Nest Cam outdoor installation is very easy. Just plug in the cable and adapter and mount the camera. It is High Definition surveillance camera with a 130 degree wide angle view, 1080p HD, and 8x zoom; night vision illuminates the whole scene, even when it’s dark outside. Built in speaker and microphone lets you listen and talk back to visitors. Control your home security camera from anywhere with the app on your phone. Discover details in Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera review. Find useful steps on Nest Cam outdoor installation.
Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera package content
- Nest Cam Outdoor security camera
- Mounting magnet
- Camera wall plate
- Power adapter
- Adapter wall plate
- Nest screws
- Wall anchors
- Cable clips
- Nest Cam outdoor Installation guide
- Welcome guide
Specifications – Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera (review)
- Resolution 1080p
- Field of vision 130º
- Battery type AC power
- Zoom 8x digital zoom
- Night vision Yes
- Two-way audio Yes
- 24/7 recording Yes
- Local storage No
- Cloud storage Yes (more in Nest Cam outdoor installation guide)
Who is this for – Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera
Choose the Nest Cam Outdoor if you’d like…
- Great video, night vision, and two-way audio: The Nest Cam Outdoor hits or exceeds industry standards for these three categories.
- Integrations with Alexa, Google Assistant, and more: Whether you’re in the Google or Amazon ecosystem, the Nest Cam Outdoor will fit right in.
- Highly-rated app for Android: The Nest App has a 3.8 rating on the Google Play store.
But avoid it if you definitely don’t want…
- No local storage: You won’t be able to have the footage automatically upload to a micro-SD card.
- Only paid person detection and facial recognition: Although artificial intelligence capabilities are available for the Nest Cam Outdoor, you’ll have to pay a minimum of $5 a month to get them.
- Poorly-rated iPhone app: As the Nest app only has a 2.1 rating on the Apple store, I can’t recommend the Nest Cam Outdoor to iPhone users.
Pros & Cons – Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera
Pros
– Weatherproof is right on point as it works flawlessly even after they have gone through numerous winter storms.
– The two-way audio communication quality is clear and loud from at least 15 feet away from the camera. (Decent speakers and the microphone are clear on the other side of the conversation).
– Motion and audio sensor detections are customizable (mainly the motion settings) as you can have the option to begin recording when one of these modes are triggered in a special zone.
– I live on a busy street and the motion detection is one of the best out there for people like me. The reason why is because not only you can customize the zones where you want the motion sensors to be on, but it will take in cars, weather, and a person’s distances into consideration before alerting you.
– False alerts are little to none as you can customize the alerts you want. Of course when squirrels come into play expect an email about them.
– Email alerts are exactly up to date when your camera detects something out of the ordinary. There is no time lag on email alerts, which I love about this camera.
– I can connect my tablet and iPhone on the app and view my cameras at the same time without waiting to log off one device (multiple share options).
– 1080p night vision, enough said as it’s smooth, clear, and detailed.
– The power cord that comes with it is pretty dam long as you can put this camera in a decent place without worrying of power cord distances.
– 130-degree view as, what I did, you can put one in the front and one in the back to give a giant viewing of your house surroundings.
– Wireless and Bluetooth connectivity is built-in and fast. Also, both provide low energy consumption.
– 24/7 live video, what else can you ask for.
– Nest Aware subscription is a must because you can view your stored recordings anywhere in the world without having to be at home.
– The subscription is also great to have because of its persona alert settings where it will notify you when someone is coming near the camera or is in the frame (you can customize the setting and notifications as well).
– Not that hard to install, relatively easy
– Mobile app and web portal are easy to walk through and are not complex to navigate to your live camera viewing or your past recordings.
– The speaker and microphone are built in front of the camera. Good design.
– Under the cloud plan, you can view any recording. When they mean 24/7 they mean 24/7 of recordings.
– The mobile alert option is my prefer option as it’ll pop right on my phone to let me know what’s going on.
– Have to leave your house in a hurry, the beauty of this camera is that it’ll recognize when you’re leaving and will turn on the begin recording (those who want to conserve power this will be a great option for you) but keep in mind you need to have the app for this to work.
