. Smart speakers and displays don’t record or share anything until they hear wake words like “Alexa” or “Hey Google.” You don’t have to worry that Amazon or Google will offer shopping advice based on your off-hand conversations.

Next: The best smart speaker you can buy

At the same time, there’s still a chance (however slight) that someone might hear more than you intended to share. Companies frequently have human operators listen to recordings and read transcriptions to be sure their voice assistants are working properly. While those clips are anonymized and might not last long, that still raises the possibility that someone, somewhere might hear what you said in confidence. It might be worth flicking that mic switch in those moments when you want to completely rule out any eavesdropping, no matter how unlikely it might be.

What are your reasons for using the mic switch, if you use it at all? Please share in the comments!

Update, October 30, 2020 (03:00 PM ET): The new Nest Thermostat is now available for purchase, no pre-order necessary. It will cost you $130 and comes in four colors. Grab yours today at the link below, and stay tuned for the full review from Android Authority.

Original article, October 12, 2020 (10:00 AM ET): Nest hasn’t significantly updated its Thermostat line in three years, but it’s finally ready to deliver a new model in 2020 — and it won’t surprise you to hear that the focus is on price rather than sheer capability.

The new Thermostat is still simple to set up and use. You don’t need a common wire to get started, and you can touch or tap the edge to control your home’s climate. Of course, you can still use voice control through Google Assistant devices in addition to the Nest app on your phone.

The new Nest Thermostat

Instead, the focus is on a sleeker, more colorful design with Charcoal, Fog (think seafoam green), Sand, and Snow colors framing a “smooth mirror” display. The interface involves simple swipes and taps on the side — there are no buttons or elaborate touchscreen controls here. The updated Thermostat also relies on a pair of AA cells for backup rather than a built-in battery, so it may be easier to keep running without professional help.

You still have access to common Nest features on the 2020 thermostat, including a Savings Finder to improve efficiency and alerts for heating and air conditioning (HVAC) problems. Certain power utilities, like ComEd and Duke Energy, will also give you rebates and rewards.

As we said at the start, though, price appears to be the main focus for the new Nest Thermostat. The new version will be available to pre-order in the US and Canada on October 12 for just $130, significantly below the $169 official price for the Thermostat E. That makes it more immediately tempting compared to rivals like the Ecobee 3 Lite, and it might pay for itself that much sooner if there are significant energy savings available for your home.

Next: The best Nest Home apps

Update, October 28, 2020 (04:10 PM ET): According to Phil from Modern Dad, Google is now emailing Nest Secure owners with an update on the security system’s future. In the original article below, we discuss how Google previously confirmed Nest Secure had been discontinued.

In a screenshot of the email, Google appears to say that it is still “committed to bringing you the same feature and software support you’ve always had with Nest Secure, including cross-product integrations within the Nest ecosystem.” It also adds that it will “continue to deliver critical security updates and software fixes.”

The email fails to clarify why Google discontinued Nest Secure. All Google says is that it “sold out of Nest Secure and won’t be making the full system available for sale any longer.”

In the end, it appears owners of the Nest Secure system can feel comfortable that the system will continue to be safe for the time being. However, people looking to buy a new one from a third-party retailer should probably avoid it.

Original article, October 19, 2020 (06:12 PM ET): The Nest Audio might be a triumph, but Google’s other smart home devices aren’t faring as well. Google has confirmed to Android Police that it has discontinued sales of Nest Secure, a week after the company listed the alarm system as “no longer available” on its official store.

Google didn’t explain why it had discontinued Nest Secure, but stressed that the product would continue to work for existing owners. The company didn’t say how long the system would remain active.

Related: The best home security and IP camera apps for Android

It’s safe to say the device never got much (positive) attention. Google introduced Nest Secure in 2017 but left the system largely unchanged even as there were revisions to other Nest products. The biggest surprise was the discovery of an unlisted microphone that Google would later enable for Assistant, even as it raised privacy questions. It’s not surprising that Google discontinued Nest Secure, then — it just didn’t play an important role in the company’s strategy.

The decision leaves you with one less option for a smart security system, particularly if you’re heavily invested in Google technology. Current devices do fill some of the gaps. Nest security cameras still offer at least some protection. Nest Protect and thermostats offer motion-sensing features, too, albeit more for convenience than security. There just won’t be a direct equivalent to Nest Secure, for better or for worse.

