Is your Google Nest camera randomly going offline? You're not alone
Users are increasingly reporting issues of their Nest security cameras going offline in what seems to be a bug affecting the access to the live feed. Video recording seems to be working for these users, implying that history isn't affected.
This comes after the latest software update to version 1.67 from the previous 1.65, which already had users reporting issues with washed out colors in their video feed.
Also: The best home security cameras to increase safety and protection
According to 9to5Google and online forums, Google Home users have reported that, while the cameras appear offline in the Google Home app, the Nest cams continue to capture video as evidenced by available video history. The live feed seems to be the only inaccessible feature.
When Nest cameras appear offline, Google recommends users restart their cameras or video doorbells to refresh the connection and then check again for the live video. Users may also try restarting their router and modem to effectively reset the internet connection or also try disabling any network extenders.
The company also recommends users check if limited bandwidth is to blame by disconnecting other devices connected to the internet and rechecking if their Nest cams are back online.
Also: The best video doorbells
Though sometimes inconvenient, moving the cameras could help prevent the Nest cams from falling out of a home's Wi-Fi range, especially with outdoor cameras.
Some users have reported that rebooting their cameras helped stop them from going offline, while others have complained doing this hasn't worked or has caused them to reboot with the washed out video. Others have tried and succeeded with a factory reset.
Our team is already aware of this and looking into it. We'd like to check and make sure we cover all the bases — if you need help with your device, let us know.
— Google Nest Support (@googlenesthelp) June 7, 2023
Google only recommends doing a factory reset on its Nest cams as a last resort, as this will delete any unsaved clips in the video history. Users can save the video clips they want to keep before doing a factory reset.
Though Google hasn't confirmed if this latest update is to blame for the cameras randomly going offline, it has said a fix for the washed out colors in the video capture is in the works.