Customer Ratings & Reviews

About The Nest Doorbell (Battery) is Google’s easiest to install, most flexible video doorbell to date. It boasts an almost anywhere installation, night vision, automatic alerts, 24/7 live viewing in HDR, video and audio recording, and a free 30-day trial to Nest Aware (if you don’t already have it). Installation I have owned several video doorbells, and this is by far the easiest one I have installed. This doorbell runs off a battery, so you do not have to rely connecting it to a doorbell chime for power (though you can if you would like to). My setup had very few steps to get it operational. You charge it, add it to the Google Home App, and mount it. From there you are just making preference tweaks in the app. Charging can take up to 5 hours. You can add it to the Google Home App while this is happening to save a little time. The mount comes with a flat mount base plate and an optional 20 degree wedge if you want to angle it away from a corner. For me the mounting was just installing the flat base plate with two screws. It took just a few minutes. The camera slides into the base which makes it easy to remove for when you need to charge it. For my setup I am using this as an extra doorbell (and camera) for my backdoor. I already have a video doorbell at the front which is wired to the doorbell chime. The back door is not wired for this, so the battery operation allows me the flexibility to add a doorbell very easily here. There is no chime with the doorbell, so I am notified on my phone app and I have tied them to my Google Home Hubs to announce any rings. Features Here are some of the main features of the doorbell: • 960p video quality with HDR (2 settings for quality in the app) • Night Vision • Can be used indoor or outdoor • Wire free installation – battery powered • Phone alerts for movement • Learning facial recognition (in the settings and with Nest Aware) • Audio recording and speaking My Experience Video Quality - I consider the video quality to be good. 960p is a lower pixel rate than you would typically see, but the HDR addition makes up for picture quality. The lower pixel setting was probably chosen to limit the strain on the battery. There are two video quality settings, and I had to use the max setting for the video quality to feel like it was worth using. The higher quality uses more of the battery power. Audio Quality – The person viewing the camera feed can hear the person on camera clearly while they are close to the camera (5 feet). Sound quality diminishes as things are further away. The bigger issue was when the person viewing speaks there is a terrible echo on the camera side. For instance, if you are talking to the delivery person at your door, you will hear them fine, but they will hear you and their own echo. The echo is louder than the other person’s voice. I reached out to Google about this, but they did not have a reasonable solution of how to fix it. The Nest Cam also does this for me. Recording – Without any additional subscriptions the camera can record 3 hours of events for you to play back for free. Live 24/7 video streaming is also free. You can subscribe to Nest Aware to increase your video storage to 30 days or 60 days. It is important to note that you cannot record in 24/7 mode with this doorbell even if it is configured in the wired setup. If you want to do 24/7 recording you need to look at the Nest Hello. Adding Nest Aware also gives you the ability to use Face Detection. This is something that you help the doorbell to learn. Battery Consumption – The battery consumption seems to be fairly minimal. On max video quality I have used 14% over the course of a full week. My camera was installed outdoors and in a fairly high traffic area (we have a dog to let in and out constantly). These two factors will affect your battery usage. Also, the battery is not replaceable. App Quality – I like the Google Home App that controls the settings. The playback feature is easy to use. Many of the other camera manufacturers have awful playback software. The alerts seem to be prompt as well, but that will be dependent on your internet connection. The Nest Doorbell will not work with the Nest App. You must use the Google Home App. Quick Responses – There are quick responses that are pre-loaded in the app to respond to someone ringing the doorbell. You also have a Quiet Time option to use. Activity Zones – You can control what the camera is looking at to avoid extra recording. There are also types of alerts that you can turn off: People, Animal, Package and Vehicle. Overall The Nest Doorbell (Battery) is a very easy to install video doorbell with good video quality. It really meets the need for people who want a doorbell, but do not have the wiring in place. For me, being able to add the backdoor camera and doorbell is a really nice feature. The biggest complaint that I have is the audio loop issue. Other than that I really enjoy this product. I am giving this doorbell 4 stars.

I use google smart home product across my house. This doorbell camera works great for the location I place it without hard wire.

Perfect Battery operated Doorbell not sure if many of the bad reviews are because of using all the notifications that come with camera are turned on. But have 0 issues.

