Product Library / Cameras & Doorbells
Research profile · last verified 2026-07-19Google Nest Cam (Outdoor, wired, 2nd gen)
Compatibility
| Ecosystem | Support | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Google Home | WorksWorks with this ecosystem | Native across the Google Home app, Nest displays and Chromecast/Google TV. The only first-class path. |
| Amazon Alexa | Not checkedWe have not verified this yet — this is not a claim about the product | Google's Nest-skill compatibility list documents Alexa live view for the 2021 camera generation and does not name this 2025 model. That is silence rather than a stated exclusion, so the level is recorded as unknown rather than assumed either way. If it works, the skill gives live view on display-equipped Echo devices only, with no event history. |
| Apple Home | Doesn't workVerified: does not work with this ecosystem | Google documents no Apple Home or HomeKit support for any Nest camera, and no Nest camera appears in Google's Matter device list — the only route Apple Home could arrive by. Verified 2026-07-19 against support.google.com/googlehome/answer/12391458. This establishes that Google documents no support, not that no community workaround exists. |
| SmartThings | Doesn't workVerified: does not work with this ecosystem | No SmartThings integration is documented; the legacy pathway died when Works with Nest shut down on 2023-09-29 and Google did not replace it with a third-party hub API. Verified 2026-07-19 against support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9293712. |
| Home Assistant | PartialPartial support — see the catch | Reachable through Google's Device Access / SDM API 'Individual Access' tier, which is a Google developer-programme path with its own enrollment and fee rather than a supported consumer integration. Google never names Home Assistant. |
? Not checked means we haven’t verified that ecosystem yet — it is a statement about our research, never a verdict on the product. A Setup Check can research it for you.
Protocols: WIFI · BLUETOOTH
Subscription reality
◐ Works without a subscription: Yes, but material features need a plan.
- Free: Live view, Two-way talk, Activity zones, zoom and crop, Basic motion and sound detection, Event video previews — 10 seconds, retained 6 hours
- Behind a plan: 5-minute event recordings (30 days Standard / 60 days Advanced), Person, animal and vehicle alerts; familiar faces (not offered in Illinois), 10-day 24/7 continuous video history — this wired model qualifies; battery Nest cameras are excluded even on the top plan, AI notifications, AI descriptions, Home Brief and 'Ask Home' video history search (Advanced)
Tier prices NOT verified — Google's pricing help page omits them by design and the Store does not render for automated fetch. The wired/battery split is worth knowing before buying: Google states that a battery-powered Nest camera 'will only have event video history, even if you have the Advanced plan'. Buying wired is what unlocks 24/7 history; no plan can add it to the battery model.
Maintenance reality
- Cloud dependence: Yes — a server shutdown would degrade or brick this device
- Wired only — 12V 0.75A via an 18ft outdoor-rated cable. IP65, rated -4°F to 104°F. No backup battery, so a power cut records nothing; the on-device buffer protects against internet loss, not power loss.
The catch
The outdoor lineup is not one family at one generation. This wired model is the current 2K/IP65 device; the battery and floodlight Nest cameras are the older 1080p/IP54 generation and were not refreshed alongside it. Choosing wired is also what buys 24/7 continuous history — Google states battery cameras are excluded from it even on the top-tier plan.
Who it's for
Google-ecosystem households wanting 2K outdoor coverage with 24/7 continuous history available, who can run a wired 12V drop and accept a cloud-dependent camera with no user-accessible local storage.
Sources & method
https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9259110 — 2K/30fps HDR, 152 degree diagonal FOV, IP65, -4F to 104F, 12V 0.75A via 18ft outdoor cable, '802.11a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz)' plus Bluetooth LE — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19 · https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9259110 — indoor is 'indoor use only', 32F to 104F, 7.5W USB-C, 10ft cable, '802.11ac-ready'; outdoor differs on enclosure, IP rating, temperature range, power system and WiFi radio string — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19 · https://support.google.com/product-documentation/answer/16374052 (regulatory doc lists only 2400-2483.5 MHz WLAN and BLE radios) + https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/12391458 (Matter device list names Thread border routers only; no Nest camera appears) — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19 · https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9681538 — 'If your camera is battery-powered, it'll only have event video history, even if you have the Advanced plan of Google Home Premium' — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19 · https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9242083 — up to one hour of events held on-device and uploaded on reconnect; 'During a power outage, the Nest Cam (wired) won't be able to record videos since it doesn't have a backup battery' — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19 · alexa: https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/9325080 (list covers the 2021 generation; this model not named); apple: answer/12391458; smartthings: https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9293712 (Works with Nest ended 2023-09-29) — vendor-support-doc research, verified 2026-07-19. 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 →
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.