Google Nest Doorbell (Battery)

The principle is good and when it works, the picture is good enough to work out what's going on. Battery life seems good. To charge it in situ, you will need an AC-AC adaptor, it will not charge from USB3 and run. It has 2 connections on the back that can be passed through a hole in the door or around the door hinge but these are very short, only 50mm, so you will need to buy new cables to use this feature. Negatives. This thing crashes a lot! I've missed deliveries because it's decided to go to "offline mode" with the battery more than 75%. The picture at night is awful, overexposed by Infrared, during the day, the backlight compensation is either terrible or it doesn't have any so people are all dark and you often cant see faces. The lag on this thing is terrible, ... MoreThe principle is good and when it works, the picture is good enough to work out what's going on. Battery life seems good. To charge it in situ, you will need an AC-AC adaptor, it will not charge from USB3 and run. It has 2 connections on the back that can be passed through a hole in the door or around the door hinge but these are very short, only 50mm, so you will need to buy new cables to use this feature. Negatives. This thing crashes a lot! I've missed deliveries because it's decided to go to "offline mode" with the battery more than 75%. The picture at night is awful, overexposed by Infrared, during the day, the backlight compensation is either terrible or it doesn't have any so people are all dark and you often cant see faces. The lag on this thing is terrible, after the doorbell is pressed, the app takes about 5-10 seconds to load, (Google Next Home or iPhone) and by the time you press the microphone button, the delivery guy is heading back to his van!

The Google Doorbell (battery) works exactly as expected. Installation at the front door was really easy & connecting it to Google Home was pretty simple too. Instructions & videos included made it very straight forward. Only issue with functionality is there doesn't seem to be a way to make the doorbell play louder on Google nest speakers & hub & its default volume is not loud enough for our liking. Still trying to find a workaround that doesn't involve installing a separate doorbell chime to attach to it. I find the plastic pretty ugly & not in keeping with our more traditional home of brick & timber. Would love to see a version of this perhaps in stainless steel with a proper way to secure it to a front gate post where it was weatherproof & thief-proof. I'm ... MoreThe Google Doorbell (battery) works exactly as expected. Installation at the front door was really easy & connecting it to Google Home was pretty simple too. Instructions & videos included made it very straight forward. Only issue with functionality is there doesn't seem to be a way to make the doorbell play louder on Google nest speakers & hub & its default volume is not loud enough for our liking. Still trying to find a workaround that doesn't involve installing a separate doorbell chime to attach to it. I find the plastic pretty ugly & not in keeping with our more traditional home of brick & timber. Would love to see a version of this perhaps in stainless steel with a proper way to secure it to a front gate post where it was weatherproof & thief-proof. I'm investigating making a clamp myself with specialist security screws to stop anyone ever being able to pull it off the front gate or alternatively installing it inside a lockable custom made mailbox with holes drilled for the camera & the button. Would keep the rain off it & stop it from being able to be stolen. Not sure if Google are keen to get into the "smart mailbox doorbell" market yet though.

Could be better

I bought the battery unit because I didn't want to run wires but that has given me issues. The camera is slow to wake up from its battery saving mode, even with high sensitivity couriers can drop a parcel and be gone before you are even notified that there is someone there. Not sure if its the doorbell or the Google Network but sometimes it took 15 minutes for a notification to turn up on my phone! If you have a lot of people traffic in view of your front door, the camera goes flat in a couple of days since it's always awake detecting them. I will have to attach a power supply so its on all the time, hopefully notifications will then be quicker too. Other than that the video quality is good as is the sound. Its great to have all the nests in the house announce that ... MoreI bought the battery unit because I didn't want to run wires but that has given me issues. The camera is slow to wake up from its battery saving mode, even with high sensitivity couriers can drop a parcel and be gone before you are even notified that there is someone there. Not sure if its the doorbell or the Google Network but sometimes it took 15 minutes for a notification to turn up on my phone! If you have a lot of people traffic in view of your front door, the camera goes flat in a couple of days since it's always awake detecting them. I will have to attach a power supply so its on all the time, hopefully notifications will then be quicker too. Other than that the video quality is good as is the sound. Its great to have all the nests in the house announce that "there is someone at the front door!" It has nice solid construction and it's easy to mount on the wall. Its special mounting plate locks it in place but the doorbell can be removed with a special key. It would stop the casual person nicking it or kids wandering off with it but not a determined thief.