It’s ok doesn’t have much range only pick up a few feet to your door

Great doorbell with free 3 hour video history without subscription. The wired option lets us ring the indoor chime.

The camera isn’t of great quality specially when it’s shaded or cloudy it just goes dark tries multiple positions to adjust it but still the same .

camera wont stay mounted scratched lense from fall

Google battery operated doorbell is a wonderful upgrade from its leading competitive brand and to its successor model of Nest hello. New slim design is very attractive with more color options and multiple installation options (hardwire, battery) for many use case scenarios. It does have 3 hours of cloud storage for free without the need to subscribe to Nest aware. There are few cons compared to its previous wired Nest hello model. What is the box: Google doorbell, USB C cable, hardware kit (2 wedge screws, 2 wall screws, 2 wall anchors, wire connectors, eject release tool), doorbell bracket and angle wedge. Setup and Installation: Very simple setup like previous gen but this one only works with Google home app and doesn’t support Nest native app. I have couple of nest cameras, 9 nest protect (smoke detector), Yale lock and have not migrated yet to google home since it doesn’t support the nest protect and now, I need 2 applications to monitor. Just download the google home app, charge the doorbell by connecting to power source using the included cable and just follow the instructions on the app to complete the setup. Since I had nest connect it automatically connected to my network without the need of entering any passwords. Once the setup is complete, you have the option to choose your installation method. This doorbell supports hardwire (using your existing doorbell wiring and transformer), rechargeable battery powered or connecting to indoor power adapter. If you don’t plan to hardwire using your existing doorbell wiring, you would need Nest smart display or Nest Speaker for Chime sound when someone rings the doorbell. Video and Audio Quality: This doorbell records in 960 X 1280 resolution that captures up to 30 frames per second with 3:4 aspect ratio compared to Nest Hello that records at 1080P and more digital zoom. Field of view is only 145 degrees compared to 160 degrees on Nest hello. Audio is very clear and have no trouble even when installed with battery. Speaker and microphone are great on two-way audio and is very clear and crisp with no major delays. It works great with the new smart displays (Nest hub max & 2nd gen Nest hub). When someone rings the doorbell, it automatically shows the live view of the door, and the communication starts without any lag on battery and announces or chimes right away. Very impressive for battery powered compared to battery powered on competitive devices. It does have the same activity zones setup where you can setup for motion monitoring and recording. You need to select and highlight areas of your choice where you need the motion to be picked, notified, and recorded. This way you can save battery from unnecessary motion recordings. Like previous Nest hello this does support the AI (artificial intelligence) based object recognition to detect if the motion is due to people, dogs, cat, packages, vehicles and so on. One of the major advantages compared to previous gen is, without any subscriptions you get free three-hour cloud storage of video feeds. It does come with a free 30-day trial for Nest aware to try for free if it’s worth subscribing to and make informed decision. Also, this doorbell records and stores up to 1 hour of video feeds locally in the event of internet outage or power failure and upload once the power or internet is restored. Pros: Versatile design, AI-based recognition, multiple installation options, responsive live feeds (on battery powered), Free 3-hour cloud storage, Easy installation, Local storage when WIFI lost, Familiar face alerts, multiple colors to choose from (Snow, Ivy, Ash, Linen) Cons: No 24/7 recording even if hardwired, big form factor (6.3-inch x 1.8 inch), Works only with google home app and not Nest app, No support to other smart home ecosystems (echo devices or apple devices). Bottom-line: If you are looking for affordable battery powered(recharge) doorbell with multiple installation option for future use and AI smart notifications that integrates well with your smart displays then this is the device without any second thought.

See what's happening at your door from anywhere and get intelligent alerts about important activity, like when there's a person, package, animal, or vehicle.* And because there are no wires, you can install it yourself.

