Nest Camera Not Showing in Nest App: How to Fix [2023]

I recently bought a Nest Cam for my son, only to find that the camera wouldn't pop up on the Nest app.

I have older Nest cameras in my house that connects to the Nest app, and this got me stumped for a while.

A bit of research on Reddit opened me up to the fact that quite a lot of folks are in a similar dilemma.

So with this article, I intend to put this issue to rest, and finally figure out what's actually going on with the Nest camera not showing in the Nest app.

If your Nest Camera is not showing up in the Nest app, check the internet connection, perform a power cycle on the camera, and reinstall the Nest app. Check if your Nest Camera is compatible with the Nest app as the newer Nest cameras are only compatible with Google Home and do not work with the Nest app.

Use the Google Home App Instead

Nest devices of late have been slowly transitioning towards the utilization of the Google Home app instead of the Nest app.

All this is a weird shounen arc that commemorates the merging of Nest with Google's hardware division, causing a lot of confusion in the nomenclature of the resultant products.

To check if your camera is showing up on the Google Home app, follow the steps below:

1. Install the Google Home app on your compatible Android or iOS device and log in using your Google account.
2. Open the Google Home app and from the home screen, tap on Add Device.
3. Tap on Set up device.
4. Tap on New device.
5. Select the Home where you want the Nest Cam to be installed.
6. The app should start searching for your Nest Cam. Make sure that the camera is placed in close proximity to your Android or iOS device in hand.
7. Follow the instructions once the Nest Cam is detected.

Of course, it doesn't make much sense for newer Nest cameras to not work with the Nest app, and instead with the Google Home app.

But Google has been making a gradual transition over time, with now only the legacy devices working with the Nest app flawlessly.

Not to say that all newer devices omit the Nest app and directly release with the compatibility of Google Home. That would have made more sense.

Google is instead selectively migrating devices, starting with reserving the Nest app for their Thermostat lineup, and the speakers moving to the Google Home app.

Here is a compatibility chart as of 2023 that details the compatible app depending on the Nest camera model in hand:

Nest Cams with Google Home support	Nest Cams with Nest app support
Nest Cam (wired)	Nest Cam Indoor
Nest Cam with Floodlight	Nest Cam IQ Indoor
Nest Cam (wireless, with battery)	Nest Cam Outdoor
	Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
	Nest Dropcam

Even the Nest Aware subscription for Nest cameras is specifically meant for the Google Home app.

The issue most has at the moment is that the Google Home app is just not as intuitive and feature-rich as the Nest app.

Even a long-time user of the Nest app like me can vouch for the fact that the Nest app is more user-friendly and has features such as viewing the cameras via a browser.

But this should be temporary, as soon all devices should reflect support on the Google Home app and the Nest app should strictly be restricted to legacy devices.

Check the Internet Connection

If you are still having issues with the Nest camera not showing up on the compatible app, then it is best to first check if your internet is properly up and running.

An unstable internet connection can be a viable cause of such issues.

The best way to check if your internet is working is to do a quick search on the web using a device that has the Nest app or Google Home installed.

If you are facing connectivity issues, do a quick check on your internet router.

Check if the internet router is showing any indications of a bad connection. If so, best to first reboot the router.

If the issue persists after the reboot, contact your internet service provider and get the issue fixed.

Facing Issues Connecting to the Nest App? How to Fix

If your Nest camera is in the compatibility list of being supported by the Nest app and your internet is running fine, then the issue might be hardware related.

In such a case you might have to resort to some tried and trusted troubleshooting steps:

Power Cycle the Nest Camera

A power cycle can help solve almost all issues that occur due to a temporary hardware bug.

At times, there can be an imbalance of charge within the internal components of the Nest camera, and this can cause temporary malfunctions.

Power cycles help in resetting all the charges from within the system so that the system can function as intended.

It helps in solving plenty of bugs that are usually associated with Nest cameras, such as Nest cam not recording events and live stream issues.

To perform a power cycle on your Nest camera, it is best to follow the steps below:

1. Unplug the Nest camera from power. If your Nest camera uses batteries, remove them.
2. Let the Nest camera sit idle for a minute.
3. Plug the Nest camera back to power. If it's using old batteries, switch for a fresh pair.
4. Let the Nest camera sit idle for a minute.

Reinstall the Nest App

The Nest app can also be at fault in cases where the Nest camera doesn't show up on the home screen.

It can be due to a variety of reasons, such as the Nest app not being updated to the latest and weird cache-related issues with the app file.

Patching them up step by step can be a time-consuming process, so the best way is to simply uninstall the Nest app and reinstall it again.

This completely deletes and reinstalls the app file fresh, while ensuring that the Nest app is the latest available version as well.

To reinstall the Nest app, follow the steps below:

1. Uninstall the current Nest app by long pressing on the icon in the iOS homepage or Android app drawer and tapping on uninstall.
2. Go to the official application store depending on your device's operating system, namely the App Store for iOS or the Play Store for Android.
3. On the search bar on top, search for the Nest app.
4. Tap on the first relevant result and tap on install. The app developer should be listed under Nest Labs.
5. Once the app is installed, log in to the app with your Nest account and try pairing the Nest camera again.

Final Thoughts

If you have further queries regarding setting up your Nest camera with the Nest app, you can contact Google Nest support for help.

I hope my article on the nest cameras not showing up on the Nest app has been a helpful read and has aided you with the same.

Have a good day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Nest owned by Google?

Nest was acquired by Google back in 2014 and is a part of Google's hardware division.

What is Nest Aware?

Nest Aware is a monthly subscription for Nest devices that allows for certain amenities depending on the Nest device, such as AI-based alerts and event video history, amongst others.

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