Google introduced this week that it’s rolling out help for its Nest Howdy doorbell within the Google Residence app. This lets you switch Google’s authentic video doorbell digital camera — aka the Nest Doorbell (wired, first-gen) — from the Nest app to Google’s Residence app. Google can be bringing its storage door detection function out of public preview, making it accessible to all customers with suitable {hardware}. This makes use of a Nest Cam to provide you with a warning when your storage door is left open.
Storage door detection launched final fall in Google’s public preview — a public beta the place customers can check out upcoming options — nevertheless it’s now accessible to all Nest Conscious subscribers within the US and Canada. (Nest Conscious begins at $8 a month / $80 a yr.)
Storage door detection would not require further {hardware}, in contrast to a sensible storage door controller, which typically must be wired to your storage door’s electrical. All you should do is level your suitable Google Nest cam at your door, both from the within or exterior. (Google has directions for setting it up.) Nevertheless, it might probably’t management your door; it might probably solely let you know its standing.
Nest Howdy customers in Google’s public preview will quickly see an choice within the Nest app to switch their video doorbell to the Google Residence app. (You possibly can enroll right here.) This may allow you to handle the doorbell and think about recorded movies within the Residence app (at the moment solely accessible within the Nest app) and join your doorbell to different units in Google Residence to make use of it with automations, together with utilizing digital camera occasions as triggers.
Should you’ve migrated your Nest account to Google, the doorbell at the moment exhibits dwell video within the Residence app. Nevertheless, you continue to wanted to make use of the Nest app to see recorded video and different options equivalent to doorbell ring alerts. This transition ought to convey many of the doorbell’s capabilities to the Residence app. You possibly can switch it again if you would like, however you gained’t be capable of entry it in each apps concurrently.
Google has been transferring its legacy Nest cameras to the Google Residence app for a few years, nevertheless it’s been a gradual course of. To date, the Nest Cam Indoor (wired, first-gen) and Nest Cam Out of doors (wired, first-gen) have made it over. The addition of the Howdy, which first launched in 2018, shall be a welcome one for a lot of customers.
Google says it’s “actively working to transition further Nest units into the Residence app.” These nonetheless lacking embrace the Nest Cam IQ indoor and the Nest Cam IQ out of doors, each of which might present dwell footage however require the Nest app to view recorded video. The Nest Shield smoke alarm can be nonetheless solely accessible within the Nest app. Google is not going to be transitioning the OG Dropcams and Nest Safe system, because it ended help for these merchandise earlier this yr.