The Nest Doorbell (battery) is our first smart video doorbell, but not our only product from Nest, as we also have their Learning Thermostat. Since we already have multi-room smart speakers throughout the house and security system hubs with screens, we were hoping to have the doorbell play a chime through them or display its video feed on our existing screens, when the doorbell button was pressed, however, the Nest Doorbell is only able to do this with Google branded speakers, hubs, or screens. Since we don't own other products in the Google IOT ecosphere, we can only get push notifications from the doorbell and view its video on our mobile devices through the Google Home app. Thankfully, a hard-wire kit is included with the doorbell, so we could at least use our wired electric doorbell chime for an audible notification throughout the house, and it would be permanently powered as an added bonus. The doorbell camera itself is quite large as it contains a fairly sizeable battery. The battery is rated to last 1.5 to 6 months depending on the frequency of usage eg. average number of daily events it records and other battery saver settings like video/audio quality and minimum event recording length. When the battery power is low, it will enter into a "low power" mode to conserve more battery until you charge the unit; to charge it, you'll need to take down the unit and plug it in via the included USB-C cable for about 5 hours. The other option is to direct-wire it to a compatible doorbell transformer. As for installation instructions, a link to a video demonstrating the battery operated installation is included in the box, but no written instructions. If you want to perform a wired installation, you'll have to search for those directions on your own, but it's easy to find the video for that process as well. However, one thing that was unclear during my installation was whether or not I needed to install the diode that came with my chime on the wire contacts of the Nest Doorbell; while my chime appeared to be compatible, since I wasn't able to find any information from Google/Nest specifically mentioning installing a diode one way or the other, I did not install it. Other than that, the installation process was pretty straightforward and took about 15 minutes. There’s also an angled wedge included if you need to change the direction the camera faces by 20°. For the most part, the doorbell works pretty much as advertised. When I ring the bell, a notification pops up on my phone through the Google Home app, and I can view the doorbell's live video and audio feed and use the mic to communicate with someone in front of it. The external chime that I wired to the doorbell also starts ringing right away and kind of works, but my problem is that the “length of ring” setting in the app for electronic chimes can only be set in whole second increments, which either cuts off the chime before the melody is done playing (6 secs) or allows the chime to start repeating before getting cut off (7 secs). With my normal mechanical doorbell, I never had a problem with the chime playing the melody all the way through exactly once. The app experience is just okay. During setup, I was a bit disappointed to find that the Nest Doorbell (battery) could not be added to the existing Nest app that is used to control the Nest Learning Thermostat and can only be added to the Google Home app. Doing this took me a few tries too because the Home app wanted to use my existing Nest product to "assist" the setup by passing along my WiFi network name and password, but it kept failing. I ended up needing to remove the Nest thermostat from my account first, enter my WiFi network info manually, and then re-add the thermostat through the Nest app which was then pulled into the Google Home app. After setup, navigating the app is somewhat clunky and it took me a while to figure out how to download a saved event video clip (you have to go into the "event details"). Changing and customizing the settings for the doorbell was pretty easy though. I was also surprised to find that the free 3-hour event recording history is not a cumulative measure of time. Instead, it is a 3-hour lookback period, which means you can view any events that happened in the past 3 hours, but no earlier, even if the amount of recorded footage during this period amounts to only a few minutes. So if I viewed something in the event history yesterday that I wanted to re-watch today, I wouldn’t be able to do so, unless I downloaded the clip during the 3-hour period when it was available to view or had a Nest Aware subscription. The monthly Nest Aware subscription adds benefits like a longer event history period, familiar faces recognition, allowing the unit to announce your frequent visitors' names, sound detection like glass breaking or smoke alarms, and emergency calling to 911. Note that there is no way to enable 24/7 recording (to capture non-event footage), even if you choose to hardwire the unit and get a Nest Aware subscription. The camera itself has local onboard storage for 1 hour's worth of footage, which is helpful if it gets disconnected from the internet and can’t upload it to the cloud right away. I will say that the video footage is clear and crisp with plenty of detail at 960x1280p, and the viewing angle is wide at 160° field of view (FOV) in a 4:3 ratio. The audio picked up from the doorbell is also quite good with decent volume. However, when speaking through the mic in the app, the speaker on the doorbell itself isn't very loud, so sometimes it's hard for your visitor/guest to hear you. You can opt, instead, to respond to doorbell rings with a pre-scripted message that is recited in Google's text-to-speech voice. I also liked that you can select intelligent motion detection options for specific types of events like people, vehicles, animals, or packages versus all motion, and you can also define multiple detection zones within the view for specific event activity and customize the alert settings for each one separately. Overall, I do like having the features of the doorbell, from the high quality video and audio capture, to the intelligent event recording and notifications, which was fairly accurate, though we did find that door-less mail and delivery vehicles often came up as “person” events because the camera picked up the driver inside. You have the flexibility for a wired or battery operation installation, and if you’re already using Google speakers and screens, this doorbell would work seamlessly with them. If you’re like me, and don’t though, you may still be able to hook it up to your existing doorbell chime as a low-tech workaround. The biggest drawbacks for me are the lack of 24/7 and non-event recording, the fact that my wired chime doesn't play through exactly once, and the relatively short "free" event history review period without a monthly subscription.