Disappointed

I have a few google hubs around my home plus my Android phone so thought this would be perfect. The picture quality is great. Very sensitive to sound which can become a little annoying at times. But the battery life...not good. 24 hours and it was drained. Even with changing all my settings and selecting to record just a zone. I called my local jb and spoke to a sales person who said the battery shouldn't be draining that quickly and take the doorbell back into them the next day. Did that and they didn't have any doorbells in stock in sa so they gave an instant refund. I purchased this doorbell in Dec 21 but was in its box until last week as I was building. Fantastic customer service. Was a shame about the doorbell though. Reading reviews I think ill be purchasing ... MoreI have a few google hubs around my home plus my Android phone so thought this would be perfect. The picture quality is great. Very sensitive to sound which can become a little annoying at times. But the battery life...not good. 24 hours and it was drained. Even with changing all my settings and selecting to record just a zone. I called my local jb and spoke to a sales person who said the battery shouldn't be draining that quickly and take the doorbell back into them the next day. Did that and they didn't have any doorbells in stock in sa so they gave an instant refund. I purchased this doorbell in Dec 21 but was in its box until last week as I was building. Fantastic customer service. Was a shame about the doorbell though. Reading reviews I think ill be purchasing another brand instead.

Good in a Theory, But…

I’ve had the Google Doorbell (battery) for a few months now and it’s integrated with our Google Nest system. I wanted a front door doorbell that chimed (surely the existential purpose of a doorbell?) as well as giving a video feed to my phone. Initially, I had no complaints: it chimed through my Google Nest speaker and I was very happy with both the wide angle offered by the camera and it’s resolution as well as the unit’s speaker sound quality. Unfortunately, however, the chime via the speaker no longer works and when I go into the settings there is a notification stating “Electronic chimes won’t work with your doorbell when it’s using battery power” (this is on a battery powered doorbell). A couple of hours spent Googling (as well as a factory reset) and I’m none ... MoreI’ve had the Google Doorbell (battery) for a few months now and it’s integrated with our Google Nest system. I wanted a front door doorbell that chimed (surely the existential purpose of a doorbell?) as well as giving a video feed to my phone. Initially, I had no complaints: it chimed through my Google Nest speaker and I was very happy with both the wide angle offered by the camera and it’s resolution as well as the unit’s speaker sound quality. Unfortunately, however, the chime via the speaker no longer works and when I go into the settings there is a notification stating “Electronic chimes won’t work with your doorbell when it’s using battery power” (this is on a battery powered doorbell). A couple of hours spent Googling (as well as a factory reset) and I’m none the wiser as to why it has worked previously but has mysteriously stopped although it does not appear to be an issue isolated to my device. Yes, you get a notification on your phone when the doorbell is rung but this isn’t very helpful when your phone is silent or in another room. This is a doorbell by both name and description and a rather expensive one at that yet I would argue that it’s not fit for purpose.

I like it, I don't love it, but it does the job

One of the main reasons why I bought this doorbell is its sleek design. Most other doorbells just don't look nice. Saying that this is one of the larger doorbells out on the market and will definitely stand out like a sore thumb. I wish Google offered other colours here in Australia as they do overseas. Other than that, I’m really happy with it as I am not able to have the doorbell wired. The battery option gives me the flexibility to take it with us if we choose to move. Perfect for those renting too if your landlord will allow you to screw two holes for the bracket. If you’re wondering, what if someone steals it? Don’t worry Google will replace it for free provided a police report. If you are not using Nest Aware and just the Free 3 hours capture, make sure you ... MoreOne of the main reasons why I bought this doorbell is its sleek design. Most other doorbells just don't look nice. Saying that this is one of the larger doorbells out on the market and will definitely stand out like a sore thumb. I wish Google offered other colours here in Australia as they do overseas. Other than that, I’m really happy with it as I am not able to have the doorbell wired. The battery option gives me the flexibility to take it with us if we choose to move. Perfect for those renting too if your landlord will allow you to screw two holes for the bracket. If you’re wondering, what if someone steals it? Don’t worry Google will replace it for free provided a police report. If you are not using Nest Aware and just the Free 3 hours capture, make sure you download the footage within the 3-hour window. It will disappear after that unless you have Nest Aware subscription. You don’t need to have Nest Aware as the doorbell doesn’t record full 24/7 if you have it wired anyways and only record motions or activities. Unless you have Google Nest Cameras as well then you might want to look into NEST aware but I personally don’t think it's needed for just the doorbell. I haven’t had the doorbell long enough to tell you how long the battery lasts. I just set the notification to just people and packages. I feel like this is the best setting to reduce false notifications and extend battery life. The Nest Doorbell sends me notifications when it detects a person and then broadcast in the house if they ring the doorbell. Audio quality is actually surprisingly good and you can have a full conversation with the other person on the other end without trying to figure out what they are saying. It's not 5 stars because of the price, I think it’s a little expensive and if you have it hardwired it doesn’t allow you to record 24/7.