– Can also set different times of the day or in the week to turn or off your cameras. I find this useful as I don’t really need to turn on my cameras if I’m staying at home all day.
– No delay in live streaming. Tested this out by logging onto my iPhone and watching my live view while facing the camera. No delay at all.
Cons
– After the free subscription trial you lose a hell of a lot of great features in the pros list.
– Non-subscribers: you’re going to get access only snapshots that are triggered by sound and motion sensors. No more 24/7 recordings but instead you have a three-hour history of snapshots.
– You need a good internet connection as, depending on your provider and router, the image quality will decrease from 1080-720-360.
– Installing it outside will require you to buy an outdoor power box unless you’re creative on fixing this issue.
– Non-subscribers: no more custom motion and sound detection zones.
– The farther you install it away from your house the weaker the Wi-Fi connectivity you’re going to get with the camera.
– Make sure that you don’t have a light facing directly at the camera as I discovered that the sensors within the camera can mistake nighttime as daytime. The outcome will not enable its night vision.
– No memory card slot. If your power goes out or you don’t have enough cloud storage, you’re screwed.
– Non-subscribers: will lose “person alerts” as well as the option to share clips that you had stored in the past.
– It’s built in magnetic installation process makes it super easy to steal.
– Power cord doesn’t look pretty; I wish it had the option to function with batteries.
Comparing Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera vs Netgear Arlo
| Nest Cam Outdoor | Netgear Arlo | |
| Color finish | White | White |
| Power source | 25-foot extension cord | 4 CR123 lithium 3-volt photo batteries |
| Resolution | 1080p HD | 720p HD |
| Live streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Continuous recording | Yes, with Nest Aware | No |
| Cloud storage | Free 3-hour event-based snapshots (Optional 10-day or 30-day continuous recording and storage with Nest Aware subscription for $10 or $30 per month) | Free 7-day event-based video clip storage (Optional 30- or 60-day event-based video clip storage with Arlo subscription for $10 or $15 per month) |
| Local storage | No | No |
| Mobile app | Yes, Android and iPhone | Yes, Android and iPhone |
| Web app | Yes | Yes |
| Night vision | Yes | Yes |
| Alerts | Motion and sound (Person Alerts added with Nest Aware) | Motion only |
| Activity zones | Yes, with Nest Aware | No |
| Operating temperature range | -4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 to 40 degrees Celsius). | 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 to 50 degree Celsius) |
| Third-party integrations | Works with Nest, IFTTT | IFTTT |
Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera review
Colour
It’s as sleek as its predecessors, the Nest Cam Indoor and the Nest Cam IQ Indoor. Instead of having a black frame, it’s a stark white, with a shiny circular black camera face.
Design
| Dimensions | 2.8 x 2.8 x 3.5 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 11 ounces |
Weatherproof
Just don’t spray it with anything bigger or immerse it in water and it’ll keep working. The camera plugs-in via a cable and adapter, which means you’ll never have to replace its batteries. Being an outdoor camera, it works in temperatures from negative four to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, which may work for some people, but not others. The camera also has an IP rating of 65, meaning it’s dust-tight and can even be sprayed with a 6.3 mm water nozzle without any damage.
2-way audio
Fortunately, the Nest Cam Outdoor has two-way audio, which means that you can speak through your Nest app to whoever your camera is pointing at. If you go on the Nest website, you can see real videos of people using two-way audio to stop break-ins as they’re happening, a great way to show their utility.
Video
The Nest Cam Outdoor has 1080p HD video, the ability to zoom in eight times, and a wide field of view of 130 degrees, meeting or exceeding industry standards for each specification.
Night Vision
While a bright white light in the middle of the night (excuse the rhyming) is something that you just can’t miss, infrared sensors are way more subtle. Like its cousins, the Nest Cam Outdoor has infrared night vision through eight LED sensors. I prefer infrared night vision as compared to color night vision from bright white light because it’s more stealthy.
Store your recording
Storage is where things get a little wonky. Unfortunately, the Nest Cam Outdoor has no local storage options and only gives you three hours of free cloud storage. Beyond that, you’re going to have to invest in Nest Aware. Lucky for you, Nest recently reduced the pricing of cloud storage, so it’s pretty inexpensive.
| Nest Free | Nest Aware | Nest Aware Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event video history | 3 Hrs | 30 | 60 |
| 24/7 video history | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Monthly price | $0 | $6 | $12 |
| Yearly price | $0 | $60 | $120 |
| Yearly savings | N/A | $12 | $24 |
Nest Aware also includes some other features, which I’ll talk about in just a few paragraphs.