I got this Google Nest Doorbell battery smart doorbell to upgrade my current smart doorbell. The first thing I noticed is the clean designed, but considerably larger than my current doorbell, probably due to the battery inside. It measures approximately 6.25”x1.8”. Although it’s called “Google - Nest Doorbell Battery”, it can be hard wired as well. I thought the name with “battery” in it was a bit confusing. Setup: Included in the box was everything I needed to install the Google Nest doorbell, USB-C charging cable, wire harness thing to install, screws, mounting plate and It even included a 20-degree wedge plate to mount the doorbell on an angle. This came in handy for me as my doorbell is on the right hand side of the door, visitors would walk up my walkway on the left, this would allow the motion to detect when people are coming to my doorway, not just when they’re already in front. The install was fairly easy, I mounted mine on the bricks, so I had to use a special drill bit and screws. This is connected to my existing “dumb” doorbell chime mounted on the wall. It sounds a bit off, but it could be my chime. Be sure to keep the little “key” handy for those that plan to install it in a spot where power is not available. The setup on the Google Home app was quite simple. Launch the app and follow the steps. It took about 3-4 minutes without any issues. The doorbell has facial recognition feature and recognizes when someone has a package. When the package is removed, it will also let you know the package is no longer seen. For the facial recognition, you have to names the faces that the Google Nest picked up. You do this in the Google home app under Home Settings – Nest Aware - Familiar face detection. The facial recognition feature worked for me sometimes, I would say about 30-40% of the time. Perhaps this will improve over time. To allow other family members to view the camera, in the app, there’s a link “Invite home member”. This will send them a link to download the app and provides the details they need to set this up on their app. One downside is that I could not get this doorbell to work with my nest app, I have nest smoke alarms already, I was hoping I would be able to add the doorbell to the same app. It seems, for now at least, I can’t and a separate app is required. Usage: The HD video quality is very good, in daylight, the video is clear. In low light, the IR’s provide enough light to get a clear black and white image. In the daytime, the camera exposure is very nice, I can see the visitor’s face and I can see the blue skies in the background. The lens is a wide angle lens of course, this allows me to not only see the visitor at the door, but when the motion is triggered, I see my front yard and part of my driveway as well. Conclusion: Overall, the Google Nest doorbell battery is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a smart doorbell. For me, once I got over the size of the device, I found the Google doorbell to be much smarter than my old doorbell! This is a great add-on if you’re already on the Google ecosystem and have their cameras and voice assistant. If you’re in the Amazon Alexa camp, there’s a “Google Home” skill you can add to make this doorbell Alexa compatible. Pros: 1. Clean minimalist design. 2. I like the pre-recorded responses, choose from: “You can just leave it”, We’ll be right there” No one can come to the door”. 3. Facial recognition – it easily recognized members of my family after setting up. 4. Battery or hard wired connection makes this doorbell very flexible. 5. Google Home app allows you to add 3rd party devices (Arlo cameras for example). This is a nice feature, you can eliminate an app and view your cameras in 1 place. Cons: 1. Subscription required if you want videos saved and be able to access. Both plans offer discounts for annual payment. Without a subscription, you can only view 3 hours of events. 2. Don’t have the ability to customize the pre-recorded responses, it would be nice to add “Go away” for those pesky door to door salespeople! 3. The doorbell is on the large side, almost the size of a TV remote control. 4. Could not add camera to nest app, needed to install Google Home to setup doorbell camera.

Best video doorbell on the market. Easy to use and has all the features you need to set up to your Google home. When the only option, is the best option, this is the one.

