Product Library / Cameras & Doorbells

Google Nest Cam (Indoor, wired, 3rd gen)

Compiled by SmartHomeWorkflow Research · Google Nest · Cameras & Doorbells · ~$99.99 (Price at the time we researched it, 2026-08-13, from Google's own configure page — never treated as a live price. All three colours (Snow, Hazel and Berry) showed $99.99 and were listed as in stock.)

Compatibility

? Inconclusive means we researched that ecosystem and the evidence doesn’t settle it — the catch says why, and the sources are listed below. It is a statement about the available evidence, never a verdict on the product. A Setup Check researches your exact setup where the official sources don’t answer.

Protocols: WIFI · BLUETOOTH^[6][7][8]

What it can do^[21]

Some of these may need a paid plan — see Subscription reality below.

Listed capabilities are what we could establish from vendor documentation. An ability missing here is unestablished — not necessarily absent.

Subscription reality^[4][5][9]

◐ Works without a subscription: Yes, but material features need a plan.

• Free: Event video previews — 10 seconds, retained 6 hours, Person, animal, vehicle and motion alerts, Live view, Two-way Talk and Listen, Activity Zones, Zoom and Crop, Filters for event history, Works with Google Assistant, Camera automation
• Behind a plan: Standard plan: 5-minute event-based recordings, stored 30 days, Standard plan: familiar face detection (not offered in Illinois), Standard plan: garage door detection (US only), Standard plan: sound detection — smoke or carbon-monoxide alarm (US only), Standard plan: alerts with zoomed-in previews, Standard plan: emergency calling (US only), Standard plan: 'Help me create' Gemini automations, Advanced plan: 5-minute event-based recordings, stored 60 days, Advanced plan: 24/7 video history, stored 10 days (wired cameras only), Advanced plan: AI notifications, AI descriptions, Home Brief and 'Ask Home' video-history search (from $10/mo)
• Plan tiers: Standard $10/mo · Advanced $20/mo
• 5-year cost if you add the plan: ~$600–$1200 depending on tier — price verified 2026-08-13

Vendor account required: Yes — you must create a vendor account to use it.^[23][24]

Google Home Premium prices are published, and we verified them on 2026-08-13: Standard $10/month or $100/year, Advanced $20/month or $200/year, matched on the same page by the comparison table and by the auto-renew terms attached to the free trial. Both tiers are now held as structured data behind this page, which is why the five-year cost above is shown as a range rather than one figure. The range deliberately does not say which tier is which: this camera's paid features span BOTH tiers — 24/7 history needs Advanced — and which feature sits in which tier is not something anyone publishes as data. ⚠ One earlier error, put right on 2026-08-13: person, animal, vehicle and motion alerts used to be listed here as paid. Google's own per-model comparison table ticks all four in the 'No subscription' column for exactly this camera, and files person alerts under 'basic motion and sound detection'. We had overstated what a buyer must pay for. The free tier is thin, but it is not empty.

Maintenance reality^[8][10]

• Works without the internet: Partly — some of it keeps working and some of it does not. See the detail below.^[19]
• Wired only — attached 10ft USB-C cable and 7.5W adapter, no battery and no battery backup. On power loss it records nothing.

Security updates^[20]

Google Nest declares security updates for this model until October 1, 2030 (US-declared — the maker states this commitment for its US market). After that date the product keeps working; the manufacturer simply has no stated obligation to keep issuing security fixes.

Google lists “Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen)” on its connected-home security-updates page with a release date of 10/1/2025 and a five-year minimum of 10/1/2030, and marks it “Yes” under “Currently receiving critical security updates”. Read that 2030 date as a floor rather than an expiry: the column is headed “Release date + 5 year minimum”, and the commitment behind it reads “Google Nest connected home devices will receive automatic security updates for at least 5 years from the date we start selling them on the US Google Store. Security updates will address critical issues known to Google Nest that are able to be resolved with a remote software update.” ⊕ Google's separate UK compliance statement agrees, which is worth saying because the last two makers we looked at had no second document to check against. That statement (Google LLC, signed Louise Bohmann / Director & PA Compliance Lead, Mountain View, April 8, 2024, declaring as of April 29, 2024) gives a UK support period for its home devices of “At least five years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US” — the same promise, written as a period rather than a date. The published table is that promise with the arithmetic already done, so the two documents are not competing sources: one states the rule and the other applies it. The UK statement is also UK-scoped by its own terms and predates this camera. ⊕ REGION: US — Google anchors the promise to its US storefront in the very sentence this rests on, so the scope comes from Google's own words and not from the fact that we list the US model.

