Hey everyone, I wanted to share my recent experience with the Nest Cam Battery devices. I’ve been using Google Home products for years, and I’ve always been impressed with their reliability. However, I’ve recently encountered a frustrating issue with my Nest Cams that I wanted to bring to the community’s attention.
I purchased four Nest Cam Battery devices in 2023, replacing my previous Arlo cameras due to their superior app and reliability. Everything was working smoothly until late 2023 when I noticed that the cameras were no longer charging properly. The app showed an infinity symbol, and the cameras would beep and pulse when connected to a charger. This behavior was puzzling, especially since all four cameras started exhibiting the same issue simultaneously.
After some research on forums and Reddit, I discovered that the problem wasn’t with the cables or chargers. One day, I decided to remove the camera from the magnetic mount to check the charging status, and to my surprise, the camera started charging instantly. This led me to realize that the issue was related to the magnetic mount. Further testing confirmed that the cameras would only charge if removed from the mount.
I reached out to Google Support, who initially assured me that the cameras should charge while mounted. After factory resetting the devices and receiving replacements, the issue persisted. I even recorded the setup process and the charging fault to provide evidence to Google. The response I received was disappointing: the Nest Cam development team had intentionally disabled charging while mounted due to battery degradation concerns, leaving users like me in the dark.
This decision has significant implications for users like me who rely on the magnetic mount for easy installation, especially in rental properties or areas where drilling isn’t feasible. Removing the camera to charge it disrupts activity zones and defeats the purpose of the seamless setup the app guides users through.
I’ve opened a support case and provided detailed feedback, but I’m concerned that the Nest Cam Battery users are being overlooked in favor of hardwired setups. I’m hopeful that Google will reconsider this decision and provide a solution that accommodates all users.
If anyone else has experienced similar issues or has insights, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s keep the conversation going and hopefully find a resolution together!