I’ve been using the Google Nest Wifi Video Doorbell (Battery) for a few weeks, and it has been a fantastic addition to my home. Installation was a breeze, and the sleek design blends seamlessly with my front porch. The video quality is excellent, providing clear, crisp images both day and night. I appreciate the wide field of view, which captures everything happening at my doorstep. The battery life is impressive, lasting weeks before needing a recharge. The smart features, like motion detection and alerts, are highly accurate and keep me informed of any activity. Overall, this doorbell offers peace of mind and convenience, making it a worthwhile investment for any smart home setup.

I think this is the 10th video doorbell I've had, my toughtest requirement is I want no false alarms. I have plenty of other cameras that detect motion and are fairly directional. The issue with all video door bells is they all have a fairly wide angle lens. This allows them to see motions from many locations besides just in front of the door. Many advertise to only pick up humans within x feet (using PIR). I've yet to find one that does just that. I live on a fairly busy street, lots of foot trafic as a school is just down the street. So I must have a camera that allows me to select the area of motion I'm interested in (that works). Well the new Google Nest Doorbell (battery), seems to tick all the right boxes, but I've found until you try it in your own environment you just don't know for sure. I have tired almost all the major (and many minor ones) video doorbells, none solved all my issues (or had too short of a battery life). So what I really want is for the doorbell to be mounted at an angle mostly looking at a wall to minimize false motion from the street. I'm hoping the "AI" in this doorbell really only detects people, and can recognise who it sees, and that its activity zone do what they should. Theft prevention is also a must. Let's start there, the doorbell mounts to a metal plate that is secured to either a wall directly or to provided 30 degree angle block. The fact that this is metal is a plus, as it will strongly hold the doorbell (others have a plastic holder that does not have real strength). The metal plate attaches tightly to the back with a pin through the top (see image) that locks the plate securely in place. There is a larger hole in the bottom that must also slide in place to secure the doorbell. I does hold it securely, it comes with a "key" that you press in the top to release it so you can recharge it (they claim the doorbell only needs to be recharged every 10 weeks - this would be great). So mounting was fairly easy, I got about the field of view I was hoping for. I have many Google "smart home" products so I already had Google home installed (it must be). I also have other Google Nest products, as it's called a Nest Doorbell, so I expected this doorbell to also show up there (long story short it [currently] will not (-1 star, Google don't call it a Nest product if it does not play nice with other Nest products!)) I spent some time with their nice support people trying to figure this out. So the Google Nest Doorbell (battery) must be added to the Google Home app to get it set up properly. This doorbell comes with a 30 trial of Nest Aware (there is the Nest name again). In order to use facial recognition OR the motion zones, you must have a Nest Aware account ($6/mo or $60/yr), for person recognition I understand this, but for the motion zones, this was a surprise (their docs said certain functions require Nest Aware, motion zones were not clearly identified). But the have the most complete set of motions zones of any doorbell, with up to 4 separate zones that can be defined, and you can trigger multiple alerts inside and outsize of each zone (I've not see this sophisticated of zone processing anywhere else. Within each zone you can trigger on people, packages, animals and vehicles. Again very cool, but must pay a monthly fee to use it... But now having tried it, I can tell you it is very accurate, it does a excellent job of recognising people. The user interface for setting up people you know is very easy to use/change. If you have a google home hub, and use the picture frame, people I know, functionality, it similar to this, except (currently) tied to the cameras captured images only. The night time IR processing is also excellent (see image), It's the best I've seen/used. The definition of zones is also easily done with their software. I did have some problems getting the software properly installed. My suggestion is to install and set up the Nest Aware trial before installing the doorbell. It seems (currently) that if then nest aware subscription is not enabled for your google home account when the doorbell is installed, some of the functionality does not appear in the app (can't enable motion zones, but can define). Image quality is excellent, speed of push notiifcation to the phone takes a little over a second, a little more to get 2 way audio, which is loud and clear to/and from the doorbell. The doorbell is fairly thin, but some what tall, I think it's attractive (it come in 4 colors). If it's size really give it 10 week battery life, I'm all for it. Whenever it's recording a small green led can be seen. I think the button at the bottom is obvious as a doorbell, my wife does not. I prefer the simplistic appearance. It does come with a video recording "icon" that could be placed on you window (if required locally). So far it's the best battery powered video doorbell I've found. I do wish it was fully integrated with the other nest products, as it is it can't be fully part of Nest's home/away functionality.