The catch

Two widely repeated claims about Nest cameras are wrong here, in opposite directions. Some event recording IS free — 10-second previews held for 6 hours — and the camera DOES buffer up to an hour of events on-device when the internet drops. But that buffer is not user-accessible storage: there is no SD slot and no RTSP path, it back-fills to Google's cloud on reconnect, and a power cut records nothing at all.

Who it's for

Google-ecosystem households that want 2K indoor coverage and accept a cloud-dependent camera with no user-accessible local storage. Alexa households can get live view via the Nest skill, but not event history.

Sources & method

Numbered sources below back the facts marked with the matching number above. This is a research profile: compiled from manufacturer documentation, certification registries, and published testing — we state facts, not verdicts, and we have not physically tested this unit. How we work →

1. [1] https://store.google.com/us/config/nest_cam_indoor_wired_3rd_gen — read 2026-08-13 from server-rendered markup: <meta itemprop="lowPrice" content="99.99"> beside <link itemprop="availability" href="https://schema.org/InStock"> on each variant; no 'Out of stock' label text anywhere on the page. — vendor-page research, verified 2026-08-13
   Backs: Price, Market availability
2. [2] support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9233159 (read 2026-08-13): the Google Home Premium comparison table headed 'Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen) and Nest Cam Outdoor (wired, 2nd gen)' is live and current, with a populated 'No subscription' column — so the unpaid service tier still exists rather than having been withdrawn. The page states 'Nest Aware is now Google Home Premium', confirming the 2025-10-01 rename this axis already records is a rename and not a service reduction. — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-08-13
   Backs: Service status
3. [3] Full bar-#10 re-verification performed 2026-08-13 across every claim axis, each against a first-party source read the same day: device specifications (support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9259110) · subscription free/paid split (support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9233159) · tier prices (store.google.com/us/product/google_home_premium) · price and stock (the Google Store configure page) · Alexa skill model list (support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9325080) · Matter device list (support.google.com/googlehome/answer/12391458) · Device Access supported-devices list (developers.google.com/nest/device-access/supported-devices). No integration level changed; one subscription error was found and corrected. — record re-verification (BQ-107 batch 31), verified 2026-08-13
   Backs: Research status
4. [4] support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9233159, table headed 'Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen) and Nest Cam Outdoor (wired, 2nd gen)' (read 2026-08-13). Columns: 'No subscription | Standard plan | Advanced plan'. Footnotes: '1 Garage door detection is only available in the US. 2 Familiar face detection is not available for cameras and doorbells in the U.S. state of Illinois. 3 Smoke & Co alerts are only available in the US. 4 Emergency calling is only available in the US.' — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-08-13
   Backs: Subscription
5. [5] store.google.com/us/product/google_home_premium (read 2026-08-13; store.google.com/us/product/nest_aware redirects here): 'Standard $10/month or $100/year — Save $20 with an annual subscription' · 'Advanced $20/month or $200/year — Save $40 with an annual subscription' · Advanced described as 'Everything in Standard, plus:'. Corroborated by the trial footnote: 'auto-renews ... at $10/month or $100/year for Standard plan or $20/month or $200/year for Advanced plan.' — vendor-page research, verified 2026-08-13
   Backs: Subscription
6. [6] support.google.com/googlehome/answer/7381505 'Play media on Google smart speaker or display using Bluetooth' (read 2026-08-09, full article text retrieved by direct article ID): scope is 'your Google smart speaker or display'; no camera is named or covered. support.google.com/googlehome/answer/7072284 'Google Nest and Home device specifications' (read 2026-08-09): lists Bluetooth versions and, on older blocks, supported Bluetooth profiles for speakers and displays; states nothing about the role of Bluetooth on Nest cameras. — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-08-09
   Backs: Protocols
7. [7] support.google.com technical specs for Google Nest cameras and doorbells (read 2026-08-09), Nest Cam (indoor, wired, 3rd gen) block: 'Wireless — 802.11 Wi-Fi, WEP/WPA/WPA2/WPA3 encryption supported, Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE)' · 'Connectivity requirements — Wi-Fi internet connection · Google Home app · Google Account · Android device or an iPhone or iPad with Bluetooth'. ⚠ This is a MULTI-PRODUCT page covering Google's whole camera and doorbell line, so the block for this specific model was read rather than the page as a whole. — vendor-page research, verified 2026-08-09
   Backs: Protocols
8. [8] https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9259110 — '2K (2560 x 1440) sensor', 'Up to 2K at 30 frames/sec', '802.11ac-ready (2.4GHz/5GHz)', Bluetooth LE, attached 10ft USB-C cable with 7.5W adapter — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19
