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Google Nest cameras and doorbells can detect important sound or motion, stream live video and save the video to the cloud. These features can help you keep tabs on activity happening in and around your home.
How your Nest camera records and saves video depends on whether it has event video history, 24/7 video history or both:
- With event video history, video clips of events like a person being detected are saved in video history, so you can view them in the Google Home app, Google Home for web, or Nest app.
- With 24/7 video history, an eligible* Nest camera streams video whenever it's on and saves it all in the cloud.
*The Nest Cam (battery) must be connected to a power source to have 24/7 video history. If your camera is battery powered, it will only have event video history, even if you have a Nest Aware Plus subscription. 24/7 video history isn't available for the Nest Doorbell (battery), even with optional wired installation.
If you’ve set your camera to record and save specific kinds of events in its video history, your camera will detect and process any important activity that it detects, but will only save footage of events that you’ve enabled to the cloud.
Note: Event settings are only available for cameras and doorbells set up with the Home app.
All video history is deleted on a rolling basis. This means that, depending on the Nest Aware subscription that you have, older saved video is deleted from the cloud after a certain number of days.
Depending on the Nest camera model, you can review event video history and 24/7 video history in the Home app or Nest app. You can also get events for all your cameras in the Home app's Activity .
The following table shows where you can get recorded video depending on what Nest camera model you have:
|
Video history in the Home app |
Video history in Google Home for web (event history only) |
Video history in the Nest app |
Event in Activity (Home app only) |
|
|
Nest Cam (battery) |
|
|
|
|
|
Nest Cam IQ Indoor |
(camera must be migrated to the Home app - learn more about device migration) |
|
|
Requirements for event video history
- A Nest Aware subscription.* Event video history isn't available with a Nest Aware (1st gen) subscription.
- One of the following devices set up in the Home app:
- Nest Cam (battery)
- Nest Cam (wired)
- Nest Cam Indoor
- Nest Cam Outdoor
- Nest Cam IQ Indoor
- Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
- Nest Doorbell (battery)
- Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen)
- Nest Doorbell (wired)
- Nest Hub Max
- Dropcam HD
- Dropcam Pro
*3 hours of event video history is available without a Nest Aware subscription for the Nest Cam (battery) and Nest Doorbell (battery).
Event video history and 24/7 video history with Nest Aware subscriptions
If you have a newer camera like Nest Cam (battery) or Nest Doorbell (battery), you can get up to three hours of event video history without a subscription. But for most older Nest camera and doorbell models, you need a Nest Aware subscription to get event video history or 24/7 video history. This means that without a subscription, you can get photo snapshots of detected activity up to three hours in the past.
Regardless of which Nest camera you have and whether you have a subscription, you can access your camera’s live video stream at any time in the app.
The table below compares how many days of event video history and 24/7 video history you get based on which Nest camera model and Nest Aware subscription you have:
|
$0 tier |
Nest Aware |
Nest Aware Plus |
1st gen Nest Aware (1st gen) |
|
|
Nest Cam (wired) |
Up to three hours of event video history |
Up to 30 days of event video history |
|
Subscription not available |
|
Nest Cam (battery)* |
Up to three hours of event video history |
Up to 30 days of event video history |
|
Subscription not available |
|
Nest Doorbell (battery)* |
Up to three hours of event video history |
Up to 30 days of event video history |
Up to 60 days of event video history |
Subscription not available |
| Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen) | Up to three hours of event video history | Up to 30 days of event video history |
|
Subscription not available |
|
Nest Cam IQ Indoor Nest Cam IQ Outdoor Nest Cam Indoor Nest Cam Outdoor Nest Doorbell (wired) Dropcam HD Dropcam Pro |
Three hours of photo snapshots of activity |
Up to 30 days of event video history |
|
Up to 5, 10 or 30 days of 24/7 video history |
*Important: The Nest Cam (battery) must be connected to a power source to have 24/7 video history. If your camera is battery powered, it will only have event video history, even if you have a Nest Aware Plus subscription. 24/7 video history isn't available for the Nest Doorbell (battery), even with optional wired installation.
What you get with a Nest Aware subscription
What happens when you change your Nest Aware subscription
Here are some things to bear in mind about your camera’s video history when you switch between different Nest Aware subscriptions:
- If you have Nest Aware and upgrade to Nest Aware Plus, your 10 days of 24/7 history and 60 days of event video history will start when you purchase your new subscription.
- If you have Nest Aware Plus and you switch to Nest Aware, you’ll lose any event video history older than 30 days, and your last 10 days of 24/7 history will be converted to event video history.
- If you switch from a Nest Aware (1st aware) to the latest Nest Aware subscription, your camera's existing 24/7 video history will switch to event video history. If you get Nest Aware Plus instead, you will receive 10 days of 24/7 video history, and 60 days of event video history.
Activity that your camera can detect
All Nest cameras can detect sound and video events and notify you when something happens. If your camera has event video history or 24/7 video history, you can review the footage of the activity in the app.
With a Nest Aware subscription, your camera uses advanced algorithms to improve its sound and video event detection and send you better notifications.
For a complete list of what different Nest camera models can detect with and without a Nest Aware subscription, go to our What you get with a Nest Aware subscription article.
Related Nest camera topics
Live video
Watch live camera video stream with the Google Home app
Talk and Listen with Nest camera or doorbell
Video history and activity snapshots
Home app
Nest app
Google Home for web
Home app Activity
Video clips
Event detection and notifications
Camera and doorbell alerts
How Nest cameras detect sound and motion
Change Nest notification settings
Set up and use Activity Zones
Emergency calling with Nest Aware