The Nest Doorbell is a new upgrade from their older models. Looks a lot more sleek and modern but be warned, it is a LOT bigger because of the new battery in it. Even though it says Doorbell Battery, you can also have the option to hardwire it and use your existing doorbell wires. It is even compatible with my home's 26 year old doorbell chime. Inside the box, you get the doorbell itself, mounting hardware and quick start guide. After charging it, I decided to mount it wirelessly 1st to test it and make sure it was working fine. Being already a Nest customer and using the app, I was dumbfounded to see that when trying to add the doorbell, the Nest App says you can only use the Google Home app to add the device. Following the instructions and scanning the doorbell's QR code was fairly easy and straightforward. Mounting it for me was a little difficult as I had to reroute my doorbell wires from the left side of my door to the right and hide it behind my siding. After that, it looks SO NICE AND CLEAN. Performance was 2nd to none. I love the new look of the doorbell personally. After almost a week of use, video quality is excellent and sound is great for anyone coming to my door. Even catches all cars driving super close to my sidewalk and ignores all other just driving past (I am in a corner house). When I 1st tried it, it was on battery and It drained roughly 5% a day for me, but that's me constantly loading up the live cam and it catching all the movement in my corner lot. After hardwiring it, I just love it. I ended up training myself to just use Google Home app as when all the cameras are installed, you can just click the camera icon on the top and it loads everything like how the Nest App did. Don't let the app sway your decision as this is a really great doorbell.

TLDR: (that’s Too Long, Didn’t Read) As a replacement for the Nest Hello video doorbell, the one major advantage is that this requires no wires at all- not even to an existing doorbell. The video is more vertical than the Home model, which has advantages and disadvantages. Overall, it works really well and integrates completely in the Google Home ecosystem. Pros: * Very easy to set up through the Google Home app * Completely wireless and easy to install * Good video and audio quality * Vertical video shows more of the person and/or package at the door * Clean and sleek appearance Cons: * Have to periodically remove entire unit from mount to charge the battery * Vertical video doesn’t see as much on the sides Summary: I’ve had the Nest Hello video doorbell installed for over a year. It has worked really well and I like the quality and feature set. We have a whole-house Google Home home automation system setup with numerous Home hubs, light switches, etc.. One thing we didn’t have was an existing doorbell in that location so we had to buy a transformer and add the wires to power it - this was a PITA. It was nice that the doorbell always had power but now we had ugly wires going through the door and trailing over to an external power transformer box. The Google Home video doorbell has improved quite a few things about camera, but the major advantage is that you no longer need existing doorbell wires; you can run it completely wirelessly. Just screw the mounting plate where you want it and you’re good to go! The unit is a tad taller than the Nest Hello but keeps the familiar format of the camera at the top and the big “ring” button at the bottom. Setup was fully integrated into the Google Home app (I used it on my iPhone), including mounting videos. My initial setup failed for some reason, but even that worked well - I reset the doorbell using the small “reset” hole on the back and the Home app picked up where it left off and finished successfully. I already had a Nest Aware subscription for the Hello doorbell and this new one just used that subscription. It even used the trained “familiar faces” from my prior doorbell so it can announce the visitor by name which is really cool! Running it off a battery can be a bit scary but the app always shows how much power is left. It also has a nice power-saving feature when it estimates that only 7 days of battery life remain. I haven’t had this one installed long enough to see what happens when it’s time for a charge, but the instructions say that the app should issue notifications when the battery gets low. Then you use the provided tool to pop it off the mounting bracket, bring it inside and charge it up for up to 5 hours. I guess taking the doorbell off the door and charging it inside the house for 5 hours every 2 or 3 months is a fair tradeoff for being able to mount it absolutely anywhere it will fit. Especially if you live in an apartment or don’t have an existing doorbell wires to connect it to. BTW, it does also work wired if you have them available to plug it in. At night, the video quality seem much better than the Nest Hello was. It’s black and white, but is bright and clear. The Hello had a wider viewing angle, but this one has a taller viewing angle so you can see from the door mat up to the top of your tallest of visitors. Overall, this is a really well thought-out video doorbell. Whether you have an existing Google Home setup, or want to set a new one up, this video doorbell is a great addition.

