Set up garage door detection with your Nest camera

Garage door detection is a Public Preview feature that's currently supported in the US and Canada only. If you have a 1st gen Nest Aware subscription, you will need to migrate your account before you can use garage door detection.

When you set up your Nest camera for garage door detection, you can get Google Home app notifications whenever your garage door opens, closes or is left open.

If your Nest camera is compatible with garage door detection, you'll get a notification in the Google Home app . To get started, tap the notification and follow the instructions.

1. Camera and app requirements

To use garage door detection, you need:

An active Nest Aware subscription
One of these compatible Nest cameras:
- Nest Cam (indoor, wired)
- Nest Cam outdoor or indoor (battery)
  Important: If you have a Nest Cam (battery), you must connect it to another power source before it can be used for garage door detection.
The Google Home app installed on your mobile device

2. Garage and garage door requirements

You need one of these garage door types:
- Sectional overhead garage door (common in the US)
- Tilt-up overhead garage door
- Two single doors or one set of double doors
- One set of double doors and one single door (3-car garage)

Tip: Your garage door also needs to be made of compatible materials like wood, fibreglass or metal. Note that large garage door windows or obstructions in the camera's view (like large automobiles) might also reduce the accuracy of detection.

3. Set up your Nest camera to detect your garage door

Your Nest Cam detects when a garage door (or just one of your garage doors) is closed, opened or is left open. When you mount your camera for garage door detection, make sure it has a clear and uninterrupted line of sight to your garage door(s).

If you set up your camera inside your garage	If you set up your camera outside your garage
Set up your camera at least 10 feet away from the garage door(s). Make sure your camera's view isn't affected by direct, intense sources of light. Make sure at least 80% of each garage door is visible in your camera's view. Avoid pointing your camera towards the garage door at an extreme angle.	Make sure the vertical section of the garage door is visible in your camera's view. Make sure the garage door takes up at least 30% of your camera's view. Avoid pointing your camera at your garage door from a high angle.

Note: Garage door detection works at night or during the day. If your garage lights are off at night and night vision is enabled on your Nest Cam, garage door detection is supported up to 7.3 metres (24 feet) away.

4. Change or turn off garage door notifications

Open and change garage door notification settings

You can turn on Garage door notifications to get a Google Home app notification when your camera detects that your garage door has opened or closed. You can also go to your notification settings to change:

How long it takes to get notifications when a garage door is left open.
The maximum number of notifications you get (1, 3 or 5).

To go to your settings:

Open the Google Home app .
Tap Favorites or Devices .
Tap the camera that is pointed at your garage door.
Tap More Settings .
Tap Events Seen events.
Turn on the switch next to Garage door.
Tap Left open reminder.
Tap a notification setting to change it.

Types of garage door notifications

Garage door status	Notification(s)
Your garage door is left open	Choose how long the garage door can be left open (5, 15 or 30 minutes) before you get a notification. Choose to receive a maximum of 1, 3 or 5 notifications. A recently captured image of your garage door will appear in your reminder notification.
Your garage door opens from a closed position	You get a notification and your Nest camera makes an event recording.
Your garage door closes from an open or partially open position	You get a notification and your Nest camera makes an event recording.

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