Google’s mid-range Pixel 4a was first announced back in August, and the company had promised that the phone will launch in India later in the year. True to its claims, the Pixel 4a is finally making its debut on Indian shores, two months after its global launch.

The Pixel 4a is powered by a Snapdragon 730G chipset paired up with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Users get a 5.81-inch OLED display with Gorilla Glass 3 as well as a 3,140mAh battery that can be fast charged at 18W.

The real upsell, of course, is the superlative imaging experience offered by the sole 12.2MP camera as we talk about in our Pixel 4a review.

Google goes lower on pricing

What comes as a surprise, however, is Google’s aggressive pricing of the Pixel 4a in India. The phone will retail at Rs 31,999 (~$435) in India with introductory pricing set at Rs 29,999 (~$410) when the phone goes on sale starting October 16 over at Flipkart.

This is in sharp contrast to previous launches. The Pixel 3a, for example, debuted at Rs. 39,999 (~$545) in the country which made it a bit of a non-starter amidst tough competition.

The Pixel 4a’s aggressive pricing in India pits it right against the OnePlus Nord. While the latter has more powerful hardware like a Snapdragon 765G chipset and more RAM, the Pixel 4a counters it with a clean Android build, three years of quick updates, and of course, the flagship-grade camera.

Elsewhere, Google is also introducing its latest smart speaker, the Nest Audio, in India. The redesigned speaker outputs 75% higher volume and 50% more bass. The Nest Audio is priced at Rs 7,999 (~$110) in India with an introductory discount bringing it down to Rs 6,999 (~$95). Both the Pixel 4a and Nest Audio will be available on Flipkart as well as offline retailers like Reliance Retail and Tata Cliq.

Google announced a bunch of new hardware last week, including the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G smartphones, the Chromecast with Google TV, and the Nest Audio speaker. However, the company may not be done yet with its device reveals for 2020. A new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims the company is getting ready to launch a new, more affordable Nest smart thermostat.

The new model will reportedly cost just $129, compared to the $169 price for the Nest Thermostat E and $249 for the current third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat. The device will supposedly have a plastic case to cut costs.

The most interesting thing about this new model may not be its lower cost. Gurman claims this version will support hand gestures for controlling temperature and performing device functions. For example, instead of touching it, a homeowner can move their hand up in front of the thermostat to increase the temperature, or move it down to lower it.

There’s no word on exactly when this new Nest thermostat will go on sale. The report simply says it is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks. So far, Google has yet to confirm or deny this story.

Sonos isn’t stopping at one lawsuit against Google for allegedly copying speaker technology. The Verge reports that Sonos is suing Google again, claiming the internet giant is violating five wireless audio patents.

The suit asserts that the entire Nest and Chromecast lineups are using Sonos tech that includes phone-based streaming music control, speaker groups, and automatic EQ. Sonos felt it vital to sue again to underscore the “depth and breadth of Google’s copying,” according to legal chief Eddie Lazarus.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda promised that the company would fight the new lawsuit. He maintained that Google’s products had been “designed independently” and that his employer would deny the claims “vigorously.” Google countersued Sonos over the first case in June, using a common strategy to force a quick end to a legal battle.

Related: The best smart speaker you can buy

Sonos has frequently complained about the power of companies like Google and Amazon to reportedly swipe technology and dictate unforgiving terms. It went so far as to accuse them of knowingly violating patents on the assumption that the cost of any legal disputes would be trivial compared to the profits from smart speakers.

The company believes that “most people” in the wireless home audio space violate Sonos patents, Lazarus said. Suing Google was a “last resort” when discussions fail.

The lawsuit doesn’t mean Sonos has given up on Google integration. It wants a “positive relationship” with Google, according to Lazarus. However, it still wants Google to pay — we wouldn’t expect the two to warm to each other unless there’s a mutually agreeable settlement. Nest and Chromecast products are safe for now, but there’s no guarantee that will remain the case.

Google has provided smart home devices for several years now, largely thanks to its Nest gadgets. The Mountain View company isn’t stopping there though, as it’s just announced a major partnership with security and home automation provider ADT.

The partnership will see Google invest $450 million in ADT, earning it a 6.6% stake in the security provider according to the two companies. This investment is scheduled to close in Q3 2020.