Let me start by saying I wish there was one video doorbell that would do everything without a monthly service fee... Now that that is out of the way, I do like the Google Nest Doorbell. Full disclosure, after initial testing, I opted for wiring the device because I can. We tested the battery version and determined that we'd really have to tweak the "always on" options down to "mostly off" to get the best battery results (supposedly up to 6 months but totally impossible to predict based on a combination of what settings you choose to leave "on" and how often you have people at your door) and decided to use the wires to take full advantage of this replacement doorbell. We bought this doorbell for two reasons: (1) Our previous video doorbell had a delay of about 8-10 seconds before it would alert my phone (on mobile network) of a visitor. Most people would give up by then. (2) We are heavy Google Home/Assistant users and I wanted to try to "simplify" my smart home devices. I am pleased to say our "alert" time to the in-house chime and Google devices is "instantaneous" and over a mobile network my phone gets an alert within about 3-5 seconds. There was also a third reason: Our previous brand of doorbell confused users between the camera and the logo/doorbell button. Everyone was always pushing our camera for some odd reason. The Google Nest doorbell leaves no confusion between camera and button. Installation was a breeze and starts with the unboxing experience. You have everything you need including a mounting plate, angle adjusting plate, screws, anchors, quick-release tool (helpful if you are using the battery feature), a quick install wiring harness, and a USB-C cable for the initial charging (charger not provided). All told it took about 10 minutes for me to physically install the device. However, before installing, you need to run connectivity process on your phone. Basically, scan a QR code then logon to your Nest or Google Home account and follow the instructions to connect to your wifi and unlock the Google Assistant features. Note that the app will ask you if you plan to use the device via battery or wire. Tools required include a drill (optional--only needed if you need to predrill for anchors), a level (optional) and a phillips screwdriver. Two-wire installation does NOT require a degree in electrical engineering. It was insanely easy. Once installed, we discovered some interesting things. Again, my home is very "Google smart." A push of the button lit up video of the front door on our Google Hub in the kitchen AND turned down the volume on our Vizio Smart TV (YouTubeTV was active at the time). Obviously my mobile phone also received an alert. We are not 100% sure yet how/why the TV muted--which required manual "un-muting." As for features and usability, I can live without the AI "facial recognition" which is part of the paid Nest monthly service. What I do not understand is why Google limits us to only 3 hours of free recording AND HISTORY. That means any overnight action will not be available when you get up in the morning. I wish I could store "unlimited" (realistically up to 7 days of "the doorbell was pushed" or "action detected" video history) video history in my Google One storage subscription. The fact that I do not get at least a TEXT history of things >3hrs ago is frustrating. Ideally I should still be able to see that at 4:15p yesterday someone rang the doorbell--and maybe even keep the screenshot of the person pushing the button. As mentioned previously, response time to my phone when away from the house is better with the Google Nest doorbell than my old video doorbell. The image is clear and the alerts, which can include "package detection" are clear and concise. The "instant response" feature (i.e. "Please just leave the package at the door" or "Give me a minute please...") is nice too. The 145° camera manages to cover most of my patio and captures activity at the mailbox too. I have tightened the "alerting" zone so that I don't get alerts about people walking their dog or cars driving past our house. In the end, while I am EXTREMELY disappointed in the limited recording history, the overall setup of the camera, integration with my Google smart home, and response time for alerts makes this doorbell a keeper...for now.

