Google Nest Hub Max Camera Not Working: How To Fix [2023]

Google Nest Hub Max certainly ranks among the best in the hierarchy of Smart Home gadgets with its innovative Smart features and an inbuilt Nest Cam.

But recently, I've been having a hard time accessing the live feed from my Nest Hub Max, and the reasons for such an abrupt inhibition remained a mystery for a long time.

Was it because of some arbitrary bugs that may have made their way to the Hub Max through a recent update? Or could it be because of a recent addition of a Nest Cam in my Home?

If your Google Nest Hub Max camera is not working, refresh the device and check the network status. Check the firmware version and ensure proper camera settings on the Nest Hub Max. If none of these work, remove and re-add the Nest device from the Google Home app.

Read on to understand the fixes in detail.

Refresh the Google Nest Hub Max

Refreshing your system every once in a while can do no harm. In fact, it can do wonders for your device.

A system refresh will get rid of temporal inconsistencies like bugs and stale files that are bound to do harm to your system in due time.

And this may very well be the case with the Google Nest Hub Max camera becoming unresponsive - obstruction in consequence of bugs and errors.

The best method to refresh your system and improve the efficiency of your device is through a power cycle test.

An extra step involving bleeding the system of any piled-up static charges will improve efficiency and make it even faster.

Here's how it goes:

You could also reboot the Nest Hub Max remotely through the GoogleHome app.

Follow these steps on the Home app to do so:

1. From the home screen, tap open your Nest Hub Max device portal.

2. Select the Settings icon (gear) towards the top right half.

3. Tap on the Menu icon (vertical dots).

4. Then, select the Reboot option and press OK.

Wait for the device to restart. Check for the issue now.

Check the Network Status

The Internet plays a crucial role in almost every facet of operation on the Google Nest Hub Max. And the camera is no exception.

Healthy network access is vital for accessing the live-feed streams from the inbuilt Nest Cam, not to mention controlling it.

A poor, unstable connection will render the camera unresponsive and not working.

As you may already know, you can access the Nest cam output remotely through the Home app.

And this communication takes place over the internet unless your host device shares the same networks as the Hub Max.

Hence, it's imperative to ensure the optimal working of your network access points every once in a while.

Run a speed test to know the exact status of your network.

Run the test either on your smart device or through the Google Nest Hub Max browser.

Once you complete the test, you will get to know the download/upload speeds, signal strength, and latency of the network.

If any of these parameters seem to swerve from the norm, consider refreshing your Router/Modem.

The same power cycle test we adopted with the Google Nest Hub Max refresh can be applied here too.

Unplug the power and every other cable connected to the Router/Modem and leave it idle for a few seconds.

Press and hold the power button for a few seconds to deplete any piled-up charges on the device. Repeat this step a few times.

Connect back the cables and run the speed test once more. If the speeds and other parameters are satisfactory, connect the Nest Hub Max to the network and check for the issue now.

If you still experience network issues on the Hub Max, try switching the network band on your device.

Switch the Network to a Wider Band

If network speeds seem to waver lately, try changing the network band.

The traditional 2.4 GHz band does have a fair bit of issues and limitations. Throttling latency and dipping speeds in times of traffic is one such issue.

Such substandard speeds and latency can host issues on the Nest Hub Max.

If the traffic is high on the 2.4 GHz band, switch the connection on your Nest Hub Max to the 5 GHz band instead.

The 5 GHz band hosts no such limitations as its 2.4 GHz alternative and has much better handling characteristics than the traditional one.

The band doesn't falter under heavy load, and the speeds remain constant.

Check the Update Situation on Nest Hub Max

As you know now that bugs and errors may be the culprits for issues with the camera on your Nest Hub Max, let's talk about their plausible origin and how to get rid of them.

As noted by many frustrated users, a recent Fuschia update has made Nest devices almost inaccessible, black screen issues on Nest Hub being one of them.

Evidently, this update hosted some erroneous bugs, which may have been the cause of such issues.

Since then, Google has rolled out several patches addressing such bugs and errors on their devices.

And so (ironically enough), the origin and the fix for bugs and errors on your device are selfsame - updates!

Check and make sure that your device is up to date on the firmware version to avoid further permeance of bugs and errors.

To check and ensure the firmware version of your device, follow these steps on the Home app:

1. Open your Nest Hub Max device tab from the Google Home app.

2. Click open the Settings icon.

3. Scroll down and open the Firmware version option.

You can now compare the firmware version of your device to the most current one.