So what does that mean for consumers, then? Well, Google says ADT’s technicians will be able to sell and install Nest devices like cameras and the Nest Hub Max. ADT adds that it will start offering “certain” Nest devices from this year, and will “expand the integration” in 2021.

Read: Your guide to the best smart home devices | The best smart plugs worth checking out

The search colossus also points to machine learning as a way to improve ADT’s security and smart home offerings.

“The goal is to give customers fewer false alarms, more ways to receive alarm events, and better detection of potential incidents inside and around the home. It will also provide people with more helpful notifications that make everyday life more convenient, like package detection,” reads an excerpt of Google’s announcement.

Google says ADT customers will also gain access to the Nest Aware subscription service, which usually start at $6 a month. This grants you access to intelligent alerts (e.g. when abnormal sounds are detected), zone-specific alerts, and 30 days of event video history.

Next: The best smart displays you can buy today

You no longer have to forego Queer Eye or Tiger King if you use Google smart displays to watch your favorite TV shows — Netflix is now rolling out to the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.

As you’d expect, you can use both “hey Google” voice commands and the touchscreen to open Netflix, play individual shows, or control playback when your hands are busy. If you’re using the Hub Max, the camera lets you use gestures to pause or resume a video without touching the screen or disrupting others’ conversations. You can hold up your hand to the camera to pause and resume your show or movie.

The feature will be available everywhere you find both Google smart displays and Netflix. Google told Android Authority that support is limited to Nest displays “at this time,” so you’ll have to patient if you want to use a third-party smart display.

This could be the decisive factor if you’re shopping for a smart screen and aren’t attached to any one ecosystem. As of this writing, Netflix doesn’t have native support on Alexa-powered displays like Amazon’s Echo Show, with services like Hulu only partly filling the gap. A Nest device may be your best choice if you’d like to catch up on the widest selection of shows in the kitchen without bringing a tablet into the mix.

Read more: The best streaming services of 2020 | The best smart displays

Imagine that you’re walking by your Google Nest Hub and the display lights up to show the doorbell camera. Someone’s at the door, ringing the bell. This would all seem completely normal, but what if you don’t have a doorbell camera?

That seems to be what happened to a Reddit user this week. The user’s wife saw what appears to be doorbell camera footage on their Google Nest Hub, but the porch in the shot wasn’t from their own home. In fact, the only smart home product the family has is the Nest Hub, making it impossible for anything they own to have created the footage.

The family was able to capture the last few seconds of the doorbell footage, which you can see here:

On the /r/GoogleHome subreddit, the family posted the Google Nest Hub video above with the question, “Is this your house?”

Interestingly, a Reddit user with Google flair — suggesting they are a Google employee — chimed in after about an hour of the post hitting the site. The user said they would be reaching out directly to the poster to address the problem.

Related: The best Google Home and Nest deals

The thread is otherwise filled with questions and commentary from various Redditors. The most prevalent question was whether or not the porch seen in the video clip looked like something from the neighborhood and whether it would be possible that neighbors could be connected to their Wi-Fi. However, the person who posted the clip claims that the porch doesn’t look like any they know of, so it is unlikely that this is from their area.

For what it’s worth, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Not too long ago, Google removed Xiaomi’s access to certain smart home services after some Xiaomi smart displays started showing random camera feeds. Google reinstated Xiaomi’s access to services quickly, though, presumably after some sort of changes were made to prevent it from happening again.

Other than the Google employee appearing in the Reddit thread, Google hasn’t made any official statement on this matter yet.

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Google’s Nest security cameras are essential devices for many people, allowing them to keep a watchful eye on their homes and surroundings. But the search giant is taking a significant step to ensure that these devices don’t contribute to internet congestion in a big way.

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Google emailed users earlier this week (h/t: TechCrunch) to inform them that they are temporarily lowering the video quality of Nest Cam devices in a bid to “conserve internet resources” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To answer the global call to prioritize internet bandwidth for learning and working, in the next few days we’re going to be making a few changes,” Google was quoted as saying by the outlet. “We believe these changes have the potential to help make it easier for communities to keep up with school, work, and everything in between.”

TechCrunch and Google note that Nest Cams can use as much as 400GB of bandwidth each month. But dropping the video quality to “medium-high” or “medium-low” uses 300GB or 200GB respectively.

