The latest addition to the Google's family of home security cameras, the $179.99 Nest Cam (Outdoor or Indoor, Battery), is also its most versatile. As the name implies, you can use this weatherproof camera indoors or outdoors and power it using the built-in rechargeable battery or the included USB cable and AC power adapter. The Nest Cam performed well in testing, capturing sharp 1080p video and identifying motion caused by people and animals, but it requires a Nest Aware subscription to view recorded video that is more than three hours old and to use its face detection feature. For $20 more, our Editors’ Choice winner, the Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera, offers 2K video and more features, and it works with a much larger selection of third-party devices.
Versatile Design
The Nest Cam looks very similar to the Nest Cam Outdoor that we reviewed several years ago, but at 3.2 inches in length and 3.2 inches wide, it's just a bit bigger. The camera uses a white weatherproof (IP54) enclosure that allows you to install it outside in the elements, and has a detachable magnetic base that lets you position it at an optimal angle and easily remove it for charging.
Inside is a non-removable rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is rated to last up to three months between charges under typical use. You can also opt to power the camera using the included 3.3-foot power cable—simply attach it to the magnetic power/charging port located on the bottom and to a USB power adapter (also included). Also inside is a Bluetooth radio and dual-band Wi-Fi circuitry that connects the camera to either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band of your Wi-Fi network.
The Nest Cam captures 1080p video at 30fps and uses HDR technology for enhanced contrast performance. It has a 130-degree diagonal field of view, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a 6x digital zoom. Black-and-white night vision comes by way of six infrared LEDs. Also included in the camera assembly are a motion sensor, a microphone, and a status LED. A small speaker is embedded in the bottom of the enclosure.
As is the case with the Nest Doorbell, the Nest Cam responds to Google Assistant voice commands and lets you view video on a Nest Hub device, but it doesn’t respond to Amazon Alexa voice commands, nor does it work with Apple’s HomeKit platform. Additionally, it lacks support for IFTTT applets that allow it to work with numerous third-party smart home devices.
The camera will record video when motion is detected and offers intelligent alerts that will tell you if motion is caused by people, animals, vehicles, or other movement. It will also send an alert if it hears the sound of a smoke/CO alarm or of breaking glass. You can view video that is less than three hours old for free, but if you want to access older clips or use the Familiar Faces feature, you have to subscribe to a Nest Aware plan. For $6 per month or $60 per year, the Nest Aware plan provides 30 days of video history, while for $12 per month or $120 per year, the Nest Aware Plus plan gives you 60 days of video history.
The Nest cam uses the same Google Home mobile app for Android and iOS devices as the Nest Doorbell, and appears on the home screen in whatever room you assigned it when it was first installed. Tapping the camera icon opens a screen with the camera name and battery level and contains buttons labeled History, Live Video, and More. Tap the Live Video button to view a live stream with a microphone button for two-way audio communication. To view the action in full-screen mode, turn your phone sideways. The History button opens a screen with a timeline for recorded motion events and what caused the event. You can scroll through the timeline to look for specific events or use the Full History button to view a history list with thumbnails for each recording. Use the More button to turn the camera on and off.
A gear icon in the upper right corner takes you to a Camera Settings screen where you can configure motion and sound notifications, check the battery level and configure power saving settings, set up motion zones, manage the Familiar Faces library, and adjust video quality and night vision settings.
Installing and Using the Nest Cam
The Nest Cam is very easy to install. Start by downloading the Google Home app and creating an account and a home. Tap the plus icon in the upper left corner, select Set Up Device, and select your home. Tap Cameras when asked what you're setting up, then select Nest Cam (battery). Use your phone to scan the QR code on the lens cover sticker, then choose the Nest Cam (battery) again. After agreeing to several usage agreements, you’ll be prompted to remove and save the lens cover sticker and plug in the camera. Once you’ve selected a location (indoors or outdoors), the app will automatically connect the camera to whatever Wi-Fi network your phone is connected to. Once connected, give the camera a name and enter your address to take advantage of the 15-day Nest Aware trial period.
Physically installing the Nest Cam is also easy, especially if you decide to use battery power. Use the included screws to attach the mounting plate to your location of choice, twist the magnetic camera base onto the plate to lock it into place, and attach the camera to the base.
The Nest Cam delivered excellent video quality in our tests. Colors appeared rich and well saturated, and there was no noticeable barrel or pincushion distortion. Black-and-white night video was sharp out to around 20 feet with good contrast.
The camera’s motion detection features worked as intended. Alerts were correctly identified as person, animal, or vehicle, and face recognition worked perfectly. Google Assistant voice commands to view video from the camera on a Nest Hub worked without issue as well.
A Good Addition to Google-Centric Homes
If you’re in the market for a security camera that installs in minutes and offers a good selection of features—particularly if you already use other Nest Devices and/or Google Assistant—put the Nest Cam on your short list. It's easy to install and delivers sharp and colorful HD video, with accurate face detection and alerts for people, animals, and vehciles. It works with Google Assistant and the Nest Hub, though you don’t get much in the way of third-party integrations and you have to pay to get access to recorded video that's more than three hours old. If you want a camera that offers third-party integration and compatibility with Alexa and HomeKit, the Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera is a better choice. It costs a few dollars more, but it offers 2K video and color night vision and has a built-in siren and spotlight.
