Google Nest camera is popular among homeowners due to its video quality, great field of view, and other features allowing you to monitor your home and interiors remotely. This simple yet effective camera works on Wi-Fi networks and allows live streaming. But, sadly, the camera becomes inactive if there is no active Wi-Fi connection.
Some users often reported that their Nest camera failed to connect to the Wi-Fi network even after repeated attempts. If the camera displays a moving blue circle in the Nest app, the camera is not converted to your Wi-Fi. Multiple problems, including incompatible Wi-Fi networks, hardware issues, etc., can cause this problem.
If you are facing the same problem and your nest camera doesn’t get connected even after repeated attempts, here is a guide to solving this problem.
Why Won’t Nest Camera Connect to Wi-Fi?
There can be various reasons behind this issue
- If you use a Wi-Fi network of 5GHz, the camera will not get connected as this device only works with Wi-Fi of 2.5 GHz.
- If the Wi-Fi router is out of reach and the camera is positioned far away, leading to a weak Wi-Fi signal
- Too many devices connected to the Wi-Fi router
- Outdated form, wire of the camera can prevent Wi-Fi connectivity
- In case the app has some problems(e.g., obsolete app version, bugs), the camera may be connected
- Incorrect credentials of the Wi-Fi router
How to Fix Nest Cameras that Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi?
1. Check Router Settings and Connection
Checking the issues with your router may be enough to solve the problem.
- You first need to check the router’s signal strength with the help of any Wi-Fi speed analyzer app. If the signal is feeble, you may need to change the router’s position or get an extender that extends the router’s range.
- As mentioned, the nest cam only works with a Wi-Fi bandwidth of 2.5 GHZ. Check if you are using Wi-Fi of 5 GHz. Changing the bandwidth to 2.5 GHz will solve the problem.
- If your Wi-Fi has too many connected devices, the camera may not get connected to it. Hence, remove the devices that are not in use and reconnect with the Wi-Fi.
- You can also try changing the credentials of your Wi-Fi router. It can help to solve the problem.
If nothing works, you can try rebooting your Wi-Fi router once.
- Take off the plug from the power outlet and wait for fifteen seconds.
- Reconnect the plug to the outlet and turn the power back on.
- Wait till all the lights of the Wi-Fi router start flickering green.
2. Move the Camera Close to the Router
If the Wi-Fi is too far from the nest camera and there is no Wi-Fi extender, you may need to reposition the camera so that it is in close range of the Wi-Fi. Usually, the nest camera works within forty feet of the Wi-Fi router.
You can unmount the camera and relocate it to a new location. But, if that is not possible, the best way is to relocate the Wi-Fi router or get an extender.
3. Restart Nest Camera
Sometimes, the camera develops bugs or other issues that can be easily removed with a simple restart. Here is how to do this,
a. Wired Model
- Take off the plug of the power cord from the electrical outlet
- Wait for ten seconds and reattach the plug to the power outlet
- Wait till the camera starts to flicker the light
b. Battery Operated Models
- Usually, the cameras have the reset button at the back of the camera (nest cam battery model). Press and hold for five seconds.
- Wait till the lights start flickering and slowly turn stable and solid white.
4. Disable VPN or Firewall or Ad Guard
If you use a VPN or any ad guard, the camera may not connect to Wi-Fi. This happens because the apps can guard the IP address of your device, which makes the camera unable to discover the Wi-Fi. So, if there’s any such app running on your device, first disable them and then try connecting the cam with the Wi-Fi router.
5. Try a Different Mobile Device
There is a high chance that your smartphone is the problem here. Try installing the Nest app on another available device, and then check if you can connect the camera from this device. If the camera connects without any problem, check your device once.
6. Check Device is Faulty
Have you checked the nest cam itself? The battery is probably low, or there is some other problem with the hardware of your nest cam. If nothing works out, getting an expert to check what has happened is better. You can connect with the Google Nest customer support helpline for further assistance.
7. Factory Reset Nest Camera
If nothing works, you need to reset your nest camera. Here is the step-by-step guide-
Nest Cam (wired), Nest Cam (battery), Nest Cam floodlight
- The reset button is positioned between the camera neck and the power cable. Push it using a paper clip or a SIM card tool.
- Wait for ten to twenty seconds. You will find the camera light blinking with the yellow light four times. A countdown tone will come next.
- Wait for a few seconds till the light becomes steady yellow and the confirmation is audible from the camera.
- Release the restart button and wait till the camera finally turns on.
Nest Cam IQ Indoor and IQ Outdoor
Here is How to Reset these Models
- Make sure to keep the camera plugged in while you start resetting it.
- You will find the restart button on the front side of the outdoor model and at the bottom of the camera stand of the indoor model.
- Press the button with a SIM card tool or a paperclip. Release when the light ring starts emitting a moving blue light.
- Wait for a few seconds till the camera resets. The camera will make a sound, and the light ring will emit a pulsing blue light.
Please remember that the camera will revert to factory settings after restart. So, you will see it as offline in your next app. Remove the camera from the app and try reconnecting again.
Here’s how to remove the camera from the Nest app
- Open your Nest app and click on the camera model that you need to remove
- Click Settings
- From there, click on Remove device
- Confirm your choice by clicking on “Confirm.”
Nest Cam or Drop cam
You can easily reset the camera by removing it from the app-
- Open your Nest app or Google Home app
- Click on the camera you want to rest.
- From here, go to Settings
- Under this tab, click on Remove Device
- On the next page, click on Confirm to save your choices
Since resetting the camera means the device reverts to the factory settings, it is always better to take a screenshot of the customized camera settings before initiating the process.
Nest Camera Won’t Connect – FAQs
Ans: Your nest camera may not connect with the Wi-Fi due to various reasons like out-of-range position, bandwidth problems, app settings, etc.
Ans: The camera may not connect to your phone if you use static IP outside the subnet. You can check the Google Home app for any pauses.
Ans: Here is how to reconnect the Nest camera to Wi-Fi through the Nest app-
*Open the Google Home app
*Tap on Favourites or Devices
*From here, press and hold your device name
*Now, click More and go to Settings
*In the next screen, click on Remove device
*Wait for the factory reset to complete
*Now, again, click on Devices
*In the new screen, click on Add New Device
*Follow setup for new Wi-Fi.
Ans: To reset your Google Nest Cam, use a paper clip or similar object to press & hold your reset button at the back side of your camera or in between the power cord & the camera neck. After 10 seconds, your status light will start to blink yellow four times, & you’ll hear a countdown tone. Wait for a few seconds, and the light will become stable alongside a confirmation chime.
Conclusion
Nest cam needs a functional Wi-Fi connection to operate. The Wi-Fi connectivity can get disrupted due to various issues, including VPN or ad blocker apps, the position of the cam or the Wi-Fi, and problems with the Wi-Fi or camera. You can try changing the camera position, rebooting the camera or Wi-Fi, and other solutions mentioned here. If nothing works, getting expert assistance to solve this issue is better.