The change will take place over several days, and users should expect to see a notification in the app if their settings have been adjusted by Google. Need or want higher quality security footage? Google says you can simply bump the quality back up if you wish, as they’re simply changing the default quality setting.

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Google Assistant is already capable of telling your kids a bedtime story if they ask for one, but what if you want something more personalized? That’s where this latest feature comes into play.

The company announced a new My Storytime action for users to play recorded bedtime stories via Google Assistant-enabled devices. Users can record stories via Mystorytime.com, and family members can then play them back by asking Google Assistant to “talk to my Storytime.”

Google said the idea was inspired by military families, as parents deploying overseas and miss out on bedtime stories. But it says the feature is also ideal for grandparents living far away from their grandchildren, nurses or police officers working night shifts, and parents away on business trips.

Parents wanting to get in on the action need to sign into My Storytime with their Google account. From here, they can either record stories via the service or upload previously recorded stories to the service.

Google specifically noted that parents and authorized users can access the stories on Nest Mini, Nest Hub, and Nest Hub Max devices. But the firm told Android Authority that the feature is actually available on all Assistant-enabled devices and in all Assistant regions that support English.

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If you own one of of the Nest security cameras or its Nest Hello video doorbell devices from Google, you know you can also sign up for the company Nest Aware service. It offers a way to save video clips from those cameras to the cloud, along with other services, for a fee. Today, as part of the company’s hardware press event, Google announced a revamping of its Nest Aware pricing and plans, which will go into effect in early 2020.

Currently, there are three Nest Aware pricing plans. Each plan is for just one Nest camera and video doorbell device. The plans range from $5 a month for five days of video history, to $30 a month for 30 days of stored videos. However, the new Nest Aware plans and prices should be a big improvement.

According to Google, there will only be two Nest Aware plans in early 2020. One will cost $6 a month and will offer 30 days of video event history, which means that it will store clips “only when the camera detects activity”. The other big change is that the plan will also cover all Nest camera devices in one home, rather than just one Nest camera. The second, and more expensive plan, Nest Aware Plus, will cost $12 a month. It will also cover all the Nest cameras in a home, plus increase the video event history to 60 days. It will also add 10 days of storage for continuous 24/7 video coverage.

Google claims that current Nest Aware subscribers should be able to switch their current plan to one of the two new plans when they go live in early 2020.  In addition, Nest Aware will add alerts from Google’s smart speakers and displays if they are in the home as well. If you own a Google Nest Mini speaker, it will use machine learning-based AI to identify sounds like dogs barking or a carbon monoxide alarm going off while you are away from home. Nest Aware will send an alert to your smartphone if something like that is detected by a Nest speaker or display. The alert will also send you information on the nearest 911 call center and will allow you to call them if you have an emergency.

The new Nest Aware app will also provide a way for owners to see all the alerts and notifications from their home, and organize them in terms of importance.

What do you think of the new Nest Aware plans, prices and features?

WinFuture

We expect the Google Nest Mini to launch alongside the Google Pixel 4 tomorrow in New York City. However, WinFuture obtained some leaked images and specs information about the new smart speaker that tells us pretty much everything we need to know.

As you can see in the images above and below, the Google Nest Mini looks remarkably similar to its predecessor, the Google Home Mini. In fact, WinFuture claims it will even have the same dimensions: 42mm in height and a circumference of 98mm.

However, the Nest Mini will come with a new bottom plate that will make the device easier to hang on walls. Currently, you can easily buy hanging equipment for a Home Mini, but this is the first time Google will include an easy way to hang the device right out of the box.

Check it out below:

The Google Nest Mini appears to come in the same colors as the Home Mini: Charcoal (the dark gray you see here), Chalk, and Coral. There could also be a new Sky Blue option, but there’s no word on the Aqua option we saw from the Home Mini.

Just as with the Home Mini, the Nest Mini works with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac with dual-band support (2.4 or 5.0GHz). It also supports Bluetooth and features Chromecast integration, once again, just like with the Home Mini.

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Interestingly, the device does seem to have one significant difference, which is that it draws more power. The Home Mini only uses a 9W power supply while the Google Nest Mini uses a 15W power supply. It’s not clear what this will mean as far as energy efficiency goes or if that extra juice will enable more powerful or better audio.

