Key Takeaways

  • Newer Google Nest cameras offer free cloud storage, but it only lasts three hours.
  • A Nest Aware subscription unlocks advanced features like 30 days of video history, facial recognition, and continuous recording.
  • Nest Aware costs $10/month for 30 days of events and $20/month for 60 days of recording, covering all devices.

Out of the dozen different security cameras I've tried, Google Nest ranks among my favorites largely due to its ability to minimize unnecessary notifications. However, much of that intelligence relies on features that are only available through a subscription called Nest Aware. You are probably wondering what features Nest Aware includes and are they worth the price of admission?

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Google is one of the few companies that offers complimentary cloud storage with the purchase of a camera. However, the search giant's free tier only saves video footage for three hours before deletion, and only with newer Nest Cams. If you don't check your feed during an eight-hour workday, those morning videos will be gone before you even have a chance to view them.

Up to 30 days to view and save event recordings. Additionally, the subscription is necessary to access many of Nest Cam's more advanced features, including facial recognition.

That's where Nest Aware comes in, offering customers up to 30 days to view and save any event recordings. Additionally, the subscription is necessary to access many of Nest Cam's more advanced features, including facial recognition. Google also offers 24/7 continuous recording, but that's a feature only available through the company's more expensive Nest Aware Plus subscription tier.

If you own a Google Nest camera or have one on your wish list, you've undoubtedly wondered about things like, what is Nest Aware? What's the difference between Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus? This guide dives into the details of Google's smart camera subscription options.

Screenshots of the Google Home app
Google

What is a Nest Aware subscription?

Nest Aware is a subscription service that grants access to additional features for Google's security cameras, including the company's indoor and doorbell models, and allows users to store their recordings in the cloud for longer. The subscription is also available for the Nest Hub Max, Google's smart display that has a built-in camera. You can use all of Google's Nest devices without paying for Nest Aware, but the subscription makes it easier to get the most of Nest's security products.

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Nest Aware vs a free account

What can Nest cameras do without Nest Aware?

As standalone devices, Nest Cams and Hello video doorbells are connected to your home Wi-Fi network at all times, allowing you to view footage remotely, listen, and send voice commands, as well as receive alerts when your Nest devices detect movements or sounds. Without a subscription, you will still receive motion alerts and package alerts. You also don't need a subscription to configure those alerts to differentiate between people and animals or utilize geofencing to disable alerts while you're home.

Google's newer Nest cameras like the Doorbell (Battery) include three hours of free cloud storage. That means you can go back and review the video from an event, but you only have three hours to do so before the video is deleted. If you don't download the video to your device before those three hours are up, the footage is gone. As mentioned, many older Nest devices do not include complimentary cloud storage and only live footage is available without a plan.

Nest's most notable features, including the ability to recognize who has just walked in the door, are also reserved for subscribers only.

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What can the Nest Hub Max do without Nest Aware?

The Nest Hub Max is one of two Google Assistant-enabled displays offered by Nest, but the smaller Nest Hub doesn't have a camera, so it doesn't require Nest Aware to access additional features.

However, the Nest Hub Max does have a camera, and it's basically a Nest Cam -- though it doesn't have night vision. Without Nest Aware, the Hub Max allows you to control your smart home devices, listen to music, watch Netflix, and converse with Google Assistant, just like you would with the Nest Hub.

The Hub Max's camera also allows you to drop in and see what's going on in the room where you have the device installed. You'll also be able to see the last three hours of activity in the Nest app if you have set it up, and the software will send you alerts when it detects activity. Continuous video recording and intelligent alerts come with the Nest Aware subscription though.

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Nest Aware features

While Nest cameras work without a subscription, the following features require Nest Aware.

Video history

One of the key elements of Nest Aware is video history. Some cameras, like Netatmo Welcome, will store content locally, writing over the old content on a regular basis when the camera is full. Nest Cams don't do that as they don't feature local, on-device storage. Google's saved video footage is called event history. Event history isn't a 24/7 recording.

Instead, it's a brief recording only triggered when the camera detects motion or sound. Newer Google Nest cameras include three hours of event footage for free, which means if you don't view and save the footage within that time period, the video is automatically deleted. Older cameras don't include any video history at all without the subscription.

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Nest Aware offers 30 days of event history. When your Nest camera detects motion, you can view the resulting video for 30 days afterward. Moreover, you can download the video to your smartphone if you would like to keep it longer than those 30 days. Event history only includes recordings from when the camera detected motion. However, it isn't a 24/7 continuous recording.

The Nest Aware Plus subscription offers 60 days of event history, as well as 10 days of continuous recorded video history. That means you can access any videos recorded from a motion trigger for 60 days, or view footage even when motion didn't trigger an event for up to 10 days.

Continuous video recording isn't available on all Nest devices. It requires a camera with a continuous power source -- a wired connection.