Motion detection
Nest Cam Outdoor doesn’t come with person detection or facial recognition, which is a bummer, but you can buy it through Nest Aware. Not only will you get person detection and facial recognition, but you’ll also get dog barking alerts and person speaking alerts. That’s going to create way more meaningful and specific notifications, not just that your Nest Cam Outdoor detected motion but that your mail is here, or that there’s an unfamiliar face on your doorstep.
Smart Home Integration
As Google owns Nest, it didn’t surprise me that the camera integrates with Google Assistant and Chromecast, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Nest Cam Outdoor (installation) also integrates with Amazon Alexa and Fire TV. So not only can you command the cameras with your voice and live stream your footage on the big screen, but you can also hook the cameras up to the other connected devices in your ecosystem and make some convenient home automation.
Convenience
The first thing you do to set up your Nest Cam Outdoor is plug it in. From there, you’ll scan the QR code in the Nest app and connect the camera to Wi-Fi. Now it’s time to install your camera. Now, the Nest Cam Outdoor has a magnetic mount, allowing you to easily place it onto any magnetic surface. If that’s not an option for you, you’ll just screw it into a wall. The camera has a 10-foot long cord and an extra 15-foot long extension cord, so make sure you place it within 25 feet of an outlet. Overall, the Nest Cam Outdoor is very easy to use, especially if you already have Nest products.
Nest Cam Outdoor installation steps
Nest Cam Outdoor installation is easy and you will get following accessories to accomplish the installation process.
- Nest Cam Outdoor
- Power adapter
- Mounting magnet
- Camera wall plate
- Adapter wall plate
- 12 wall screws
- 12 wall anchors
- 9 cable clips
- Instruction manual (on Nest Cam outdoor installation)
Step 1 : Choosing a right place
Make sure your camera can still receive a signal from your home router too. Nest recommends finding a spot about 7 to 10 feet off the ground for the best results. Before you get started with installation, figure out where you want to put your new Nest camera. Avoid areas with direct sunlight or plants that might block the picture.
Your Nest Cam Outdoor doesn’t have batteries, so it needs to stay plugged in at all times. Find an outdoor plug with a cover or choose a spot where a cord can reach indoors. Like the Nest Cam IQ, you can drill a hole into your house and feed the cord through that.
Step 2: Connect camera with app
You’ll need to have the Nest app and your account login. Follow the instructions on the app to add your new camera to your Nest account. The camera’s livestream goes straight to the app, so you can check the picture quality and test the camera out before installing it.
Step 3: Take it outside
If you can’t see a livestream from the camera on the Nest app, you may need to pick a spot closer to your router or move the router closer to the camera.
When you see live footage on the Nest app, your Nest Cam is ready to go outside.
Take your Nest camera outdoors and plug it into an outlet inside. Be sure it can still livestream from the location you’ve picked. You’ll need a strong Wi-Fi connection for the best experience with a security camera like Nest.
Step 4: Attach mounting magnet
Secure the mounting plate to the wall with two of the included screws. Your Nest Cam uses a super strong magnet to stick to the wall mount. Start by marking pilot holes on the wall or post where you’ll install the camera. Use wall anchors and masonry drill bits if you’re mounting your camera to brick or stone.
Step 5: Place the camera
Once the mounting magnet is securely placed on the wall or post, place your camera on the magnet. You can adjust the angle by looking at the livestream from the Nest app. Be sure it’s in a spot with a clear view, free from direct sunlight, plants, and structures that might block the picture.
Step 6: Make wiring path
Nest recommends leaving a little slack on both ends of the cable to provide enough cabling to reach. We recommend hiding the cable or keeping it high on the side of your house to prevent tampering. Your Nest camera needs to be plugged in at all times, so be sure your cable can reach an outlet comfortably. You’ll have about 10 feet of cable to work with and cable anchors to keep the cord from coming loose.
