Google Wireless Nest Doorbell (Battery) Review

The second I removed Google's Wireless Nest Doorbell from the box, I was in love.

The device is futuristic-looking and designed to look good on the front porch. The white rounded candy bar shape drops two circles on top and bottom, one black for the camera and one white for the 'press here' doorbell. It's a stunning design that I'm proud to put on my house.

That said, the Wireless Nest Doorbell relies on the mediocre-at-best Google Home software, a confusing set of smart home systems that aims to master all your smart home devices but doesn't excel at any of them.

A battery-powered smart doorbell is pretty fantastic, though, and the Wireless Nest Doorbell ticks all the boxes. You charge the thing via USB-C on the back of the unit, which secures itself to a wall plate that you can screw into your door frame.

Google Home isn't that exciting and can be a little confusing, especially with many other Google devices at home.

Still, the Google Wireless Nest Doorbell is a solid choice if you need a non-wired video camera doorbell that will do what it promises.

Installation and Use

Hardware installation was a breeze; I just placed the wall plate on the wall, marked the two screw holes, and then screwed the plate in. The Nest Doorbell then clicked into place, and I was up and running.

The software was a little less easy, though it's pretty intuitive. The packaging had a little cardboard insert that gave me the three steps to set it up: Plug in your doorbell, get the Google Home App, and tap + to add your doorbell. You'll then want to scan the little QR code on the paper or the doorbell unit itself to start the setup process.

The pairing failed the first time I tried it, which isn't super surprising after having set up numerous Google smart speakers in the past. It always seems to be hit or miss, and the little cute "waiting for pairing" animation will wear out its welcome. Bouncing shapes really don't tell you much about what's going on, and they surely don't offer any insight when a pairing request fails.

To take the Google Wireless Nest Doorbell off the wall, there's a special little key that you pop into the top of the doorbell unit. I misplaced this right away (of course) and had to find a screwdriver small enough to fit in that slot. It worked, but using the key is much easier.

Google Wireless Nest Doorbell Notifications

The camera doorbell eventually connected, though, giving you a basic screen where you can see the live view of your front porch and then a section for Today's and Yesterday's saved video. This battery-powered Nest Doorbell includes three hours of video history, and you can upgrade to 30 days or 60 days of archival video with Nest Aware ($8 per month/$80 per year) or Nest Aware Plus ($15 per month/$150 annually), respectively. While the Nest Wireless Doorbell can also be wired for a trickle charge to keep the battery charged, you can't continuously record 24/7 video. The wired version of the Nest Doorbell can do that, however.

When someone arrives at your door, you can get a notification that there's someone there. With a Nest Aware subscription, it will recognize faces and let you know who is there. The basic service can also tell you when pets and cars go by, and when you get a package. Getting a notification when UPS brings a box, or FedEx walks up with a large envelope is nice. While my dogs generally alert me to any activity on the front path, being able to tap a notification and switch over to the video feed is pretty great.

The Google Home Doorbell Experience

Look, I'm not saying that Google Home doesn't have plenty of settings and customization options. It's just that I'd love for a dedicated app to manage my Wireless Nest Doorbell. Amazon's Ring app seems much more well-thought-out, and the addition of social networking is a fun feature. Google, though, uses its ho-hum Home software, with the Nest Doorbell just another "device" added to your home. Boring.

Tapping into Settings then lets you see your battery percentage, manage the zone in which motion is detected (if you don't want it going off every time a car drives by), decide whether you want announcements on your smart speakers, and various audio and video settings. For example, you can turn off the microphone, toggle audio recording on and off, and even set the speaker's volume on the doorbell when you talk through the app to the person at your front door.

Does It Work?

Is it functional? Of course, and it works well and as advertised. I get a notification whenever someone comes to my front door or presses the doorbell button on the Nest, and I know when packages are coming. I can tap through the camera and hear a live view of my porch. The view is crisp, and the audio is clean.

It's just, well, not fun. I know that seems like an odd thing to want from a video doorbell, but I also know that it's possible to elevate the experience a little bit. The hardware is so slick and cool-looking that the software doesn't match.