We also don’t know anything about pricing for the Nest Mini, although since there don’t seem to be too many upgrades here, we wouldn’t expect it to go much higher than the $49 retail price of the Home Mini.

We’ll likely learn all about the Google Nest Mini tomorrow during Google’s hardware event.

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Google has introduced a new feature for its smart devices called Stream Transfer which will let you move your music, videos, podcasts and more from one device to another by simply using voice commands.

For instance, if you’re playing a YouTube video on your Google Nest Hub Max in your bedroom, you can now simply transfer that stream to your Chromecast-enabled TV in your living room. The same goes for switching devices for music across Chromecast, Google Home, and Google Nest devices.

How to use Google’s new Stream Transfer feature

Google says you have three ways of utilising Stream Transfer. You can move your media across devices through voice commands such as “Hey Google, move the music to the living room speaker.” Alternatively, you can use the Google Home app or the touchscreen on your Nest smart display to switch streams. All you need to do is tap the cast button to see all the devices in your home. You can then choose which device or group you’d like to move your media to.

If you have a Google Nest smart display, tap the cast control on the screen to move it to your Chromecast-connected TV. Or, say “Hey Google, play it on living room TV.”

Google says that you can also now set up a speaker group between two or more smart speakers or displays. It can be set up through the Google Home app. So if you have multiple smart speaker devices from Google placed in various rooms in your house, you can play the same music on all of them using Stream Transfer.

Stream Transfer availability and compatible apps

Stream Transfer is compatible with YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, and more. For videos, it is compatible with YouTube. Google has started rolling out the new feature across all Chromecasts, Google Home and Nest smart speakers and displays starting today so keep an eye out for the feature very soon.

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According to a new rumor, via 9to5Google, there could be a new Google-made mesh Wi-Fi system on the way. The system would be called Nest Wi-Fi and operate much like the current Google Wi-Fi system already does.

However, there would be two major differences between Nest Wi-Fi and Google Wi-Fi. The biggest difference would be that the new version could offer smaller nodes in addition to a larger main hub, which for some reason the Google Wi-Fi system doesn’t do.

This would mean that you would only need to buy one main device for your mesh wireless network and then buy additional smaller (and presumably cheaper) nodes to spread that Wi-Fi signal throughout your home.

The second big difference between Nest Wi-Fi and Google Wi-Fi is that Google Assistant would be baked right into the nodes (but not the main hub). Presumably, this would make each node of the new mesh system into a kind of Google Home Mini, allowing you to issue voice commands to control the various parts of your smart home or get answers to questions.

Interestingly, you could also issue new voice commands pertaining to your home network. For example, you could say, “Hey Google, turn off the internet in Jake’s room,” if you wanted to prevent your child from accessing the web temporarily.

Related: The Android Authority Google Wi-Fi review

Additionally, 9to5Google’s source says that the new Nest Wi-Fi system will be “much more home-friendly” when it comes to its design and come in three different colors. There wasn’t confirmation on this, but it’s a good bet the design would feature the fabric touch of other Google Home devices.

Finally, the best news about this new Nest Wi-Fi system is that it could be backward-compatible with the current Google Wi-Fi system.

It’s a good bet that — if this product is real — we’ll see it launched alongside the Google Pixel 4 at the next Made by Google event on October 15.

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After its announcement four months ago at Google I/O 2019, the Google Nest Hub Max has finally gone on sale. As of today, it is available from the Google Store and other retailers like Best Buy in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Coming in at $229 in the US and £219 in the UK, the Nest Hub Max is not cheap by any means. But Google added some useful features to this device, including a camera, a larger display, and some great sound quality.

The Nest Hub Max’s camera isn’t just for Duo video calls either. Google has added Nest Cam functionality to the camera on this device. That means you’ll be able to do things like view and listen in to the live feed and remotely communicate with those on the other end of the device. You can also use Nest’s more advanced features if you download and set up the Nest app.

The Google Nest Hub Max is definitely the best smart display in the Google Assistant ecosystem. It takes everything good about the Nest Hub and adds quite a bit of useful functionality.

At $229, we think the Google Nest Hub Max is worth the money. Check out our Google Nest Hub Max full review to hear our thoughts in depth.