I have been in the market for a video doorbell for a while and just couldn't commit to any of the available options. That was until Google released the Nest Doorbell Battery version. This is exactly what I was looking for in a well built and sleek-looking device that can run on battery or connected to existing wiring. The big advantage is the ability to just mount it and set it up without having to connect to wiring, and this is a great option. I did however end up connecting to our existing chime and wiring...more on that later. What's in the box - The Nest Doorbell, USB-C cable, a hardware kit that includes 2 wedge screws, 2 wall screws, 2 wall anchors, wire connectors and release tool), doorbell bracket and angle wedge. The angle wedge is a useful option when using an existing doorbell that is mounted off to the side of the front door. Set Up - I recently installed a couple of Nest Thermostats so was well versed on the Google Home App. This is how the Nest Doorbell is setup and couldn't bee much easier. Everything except for tools are included with the doorbell, so installation is a snap. There's an online video tutorial for installation and setup, I would recommend watching before getting started. It's a step-by-step process that's easy to follow. Simply start the setup in the Home App then install the doorbell and finish the setup in the app. You'll want to check your placement and whether the provided wedge is needed. I ended up using it so the subject is centered in the video when standing at the front door. As mentioned earlier I did end up opting for using the existing wiring from an old doorbell...that hadn't worked in years. Google provides a wire connection dongle that makes connecting the wires super convenient. The funny thing is once installation was complete, our old doorbell chimes actually work again with the Nest Doorbell...bonus! Configuration - Now that the doorbell is installed it's time to configure the system. Google added a number of features for setting alerts, video and audio recording, events and battery life. Clicking through the settings a user can set the event length recorded, video quality, video history, notifications, etc. Overall Impressions - As I have not used any previous models to compare to, I can say the Nest Doorbell Battery seems to check all the boxes. Great build quality, affordable, good looking, easy to setup and use with the Home app and the ability to customize for your particular use. The video quality is 960p which is a bit lower than most competitors, but Google improved the video quality by adding HDR and and a 1.3MP sensor. Facial recognition is also impressive. Pros: - Easy to install and configure - Runs on battery power, so no need for wiring - Video/Audio quality is great when live and when recorded - Home App to run this device as well as other non-Google devices - Automated Quick Responses Cons: - Although well built and sleek, it is a bit on the larger size The Google Nest Doorbell Battery is a great solution for most anyone looking for a video doorbell. I would recommend this unit based on its quality, ease of use and setup and the Home App support.

Short takeaway: I feel overall this doorbell helps illustrate this awkward inbetween that Google finds itself in with the Nest lineup in what is otherwise the best wireless doorbell on the market. On a feature and usability front the wireless doorbell packs a lot of great features, can be used on any door on your house with minimum installation effort and looks great doing it. I love the Activity Zones, integrations with my Google Home Speakers and using Nest Aware (with no additional per-unit cost) with the new doorbell. It is noticeability bigger than the original Nest Hello -- Google mentioned in a FAQ they sent reviewers that this is due to the inclusion of the batteries. There are a few things that make this camera feel like one of the first products in a revamped Google Home -centric Nest approach that isn't fully at feature-parity with the Nest ecosystem its replacing -- yes that's right this doorbell does not work with the old Nest app etc. and only with Google Home. Right now some Nest devices can only be configured and receive notifications from Nest, while others only can use the Google Home app. So you must have both setup on your phone in order to get notifications at the front door with a Nest Hello and the side door with a Google Nest Doorbell Wireless. I'm also sad to note that Google Home app does not have a companion webpage or computer interface, only tablet/phone app. Google mentioned to reviewers that they know and are working on addressing this gap. Some of the configuration is less elegant and intuitive in it was in the legacy Nest interfaces. Ultimately this camera lasts wire-free at any door you like with the ability to go weeks between charges (depending on how popular you are) and provides near instance notification to your phone when something is happening. The interface to the google home app and other new Google Nest devices that are within the Home app is tighter. If you're willing to look at the features that are here and keep in mind that some of the broader Nest -> Google Home unification challenges are being addressed this is a wicked solid bell.

I wanted to replace my current camera doorbell. It is a good quality but faces another wall which I don’t like. Really wanted to try battery operated. This is a pretty easy setup from google home. By default you are signed up for for the subscription after 30 days so remember to cancel after 30 days or cancel it after you set up. It’s unfortunate you need to have the metal base to run the device as you can see in the picture. I contacted google and you have to have it. My me the picture quality was good and the audio was good. When they press the doorbell all of my google hubs ring, can be loud. I have not gotten facial recognition to work yet. As you can see in the picture it’s pretty large Do I recommend it? I guess if you know for sure how and where you want to put this up and are good with the google ecosystem