When the device is undergoing an update, it will indicate the progress on the screen for you to see.

Nest Hub Max restarts itself after updating to top off the process.

Ensure Proper Camera Settings on Nest Hub Max

One cannot put the entire blame on updates or bugs without first taking care of the camera settings on the Nest Hub Max.

Before proceeding with an out-and-out factory reset, check for any ill-advised settings with the camera on your Nest Hub Max.

An inadvertently engaged privacy button or an ill-configured Home monitoring feature can render the camera unresponsive.

Let's kick off this section of the troubleshooting by checking whether the camera is turned ON or not:

Check if the Camera is Switched ON

Now, there are a few ways with which you can turn the camera OFF on a Nest Hub Max.

The most obvious one is the Privacy Switch towards the back of the device. Engaging this switch will disable the camera and the microphone.

Make sure to disengage this switch if it's engaged in the first place.

You could also remotely turn OFF the camera through the Google Home app.

Follow these steps on the Google Home app to check and change this option:

1. Open the Nest Hub Max device tab from the home screen.

2. Click open the Settings menu.

3. Locate the Turn OFF/ON Camera option.

4. Toggle the option to the ON position.

Restart the device and check for the issue now.

Enable Home Monitoring on Nest Hub Max

If you have issues accessing the live feed of your Nest cam remotely on your Home app, chances are, the Home monitoring option is disabled on your device.

With the Home monitoring feature enabled, the camera will detect people passing in front of it thanks to the person detection capabilities of the Nest Cam.

If this option is disabled, you may face difficulty accessing the camera.

To check and change the Home Monitoring settings for your Nest Hub Max, follow these steps on the Google Home app:

1. Press and hold the Nest Hub Max device icon from the home screen.

2. Tap open the Settings option.

3. Select Nest Cam.

4. Now, toggle ON the Home Monitoring feature.

Restart the device and check the issue now.

The Reset and Re-add Method

Aside from all the plausible reasons for the camera to go haywire on your Nest Hub Max, one reason users pretty much double down is the introduction of another Nest Cam into their Home environment.

This issue may not be as rampant as the other issues on Nest devices. And the sad news is, there is still no update addressing this issue even after a long time after first reporting it.

Fortunately, there exists a simple fix for this issue. Here is how it goes:

To Remove a Nest device from the Google Home app, follow these instructions:

1. Touch and hold the Nest Hub Max tile to open the Settings menu.

2. Scroll and select Remove Device.

3. Tap on Remove to confirm the selection.

Once you remove the device from Google Home, proceed to reset it.

Here's how to reset a Google Nest Hub Max:

Press and hold both the Volume buttons on the back of the device for about 10 seconds.

Wait till the device turns OFF to release the buttons. After the device turns ON again, reconfigure it like new.

Now add your Nest Hub Max to the Google Home app after creating a new Home:

1. Switch to your New Home and tap on the "+" icon. Then select Set Up Device.

2. Select New Devices on the next screen. (Important!)

Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup.

After setting up the Nest Hub Max, configure all your other Nest devices in a similar fashion (no need to reset each and every one).

Final Thoughts

While the Nest Hub Max is most certainly the apex gadget in the Nest lineup, it certainly isn't the most perfect.

With the latest Fuschia update, the cameras, too, have taken a hit, sharing the likes of abrupt restarts on Nest Hub.

But with the help of the many fixes mentioned here (and a wee bit of luck!), you can get rid of the issue in no time.

You may also contact the customer services of Google if none of the fixes mentioned here seems to work for you.

Hardware issues can also make things uneasy for you. If that's the case, better leave the device alone and enlist the services of a professional.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I turn on my camera on Google Hub Max?

You can turn ON the camera on a Nest Hub Max in a couple of methods. Swipe up on the home screen on your Nest Hub Max and toggle the Turn ON/OFF camera option to ON. You could also enable or disable the camera from the Google Home app.

Does Google Nest hub work with Nest camera?

Yes, you can control and view the live feed from all your Nest Cams on your Nest Hub/Hub Max. Just make sure to integrate all of them together on the Home app.

Why is my Google Hub screen black?

The possible reasons for the Google Hub screen to go back include bugs and errors and physical damage resulting from a recent fall or other adversity. A swift system refresh or a reset could resolve such issues. Contact Google customer services in case of physical damage.

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