Talk to the Google Assistant through your Nest products

The Google Assistant is a voice-activated digital personal assistant you can use on devices like your phone, smartwatch, or Google speaker or display. You can also speak to the Google Assistant through certain Nest products: Nest Guard and Nest Cam IQ Indoor.

Note: The Google Assistant is not included on any of our outdoor products such as Nest Cam IQ Outdoor.

Enable the Google Assistant

If you sign into the Nest app with a Google Account

 Follow these directions if you sign into the Nest app with your Google Account. For more information about migrated Nest accounts, visit FAQs about accounts for the Nest app.

Nest Cam IQ Indoor

1. On the Nest app home screen, select your camera.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Tap your Nest Cam IQ Indoor.
4. Select Add Google Assistant. Follow the on-screen setup flow to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product.

Nest Guard

1. On the Nest app home screen, select Security.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Tap Add Google Assistant. Follow the on-screen setup flow to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product.

If you have a non-migrated accounts

 Follow these directions if you do not sign into the Nest app with your Google Account and do not use the Home app to manage Nest products in your home. For more information about migrated Nest accounts, visit FAQs about accounts for the Nest app.

If you don’t have a Google Assistant connection set up with Works With Nest (WWN), you’ll need to migrate your account to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product. If you follow steps below to enable the Google Assistant, you’ll be prompted to migrate your account.

If you’ve set up a Google Assistant connection with Works With Nest (for example, using Google Nest or Home speaker or display to change your Nest thermostat’s temperature), you don’t have to migrate your account to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product. Instead, you may need to update your existing Google Assistant permissions for your Nest product before enabling the Google Assistant:

1. On the Nest app home screen, tap Settings   Works With Nest.

2. Tap Google Assistant. Review the new permissions and tap Allow. Then, continue to the steps below.

   • If you can't find the Google Assistant option, skip to the steps below to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product.

Nest Cam IQ Indoor

1. On the Nest app home screen, select your camera.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Tap your Nest Cam IQ Indoor.
4. Select Add Google Assistant. Follow the on-screen setup flow to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product.

Nest Guard

1. On the Nest app home screen, select Security.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Select Add Google Assistant. Follow the on-screen setup flow to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product.

Tip: If you have an iPhone, you might be asked to download the Google Assistant app from Apple’s App Store. Follow the instructions to install the app and set up the Google Assistant on your phone.

Disable the Google Assistant

You can disable the Google Assistant on your Nest product any time you want.

Temporarily stop using the Google Assistant

 Nest Cam IQ Indoor

1. On the Nest app home screen, select your camera.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Select Google Assistant. You’ll find a switch to turn the Google Assistant on or off.

Nest Guard

1. On the Nest app home screen, select Security.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Tap Google Assistant. You’ll find a switch to turn the Google Assistant on or off.

Disable the Google Assistant and remove it from your Nest product

1. Open the Google Assistant app, then tap Personal updates in the bottom left corner of the screen.
2. Tap the profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Select the Assistant tab.
4. Under "Assistant devices," choose your Nest product.
5. Select Unlink [Nest product name] to disable the Google Assistant on your Nest product. 

Things you can say to the Google Assistant on your Nest product

Once you’ve enabled the Google Assistant, it works the same as it does on other devices.

For example, you can ask the Google Assistant a question, get the latest weather report, and cast music or video to other connected devices in your home. 

You can even control your Nest thermostat and view your Nest camera’s live video on a TV.

Things you can’t do

There are a few things you can’t do with the Google Assistant when you’re speaking to it through your Nest product. You may still be able to do these things for other devices such as an Android phone or Home speaker.

• Make or receive phone calls on your Nest product
• Adjust your Nest product’s speaker volume
• Play music, podcasts, or other audio through your Nest product’s speaker
  • Note: While you can’t play audio through your Nest product’s speaker, you can tell the Google Assistant to cast media to another connected device such as a stereo system. For example, you can tell your Nest product, "Hey Google, play the latest unplayed podcast on the kitchen speaker."
• Use voice match for the Google Assistant on your Nest product
  • Note: If you enable personal results, all users will receive answers and will be able to access content (like calendars and shopping lists) based on the account set up with the Google Assistant.

Troubleshoot the Google Assistant

If the Google Assistant isn’t working the way you expect it to, or if you can’t get it to work at all, try these troubleshooting suggestions.