Familiar face detection

The Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell all offer person detection, but with Nest Aware yo also get access to familiar face detection. Over time, Nest's software will begin to automatically recognize and identify your friends and family, creating a profile for them in the Nest app.

When your Nest Cam IQ or Nest Hello spots a familiar person, the alert will say, for example, "Grandma is at the front door," rather than "a person is at the front door." While you can't customize the resulting alerts so that the Google Home app doesn't send you notifications when your partner walks by, you can see at a glance who's there without tapping on the notification or even opening the Google Home app.

Activity zones

This is a clever feature. If there's a particular area you want to keep an eye on, then you can outline that zone and Nest Aware will alert you if something happens in that area.

For example, you might be using Nest Cam to watch your children. With Nest Aware, you can configure the camera to only send you an alert when they go to raid the nearby cookie jar. If you install a Nest Cam to watch your front driveway, you can use the same feature to program the camera to only alert you when cars pull up in front of your home.

Audio alerts

Nest cameras listen as well as look. With Nest Aware, you can opt to receive alerts if your camera hears a person talking. Another option is to receive an alert when dog barking is detected, which is great if you plan on using your Nest as a pet cam.

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Nest Aware Vs. Nest Aware Plus

Google offers two different Nest Aware subscription options. Nest Aware includes 30 days of motion and audio-triggered event videos, as well as advanced notification options with activity zones and facial recognition.

Continuous recording can be advantageous if you are using the camera to double as a baby monitor, to supervise your pets, or if you're a business owner using a Nest cam for store surveillance.

Nest Aware Plus includes those same smart notification features but doubles the time for storing event videos to 60 days. Additionally, it allows you to capture 24/7 continuous recordings with some camera models. Event recordings include only a few seconds or minutes after a motion or sound trigger occurs, depending on the type of activity.

Access to continuous recording can be advantageous if you are using the camera to double as a baby monitor, to supervise your pets, or if you're a business owner using a Nest cam for store surveillance. Continuous recordings are saved for up to 10 days. The feature isn't available on battery-powered models, so check to see if your camera is on the list first.

How much is Nest Aware?

When Nest Aware first launched, it was pretty pricey, with users having to pay per camera, meaning the monthly subscription cost could creep up quickly if you had multiple Nest cameras. But Google has since streamlined Nest Aware into two subscriptions -- and you no longer have to pay extra if you own more than one camera. The standard subscription costs $10 a month, and it covers 30 days of event video history for all your Nest devices in your home.

Nest Aware Plus costs $20 a month, and it offers 60 days of event recordings, along with 10 days of continuous video history with compatible

Can I get Nest Aware free?

Yes, there's a 30-day trial of Nest Aware when you buy any Nest cameras, including any Hello video doorbell model cameras. Again, that covers all your devices, making it much cheaper for those with several Nest cameras.

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Nest Aware

Comparison table Nest free, Nest Aware, and Nest Aware Plus

See the table below for a general comparison of features across the Nest family options. One notable exception mentioned previously is that some older Nest devices only allow live footage without a subscription.

Feature

Free Nest Account

Nest Aware Subscription

Nest Aware Plus Subscription

Price

Free

$10/month

$20/month

Connectivity

Connected to home Wi-Fi network

Connected to home Wi-Fi network

Connected to home Wi-Fi network

Remote Access

Allows remote viewing of footage

Allows remote viewing of footage

Allows remote viewing of footage

Audio Capability

Enables listening and sending voice commands

Enables listening and sending voice commands

Enables listening and sending voice commands

Alerts

Receive motion alerts and package alerts

Receive motion alerts and package alerts

Receive motion alerts and package alerts

Alert Configuration

Differentiate between people and animals, geofencing to disable alerts when at home

Differentiate between people and animals, geofencing to disable alerts when at home, and activity zones

Differentiate between people and animals, geofencing to disable alerts when at home, and activity zones

Cloud Storage (Newer Nest Cameras like Doorbell Battery)

Three hours of free cloud storage

30 days of event history

60 days of event history

Cloud Storage Limitation

Video footage available for review within three hours

Event history available for 30 days

Event history available for 60 days

Cloud Storage Expiry

Footage deleted if not downloaded within three hours

Does not expire

Does not expire

Notable Features (e.g., recognizing individuals)

No extras

Familiar face detection, activity zones, audio alerts

Familiar face detection, activity zones, audio alerts, Continuous recording (wired connection)

Do Nest cameras actually require a subscription?

Google Nest cameras work without a subscription but lack some features. Newer Google Nest cameras include three hours of event video history. That means if motion triggers a recording, you can view or download it to your device for up to three hours after it occurred. After those three hours, the video is irretrievable.

Older cameras like the Google Nest IQ do not include this feature, which means you are limited to live footage only without a subscription. A subscription allows for 30-days of event history, as well as features like facial recognition and activity zones. Google Nest Aware Plus and a compatible wired camera are required for 24/7 video recording.