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In an age where you literally don’t have to leave your house to buy anything, it’s no wonder why video doorbells and security cameras have grown to be so popular. People want to know when other people are at their doorstep, whether it’s simply to greet friends or to see when your Amazon package has arrived. The thing is, many video doorbells don’t tell you exactly what’s at your door — much of the time you get a generic notification telling you something is there, just not what is there.

Rosie Buchanan, Senior Software Engineer at Google

Rosie Buchanan, Senior Software Engineer at Google

Starting today, the Nest Hello video doorbell will be able to notify you when packages arrive at your doorstep. The feature, available for U.S. residents only, will roll out to Nest Hello owners who also subscribe to the Nest Aware video recording service in the coming days.

“We started hearing many people use Nest Hello for welcoming visitors and for security purposes, but people also use [Nest Hello] for package monitoring,” explained Rosie Buchanan, Senior Software Engineer at Google, in an interview with Android Authority.

Nest Hello won’t just tell you when a package arrives, it’ll also notify you when a package has been picked up by a mail service or if it’s been stolen. This, frankly, might be even more useful than getting a package delivery notification. Nearly one third of Americans have experienced package theft of some type, and that ratio goes way up during the holiday season.

Package detection might be a reason in and of itself to buy a Nest video doorbell.

The video doorbell uses computer vision and machine learning to pick up clues that might signify a package is being dropped off or picked up. Nest Hello might notice a uniformed truck driver park outside, walk towards the door with something in-hand, then leave something on the doorstep. It monitors for that exact process only in reverse for packages being picked up from your doorstep.

There are a few limitations, however, though they’re mostly avoidable. The Nest Hello won’t be able to detect packages not in its line of sight. If your local postal worker drops off an Amazon package behind a big potted plant, the Nest Hello may not be able to detect it. This is also the case for partially in-view packages, according to Buchanan.

“The more package that’s in view, the better,” she said.

Since every front doorstep configuration is different, the Nest team also recommends you draw Activity Zones around the space where your packages are usually delivered. This will help ensure your Nest Hello is looking for packages in those areas more frequently. Google is also launching a support page with more information on this feature.

Over time, Nest Hello will be able to better recognize different types of packages, though the Nest team is focusing on standard box-shaped packages for now, approximately 8 x 11 x 1 inches in size and above.

Buchanan has worked at Google for over five years, primarily focused on energy modeling with the Nest Thermostat team and working on ways to make Nest camera devices more intelligent.

“It’s a privilege to design features for real people,” she said.

Opinion post by

Justin Duino

Having voice assistants built into smart speakers and smart displays can be daunting. To enjoy the convenience of asking the Assistant or Alexa questions at any given moment, you must have always-listening microphones around you at all times. While Google and Amazon promise that the devices only listen for its hotwords, both platforms start recording every time the speakers or displays hears (or think they hear) “Okay Google” or “Alexa.”

Both companies allow customers to go in and delete these recordings through a web interface, but that is far from convenient. Amazon is stepping it up now by enabling users to ask their Echos to delete records from the last day. There are shortcomings to the newly-announced feature, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Google needs to steal this feature from Amazon and expand past where Alexa falls flat.

Where Alexa falls short

There are two significant flaws in Amazon’s current implementation. First, you can only ask your Amazon Echos to delete any records made “today.” At first, you might think this would wipe everything on Amazon’s servers from the last 24 hours. Sadly, that’s not how it works.

When you state, “Alexa, delete everything I said today,” it removes all recordings from that calendar day. If you asked for everything to be wiped from that day, it starts at midnight instead of the last 24 hours. So if you forget to delete your recordings at 11:50 p.m. via Alexa, you’ll have to log into Amazon’s web presence to remove older data.

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The second issue is that Amazon doesn’t provide any extra lengths of time to delete voice recordings through Alexa. I want the choice to wipe my records on a weekly, monthly, or even yearly basis. This limitation is disappointing.

Amazon did announce that it is working on adding the ability to ask Alexa to delete the previous recording immediately. Amazon didn’t provide a release period, but it did launch a new privacy hub so customers can learn more about the controls they have over their data.

How Google can improve

Google focused heavily on privacy at this year’s I/O developer conference. One of the changes the company promised to make was to be more transparent.