Step 7: Install power adapter and use camera
Install the weatherproof adapter around 18 inches off the ground and flush against the wall. Use one of the provided screws to secure the wall plate then snap the adapter to the wall plate.
Next, secure the cable with the provided cable clips and screws. There are nine clips in the Nest kit—use as many as you need to keep the cable secure.
Secure the cable in a hidden or out of reach spot to avoid tampering. You can paint over the cable to camouflage it too.
Once you’ve finished installing your Nest Cam Outdoor, check the livestream and make adjustments for the best picture.
Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera customer review
I love it, I hate it – Nest Aware service needs more subscription offers
I have mixed emotions about this product for a number of reasons. I bought 5 of these with the intention of installing all of them on the same day, so far I installed 2 – I might return the rest. The good – it was very simple to install, offers great video and audio quality, great features for motoring and play back, 2 way audio etc. I was doing some research and this is probably one of the best security cams out there. If you have a strong WiFi signal in many areas (I have access points all over my property) of your home and a power outlet you are good to go.
No worries about changing camera batteries, connecting to a proprietary hub with a limited range, etc. Pretty much it is plug and play, almost. The bad: Had issues with the Nest app setting up my first cam on my iPhone (iOS 10) – the app just hung on Looking for WiFi networks. So I plugged the USB end of the cam into my computer, ran the .exe and set it up that way. The USB power connection with the cylinder lock mechanism from the camera to the power connector caused me to drill a hole much larger than theoretically needed when installing the camera wire through walls. They should have offered some sort of disconnect or a locking plug-thing on both ends that way you don’t have to drill such a large hole to feed it through. Once I had it installed it worked but then stopped. I needed to reboot my router and change the WiFi channel from 1 to auto – so far so good.
My biggest gripe is the Nest Aware cloud storage service to provide monitoring features and storage of your history. I found this out AFTER I bought the product – they need this information to be clear in the description of the product on Amazon’s site as it is no where to be found. The problem is that they only offer 2 cloud storage option subscriptions to store your history with their Nest Aware cloud storage offering. Don’t get me wrong you get some great features for it but those prices are also a bit high for cloud storage especially if you have multiple cameras. Here is the break-down: Currently as of 10/24/2016:
1) 10 day – $100 per year per camera with a $50 discount for each additional camera
So for me – that would be $300 / year – to store 10 days of history for 5 of my cameras. That I already spent $1000 on.
OR – They also have:
2) 30 day – $300 per year / camera with a discount 50% discount per camera ($150 per year)
This is ridiculous for home consumers who want simple home security. I used this for home security, if nothing happens on that day – it can be overwritten the next day for all I care. Nest – please make a subscription option for home security for owners to choose how much storage they want or offer and entry level package to store 1 or 2 days storage at a reasonable price.
I found out that if you contact Nest and make this suggestion – they will provide your feedback and report it to the Sale organization for consideration. I lived chat with a Nest rep yesterday and that is what he told me.
Alternate of Google Nest Cam outdoor smart security camera
Arlo Pro 2 plus Base Station
The best truly wireless outdoor Wi-Fi camera
If you’re more interested in checking on your kids or spotting packages than in keeping an eye out for prowlers, the Arlo Pro 2 is also a great choice. Its images are not as sharp as those of our main pick, and it does leave gaps of a few seconds between video clips. However, it’s cordless, so it’s easy to place anywhere, and it can record up to five minutes of continuous motion. It also offers practical smart-home integration, comes with seven days of free cloud storage, and includes the option for local video storage. And for a fee, you can add 24/7 recording (although you then need to plug the camera in), as well as person, animal, vehicle, and package detection plus more cloud-based video storage.
Google Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
The most advanced outdoor security camera
The Google Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is the most technologically advanced outdoor camera we’ve tested. This model has a close-up tracking feature, which automatically zooms in on motion and then follows that motion around the field of view. To make those images clear, it has an 8-megapixel 4K sensor, HDR (high dynamic range), and 12x digital zoom. It can distinguish between general motion and people, thus cutting down on false alarms, and it can even identify people you’ve labeled (after a learning period). But like all Nest cameras, this model requires the Nest Aware service for you to do anything beyond live viewing.