How to check if Nest Detect’s battery is low

When Google Nest Detect’s battery starts getting low, the Nest app will let you know. In addition, Google Nest Guard’s Info button will light up and the next time you arm your system it will make an announcement. You can also manually check for a low battery any time with the Nest app, or on Nest Detect itself.

We designed Nest Detect so that you can get up to two years of use before the battery needs to be changed. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) recommends you check the batteries in your Nest Detects at least once a year. Here are the different ways you can do that.

Automatic low battery notifications

Your system constantly monitors the batteries in your Nest Detects, and it will let you know ahead of time if you need to replace any of them.

On your phone or tablet

Even if you’re away from home, you can use the Nest app to check for a low battery.

As soon as Nest Detect senses its battery is getting low, Google Nest Secure will send a notification to your phone or tablet. When the battery gets very low, Nest Secure will send another notification.

On Nest Guard

If Nest Guard senses anything that needs attention, the Info  button will glow yellow. A low battery in Nest Detect can cause this, but so can other things. Press the button to hear an announcement about what the issue is and where it’s occurring.

How to manually check batteries

On Nest Detect You can also press Nest Detect’s button to see whether it has a low battery. Check Nest Secure’s level: if it’s set to Away and guarding , you’ll need to disarm it first. Walk to the Detect you want to check and press its button for 2 seconds. The color of the light will tell you whether the battery is low: 1 blue pulse: Battery is OK 5 yellow pulses: Battery has less than 30 days left ‒ replace as soon as you can Blinking red: Battery is critically low ‒ replace immediately Learn more about lights on Nest Detect >

With the Nest app On the Nest app home screen, tap Security . On the Security screen, you’ll see a list of all the Nest Detects in your home. Look for any that say Low battery or Very low battery

What happens when the battery gets low

Even with a low battery, Nest Detect won’t stop looking for activity. It will continue to monitor activity the same way it does when the battery is full.

However, if you have the Pathlight feature enabled for Nest Detect, it will automatically disable itself when the battery starts getting low. This helps conserve power. After you replace the battery, the Pathlight feature will automatically turn itself back on again.

If the battery drains completely, Nest Detect won’t be able to sense activity or do anything else until it gets a new battery. In addition, if the battery dies while your system is set to Home and Guarding  or Away and Guarding , the alarm will sound. So it’s important to replace the battery as soon you learn it’s getting low.

To replace the battery, follow the steps at this link:

How to replace Nest Detect’s battery >