Check requirements and setup

Check which Nest product you have

The Google Assistant is available for:

• Nest Guard
• Nest Cam IQ Indoor

If you have a different model of Nest camera (including Nest Cam IQ Outdoor), a Dropcam, or any other Nest product, you can’t use the Google Assistant on it.

Check that the Google Assistant is enabled

 Make sure you’ve followed the instructions to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product. Otherwise, it won’t respond to the verbal commands you give it.

If you already enabled the Google Assistant, it might be turned off. Follow the directions below to check that the Google Assistant is turned on.

Nest Cam IQ Indoor

1. On the Nest app home screen, select your camera.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Tap Google Assistant. You’ll find a switch to turn the Google Assistant on or off.

Nest Guard

1. On the Nest app home screen, select Security.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Tap your Nest Guard.
4. Tap Google Assistant. You’ll find a switch to turn the Google Assistant on or off. 

Connect your phone and your Nest product to the same Wi-Fi network

When you’re using the Nest app to enable the Google Assistant, make sure your phone and your Nest product are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network. 

The Nest app will tell you to do this, and it’s important not to skip this step. Otherwise you won’t be able to complete setup.

If the Google Assistant option doesn’t appear in the Nest app

If you tried to follow the steps above to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product but you can’t find the option to enable it, here are some reasons why:

• You don’t have a compatible Nest product in your account in the Nest app. The Google Assistant is only available for:

  • Nest Guard

  • Nest Cam IQ Indoor

• You’re not in a country where the Google Assistant can be enabled on your Nest product yet. We’re working hard to make the Google Assistant available on Nest products around the world, so check the app for updates.

Turn your Nest product’s microphone on

 To get your voice commands, your Nest product’s microphone needs to be turned on. 

Nest Cam IQ Indoor

1. On the Nest app home screen, tap Settings .
2. Select your camera.
3. Tap Microphone. You’ll find a switch to turn the microphone on or off.

• Make sure the switch for Microphone is on.
• The switch for Audio recording can be either on or off.

For more information about your camera’s microphone, go to Nest camera’s microphone, speaker, and audio settings article.

Nest Guard

1. On the Nest app home screen, tap Security.
2. Tap Settings .
3. Select your Nest Guard.
4. Tap Microphone. You’ll find a switch to turn the microphone on or off.

Fix specific issues and errors

Error message: "There may be a problem"

 This message can appear when you’re trying to enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product. It can be caused by a number of things, but you can usually fix it by updating your Google Assistant permissions.

Note: The directions below are only for non-migrated accounts with the Google Assistant connection set up with Works with Nest.

1. On the Nest app home screen, tap Settings   Works With Nest  Google Assistant.
2. Review the new permissions and tap Allow.

3. Enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product again:

   • Go back to the Nest app home screen. Select your Nest product  Settings   Add Google Assistant. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to set up the Google Assistant.

If requests and activities aren’t showing up in your Google Account

If your requests and activities for the Google Assistant aren’t showing up in your Google Account, it’s probably an account linkage issue.

For example, your reminders might appear on somebody else’s phone, or another person’s shopping list might get updated with the items you added.

Why it’s happening

Only the Owner of the Nest home can enable the Google Assistant in the Nest app and have it be associated with their Google Account. The Google Assistant does not support multiple users or accounts when you’re talking to it through your Nest product. 

Other people can still talk to the Google Assistant and have it do things for them, but everything will be associated with the Nest home owner’s account.

If the Broadcast feature isn’t working as expected

 With Broadcast, you can send a message to all the devices in your home that have the Google Assistant enabled.

When you first enable the Google Assistant on your Nest product, the Google Assistant app will ask for your address.

It’s important to enter the same address as the other devices you want to broadcast to. If you provide a different address, the Broadcast feature will not work as expected.

1. To check the address that Google Assistant uses for your Nest device, go to the Nest app home screen [your product] Settings Google Assistant Google Assistant App [your Nest product] Address.

2. To check the address that your speaker or display uses, go to the Nest app  select your product Settings Google Assistant Google Assistant App [your Google Home] Address.

3. Make sure both addresses are the same. If necessary, change one of them to match. 

More Google Assistant troubleshooting

For more help using the Google Assistant on any device, visit the Google Assistant help center.