The search giant has been clear that it only stores the recordings to help train the Assistant. The company has also been upfront that customers can visit My Activity and manually delete recordings. If you’ve ever tried to do this, you know it isn’t an easy process.

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If Google wants the Assistant to best Alexa in terms of privacy, it needs to copy Amazon’s new feature. As I hinted previously, Google will need to take it up a step and offer more options for removing voice recordings. This could include simple steps such as longer periods than a day and the ability to stop recordings before they’re even made.

Do you think Google and Amazon should be storing your voice recordings? What else should Google do to step up its privacy game? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Update: May 16, 2019 at 10:52 a.m. ET: Google has now issued a new blog post that offers more clarification on its plans to shut down the Works With Nest program. If you have third-party devices that connect to Nest products via Works With Nest, fear not: Google says those connections will continue to work after August 31. However, it will not accept new Works with Nest connections after that date.

Users with current Nest accounts will be informed if there will be any changes to their Works with Nest connections. At some point, Nest accounts will be asked to migrate to Google accounts once the new Works with Google Assistant platform is up and running. There’s no word yet on when that might happen. Google says that the Assistant program will be able to support the Works with Nest Home/Away features later in 2019. That means your smart bulb will still automatically turn itself off when you leave your house. Google also says it is working with Amazon to add the Alexa skill that lets users control Nest thermostats and cameras to Works with Google Assistant.

Original article: May 8, 2019 5:22 p.m. ET: While Google is rebranding its Home smart speakers under its Nest name, the company is also shutting down another Nest-related endeavor. As part of the Google I/O 2019 conference, the company stated it will discontinue its Works with Nest program. Google launched Works with Nest in 2014 Google as a developer program. It allowed third-party apps and hardware devices to connect to its Nest products, including its smart thermostats, cameras and more. For example, a fitness tracker could communicate with a Nest thermostat to raise the temperature in your home when you wake up in the morning.

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However, as first reported by Variety, the program will be closed later this summer in favor of a new effort called Works with Google Assistant. A follow-up article on Engadget indicates that Works with Nest program will close on August 31.

Google vice president Rishi Chandra told Variety the Works with Google Assistant program will be more restrictive than Works with Nest, to offer more privacy and security for customers. He stated that those customers should be clear on how products that link with Nest devices collect and share data. The new Google Assistant program will only be used by a very small number of third-party products, and Google plans to extensively screen the companies that will share data with its devices.

One big consequence of the shutdown of Works for Nest is that products that use the IF This Then That (IFTTT) automation protocol to link with Nest products will no longer work. Once again, this is due to security concerns with using IFTTT. In March, Google announced it was shutting down many IFTTT functions in Gmail for those same reasons.

What if the Google Home Hub had a camera and larger, higher resolution display? Meet the Google Nest Hub Max — the first smart home product to come from the newly announced Google Nest co-brand.

The Google Nest Hub Max goes on sale in the U.S. and U.K. on July 15 for $229 and 219 pounds, respectively. Here’s everything you need to know about Google’s new smart display announced at Google I/O 2019.

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Google says that, of the millions of Google Home devices sold across the last holiday season, one in every seven was a Google Home Hub. It’s no surprise then that the first marquee product from the Nest-Google hardware division merger is another smart display with an almost identical overall look.

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The Nest Hub Max has the same slanted design as its smaller sibling, the same fabric speaker cover on the rear, and the same pastel color scheme (available in Chalk and Charcoal at launch).

The most immediate change is the display, which has jumped from the Home Hub’s 7-inches to a 10-inch panel. The display has also enjoyed a resolution bump up to 1,280 x 800 and has a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Like the Home Hub (which will be rebranded to the Nest Hub very soon), the Nest Hub Max is also outfitted with an ambient EQ sensor to help adjust the color temperature of the screen to the room it’s in and changing light conditions.

On the audio front, the Nest Hub Max offers 2.1 stereo through two 38mm tweeters and a 78mm subwoofer.

Edward Kenney, product lead for Google Assistant devices in U.K., told Android Authority that the Nest Hub Max was designed to fit in between the regular Google Home and Google Home Max in terms of overall audio quality. Having heard a brief music sample on YouTube Music (Spotify and Deezer are also supported) on the Nest Hub Max and having tested tested every other Google Home device, I’d say that’s a fair position — it sounds awesome.

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