   Backs: Protocols, Product identity, Maintenance
9. [9] https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9233159 (tier contents, 'Basic event video previews' 10s/6h free) + https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/16581343 (rename effective 2025-10-01) — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19
   Backs: Subscription
10. [10] https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9242083 — cameras hold up to one hour of events in internal memory when offline and upload on reconnect; wired cam with 24/7 history records 8 minutes straight after going offline — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19
    Backs: Maintenance
11. [11] https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9325080 — affirmative Nest-skill support and voice commands; the compatibility list documents the 2021 camera generation and does not name this 2025 model, which is why alexa is recorded as unknown rather than either level — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19
    Backs: Amazon Alexa compatibility
12. [12] https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/12391458 — the camera is absent from Google's Matter device list, which is the only route Apple Home could arrive by — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19
    Backs: Apple Home compatibility
13. [13] https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9293712 + answer/9539279 — Works with Nest ended 2023-09-29 and Device Access is partner-side and review-gated, so no consumer SmartThings route remains — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19
    Backs: SmartThings compatibility
14. [14] https://developers.google.com/nest/device-access/supported-devices (page states 'Last updated 2026-06-29 UTC') — the camera list covers 'Nest Cam (Indoor)', 'Nest Cam (indoor, wired)', 'Nest Cam (outdoor or indoor, battery)', 'Nest Cam IQ Indoor', 'Nest Cam IQ Outdoor', 'Nest Cam Outdoor', 'Nest Cam with floodlight' and 'Nest Hub Max'; the wired 3rd-gen (2025) indoor camera is absent, and the catch-all reads 'Older camera models not explicitly listed are also supported'. Corroborated by https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/nest/ — 'See Supported Devices for all devices supported by the SDM API' and 'Before buying, make sure your device is supported' — vendor-and-ecosystem-page research, verified 2026-07-30
    Backs: Home Assistant compatibility
15. [15] store.google.com/product/nest_cam_indoor_wired_3rd_gen — product page live 2026-07-19 — migrated hand stamp, verified 2026-07-19
    Backs: Market availability
16. [16] support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9233159 — migrated hand stamp, verified 2026-07-19
    Backs: Service status
17. [17] Internal schema migration of values already sourced on this record. No page was read for this entry; the evidence is the existing 2026-08-13 Google Home Premium entry above. — schema migration, verified 2026-08-13
18. [18] Google Home Help, "Control Google Nest products with Amazon Alexa" — fetched and read against the claim it is cited for — citation-scope review, verified 2026-08-15
19. [19] support.google.com, how local video storage works when the camera is offline — vendor-documentation research (BQ-181 evidence read of an already-cited source), verified 2026-08-18
    Backs: Works without the internet
20. [20] Google, “Security updates & security validation results for Google's connected home devices” (support.google.com product-documentation answer 10231940), read 2026-08-19. Table row, verbatim across its four columns (Device | Release date | Release date + 5 year minimum | Currently receiving critical security updates): “Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen) | 10/1/2025 | 10/1/2030 | Yes”. Page-level commitment: “Google Nest connected home devices will receive automatic security updates for at least 5 years from the date we start selling them on the US Google Store.” Cross-read against Google's UK PSTI Statement of Compliance at https://support.google.com/product-documentation/answer/14869041 (signed Louise Bohmann, April 8, 2024), whose Group 2 UK Defined Support Period is “At least five years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US” — the same rule the table applies. — first-party read (BQ-192 security-support sweep, method note 69 source precedence), verified 2026-08-19
    Backs: Security-update support period
21. [21] Google, "Camera and doorbell features by subscription" (support.google.com/googlehome answer 9233159), read 2026-08-19. The article carries one matrix per device group; the table headed "Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen) and Nest Cam Outdoor (wired, 2nd gen)" — which covers this model — gives, across its No subscription / Standard plan / Advanced plan columns: Person alerts YES/YES/YES · Animal alerts YES/YES/YES · Vehicle alerts YES/YES/YES · Motion alerts YES/YES/YES · Garage door detection NO/YES/YES · Familiar face detection NO/YES/YES · Sound detection (smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm) NO/YES/YES · Alerts with zoomed-in previews NO/YES/YES. Under "Foundational features": Live view, Two-way Talk and Listen, Activity Zones, Zoom and Crop, Filters for event history, Works with Google Assistant and Camera automation, all YES at every tier; Emergency calling NO/YES/YES. Footnotes on the same table: "Garage door detection is only available in the US." and "Familiar face detection is not available for cameras and doorbells in the U.S. state of Illinois." — vendor-page research (BQ-198 camera-shelf resumption; BQ-187 standing rules), verified 2026-08-19
