With Google Video Doorbell you know who is at your front door. Equipped with a camera and connected to our WiFi network through a simple installation, it notifies us on our phone or voice assistant when someone rings or is in front of us. It can also detect packages, deterring thieves. Find our opinion on this doorbell, available with cable or battery.
As online commerce continues to grow, we are receiving more and more packages at home.
Whether it is packages shipped by Amazon, Canada Post, UPS, FedEx, Purolator, etc.
The problem is that we are not always at home to receive them in person. What do delivery workers do under these circumstances? They place the package under the doorstep in front of everyone and leave.
We feel a little stressed when we see the email informing us that our package has arrived. We are afraid that someone will steal it before we get home.
Because yes, there are package thieves. In English there is even the term “Porch Pirates”.
To counteract this phenomenon, video doorbells are becoming very popular.
In the world of Google’s smart home, the Nest Doorbell acts as the guardian of our packages and parcels.
How does the Google Nest Doorbell work?
There are two models of Google Nest Doorbell. A wired model, then a model powered by a battery. Both work the same way.
These doorbells are equipped with a camera that films day and evening in high definition (960 x 1280) with a 145° field of view.
As soon as someone rings the doorbell, we receive a notification on our smartphone or on our compatible voice assistant.
Since the doorbell is equipped with a microphone, we can actually talk to the person through our devices.
Without anyone ringing the bell, you can also configure detection zones to trigger the camera when someone crosses the zone.
You can experiment with Nest Doorbell settings to set detection zones, recordings, and notifications.
This is useful because the doorbell becomes a surveillance camera for the front of the house.
These alerts are very sensitive, which is good on the one hand, but tiring on the other as you can be notified of small things like a bag flying in the wind.
The camera is also able to detect packages placed in front of the door and notify us accordingly. If the package ever moves, the doorbell will also notify us.
All ring recordings are then stored in the Google Cloud.
The Nest Doorbell smart doorbell can detect packages.
Subscribe to a Nest Aware subscription for full access
And here Google awaits us in a detour, because in order to really benefit from our Nest Doorbell, we are urgently invited to subscribe to Nest Aware.
This $8 per month service gives us access to recordings from the last 30 days.
With the subscription we also benefit from intelligent notifications that allow us to recognize faces.
You can skip the subscription, the problem is that you only have access to the recordings from the last 3 hours.
So it requires us to pay close attention to see if something happens and then record the video sequences on our phone.
How do I install a Google Nest doorbell?
Not surprisingly, doorbell installation is different if you choose the wired model or the battery model.
For the wired model, we first need to ensure the compatibility of our system to ensure that it can power the Nest Doorbell.
Then it is best to leave the installation to an electrician.
However, with the battery model you can easily do this yourself. Simply point the metal base at our door frame and then hang the doorbell on it by vertical movement.
How do I remove and charge the battery-powered Nest Doorbell?
To unhook it for charging, we have a small metal key made specifically for it. We place it in the designated place, press it lightly and the doorbell sounds.
Connect your doorbell to Google Home
We then need to connect our doorbell to our WiFi network to receive notifications and see the video stream on our devices.
This is done through the Google Home mobile application. Once we open the application and select the option to add a device, it will detect the doorbell and then follow the steps to connect it to our WiFi network.
How do you make your Google Nest Mini, Hub and Audio Assistants ring?
Once the doorbell is connected to our WiFi network and added to our home in Google Home, it is now connected to our Google ecosystem.
This means that every time someone rings the doorbell, our voice assistants like the Nest Hub, Nest Audio or our Pixel tablet ring.
On Nest Hub Assistants and the Pixel tablet, you can also see the doorbell video feed.
What dimensions does the doorbell have?
The size varies between the wired model and the battery model.
The wired model has a width of 42 mm (1.7 inches), a height of 131 mm (5.2 inches), and a depth of 28 mm (1.1 inches).
The battery model is slightly larger, measuring 46 mm (1.8 inches) wide, 160 mm (6.3 inches) high, and 24.1 mm (0.9 inches) deep.
Here are the format differences between the wired model and the battery model of the Google Nest Dorbell.
Google Nest Doorbell wired or battery operated, which model should I choose?
Both Nest Doorbells are priced the same, but each offers its own advantages.
However, the wired model offers a little more.
On the one hand, of course, it doesn’t need to be charged because it’s constantly plugged in.
Since it’s always connected, it can offer both 2-second previews and longer clips.
Finally, it can record up to 10 days of continuous recordings with a Nest Aware subscription.
The battery model is aimed primarily at those whose arrangement and orientation of the cables are not ideal for the camera or where these cables are completely incompatible for powering the wired model.
Although charging with a USB-C cable is easy, battery life runs out more quickly in cold weather, requiring you to charge the battery more often.
Ideally, the wired model is a better choice overall, but it all depends on whether our home is suitable for it.
Google Nest doorbell
Wired Nest Doorbell
Battery operated Nest doorbell
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