    Backs: Capabilities
22. [22] Google's own Nest Cam specifications/requirements page, read 2026-08-20. The requirements it names are the "Google Home app", a "Google Account" and a "Wi-Fi internet connection", with "Recommended: Android device or an iPhone or iPad with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)"; wired models are powered by their supplied adapters. No Google Nest Hub, smart display or base station appears anywhere in the requirements. — vendor-page research (BQ-191 provider backfill, population (b): the `hubs` axis), verified 2026-08-20
    Backs: Required hub or bridge
23. [23] support.google.com, 'Set up your Nest camera in the Google Home or Nest app' (read 2026-08-21). THE MODEL IS ENUMERATED OUTRIGHT, verbatim: 'Use the Google Home app to set up the following Nest cameras: Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen) / Nest Cam Outdoor (wired, 2nd gen) / Nest Cam (wired) / Nest Cam with Floodlight / Nest Cam (battery)'. The app requirement is declarative: 'If you have a new Google Nest camera or you need to re-add your camera, download the Google Home or Nest app. You need the app to connect your camera to Wi-Fi and get recorded video.' Cross-read on the same day, Google's own 'Requirements for Google Nest and Chromecast devices' (https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/7035987), which states under 'Google Home app requirements': 'A Google Account' — and adds 'Note: You can't set up devices or use the Google Home app on a computer.' — vendor-page research, verified 2026-08-21
    Backs: Vendor account required
24. [24] support.google.com, 'Requirements for Google Nest and Chromecast devices' (read 2026-08-21). Verbatim, under the heading 'Google Home app requirements': 'A Google Account / A home Wi-Fi network / One of the following mobile devices: Android phone or tablet with Android 9.0 or later / iPhone or iPad with iOS 17.0 or later'. The same section adds: 'Note: You can't set up devices or use the Google Home app on a computer.' — vendor-page research, verified 2026-08-21
    Backs: Vendor account required
25. [25] Google Home Help, "Learn what you get with a Google Home Premium subscription" — the per-model camera feature comparison — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-08-22
    Backs: Google Home compatibility
26. [26] Google Home Help, "Technical specs for Google Nest cameras and doorbells" — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-08-22
    Backs: Google Home compatibility
27. [27] developers.google.com, Device Access 'Supported Devices' (re-read 2026-08-22; page states 'Last updated 2026-06-29 UTC'). Camera and doorbell rows, verbatim: 'Nest Cam (Indoor)', 'Nest Cam (indoor, wired)', 'Nest Cam (outdoor or indoor, battery)', 'Nest Cam IQ Indoor', 'Nest Cam IQ Outdoor', 'Nest Cam Outdoor', 'Nest Cam with floodlight', 'Nest Doorbell (battery)', 'Nest Doorbell (legacy)', 'Nest Doorbell (wired)', 'Nest Hub Max'. Catch-all, verbatim: 'Any older, unlisted camera models are also supported in the Device Access program, and have API functionality equivalent to the Nest Cam (Indoor).' The strings 'Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen)', '3rd gen' and '2025' do not appear on the page. — vendor-developer-doc research, verified 2026-08-22
    Backs: Home Assistant compatibility
28. [28] developers.google.com, Device Access 'Get Started' (read 2026-08-22). Supported devices, verbatim: 'All Google Nest Thermostats', 'All Google Nest Cameras', 'All Google Nest Doorbells', 'Google Nest Hub Max'. Also: 'A supported device must be activated with a Google account. Legacy Nest accounts are not supported for Device Access.' — vendor-developer-doc research, verified 2026-08-22
    Backs: Home Assistant compatibility
29. [29] the sources already cited on this record: support.google.com's Works-with-Nest retirement article and Google's Device Access documentation. Nothing was re-fetched. — classification pass over existing provenance (16 #453 — negative-claim conditions), verified 2026-08-22
30. [30] SmartHomeWorkflow record maintenance (BQ-250 securitySupport.region backfill) — internal-review of the document this record already cites, verified 2026-08-27
31. [31] Record-keeping entry: the migrated research stamp was retired from this record on 2026-08-30 — internal, verified 2026-08-30
32. [32] Record-keeping entry: this record's `none` cells were classified under the five-way absence sort, 2026-08-30 — internal, verified 2026-08-30
33. [33] the record's own customer-facing prose fields as they stood before 2026-09-05 (no new external read) — consumer-translation pass (07 §2A.12) — customer-facing prose rewritten to the three-layer rule; NO FIELD VALUE, LEVEL, PATH OR TRANSPORT CHANGED. The research trail that used to sit inside those fields is preserved here verbatim., verified 2026-09-05

Compatibility and lifecycle information reflects the last-verified date above and can change without notice (firmware updates, cloud-service changes, discontinuations). It is provided as-is, for information — verify with the manufacturer before purchasing. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it. Full terms: Terms of Service.

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