It let me down.

I pre-ordered this doorbell and was super excited about it..and then it arrived. I came from using a Eufy video doorbell which is absolutely fantastic, the main reason I got this Google doorbell is for it’s ability to display the live feed on the nest hub so you don’t need to rely on your phone. Google products are generally well designed and function great. To start off, the features and technical specifications of this device are at least 3-5 years behind it’s competitors like Ring, Eufy, Arlo and more. The resolution of the camera isn’t even 1080P…in 2021 that’s a bit crazy, watching the recorded clip or live view just isn’t nice and for the price this product costs, I’d even call it unacceptable. The orientation of the video is portrait which is good for seeing ... MoreI pre-ordered this doorbell and was super excited about it..and then it arrived. I came from using a Eufy video doorbell which is absolutely fantastic, the main reason I got this Google doorbell is for it’s ability to display the live feed on the nest hub so you don’t need to rely on your phone. Google products are generally well designed and function great. To start off, the features and technical specifications of this device are at least 3-5 years behind it’s competitors like Ring, Eufy, Arlo and more. The resolution of the camera isn’t even 1080P…in 2021 that’s a bit crazy, watching the recorded clip or live view just isn’t nice and for the price this product costs, I’d even call it unacceptable. The orientation of the video is portrait which is good for seeing packages and maybe what shoes people are wearing but it’s not great if you want to get a wider shot of your driveway and see the bigger picture. The next and probably one of the biggest letdowns was notifications. More than half the time, these came through delayed, usually 5 seconds or more particularly on the Nest Hub. Your network does play a big part in this, I have spent time and money making sure the wifi and internet speeds are the best possible in my home and yet still it takes a long time for notifications to come through and start the live feed on the Nest hub. There were some occasions when I pressed the doorbell and it wouldn’t come up at all. If you have ever received a package In Australia, you know that every second counts for getting to the door! For some reason the Australian version of the doorbell only works on 2.4Ghz Wifi, where as other countries are able to use the 5Ghz frequency (According to the Google Store) The doorbell uses the Google Home app which is good, however you are extremely limited when it comes to the settings you can adjust on this doorbell. Basically all you can do is change sensitivity of motion, create activity zones and change the notifications depending on what your doorbell sees. You don’t have the ability to customise it based on your needs like choosing specific resolutions, having a schedule for when it notifies you or even turning on or off the status LED. The app also doesn’t let you pick which Google speaker you can use as your chime, so if you have 2 or 3 speakers and when someone rings the doorbell…they all go off. In relation to the recordings, the doorbell gives you 3 hours of free recording. If you don’t save the clip within that timeframe it will be gone forever. This isn’t great for example if something happens at night and you’re sleeping. By the time you wake up, the clip is no longer there. If you want more recording time you need a Nest Aware subscription. A positive aspect of this doorbell is that it looks really good. It’s well put together, solid and has a very sleek and modern design. It would look good on any home. Another positive is its audio. The speaker and mic do a great job for 2 way talk. I had such high hopes for this product and unfortunately it let me down. If you’re considering a video doorbell, I’d recommend looking at an alternative option. This product just falls very far behind from the others and it is also one of the most expensive in its category. Maybe software updates will be released to address some of the issues in the future, but for now I just can’t recommend it.

Love it!

Took me a while to work out properly how to add the doorbell to my google home app (I initially didnt add it properly to my home). Its set up correctly now and my google hub max streams the front door live when someone rings the bell. Its also gives me the option to send an automated quick response, or to talk live to the person if I want. And if Im not home I can still press a reply from my phone or my watch. Was hesitant at first to purchase this because it wasnt cheap. But I love it and so glad I bought it. Its on battery and looks like thats going to last for weeks. Easy to unmount for a quick recharge too when needed. 100% recommend this doorbell.

Not recording - No Notifactions - Too Slow

I brought this Aug 2021. Started off brilliant, Yes! a delay on the ring. You would press it. 2 minutes later the nest would talk and I would get a notification. Now its just not working. Not recording events. No notifications for the past 6 months. Its just useless really. Contact Google. They just give me the same old - reset - uninstall ect... I completed several times. Not sure why it just stopped. nothing else in terms of settings or wifi has changed. All in all pretty disappointed. cheaper ones are more reliable.

One of the best

Considered this an expensive doorbell especially as there are lots of options available however went with it as we already have a Google nest hub and I am invested in the Google ecosystem. Its a great bit of technology. The battery has lasted 3 weeks so far and has plenty of charge left. This was one of the issues people complained about in reviews however it seems to be excellent for mine. It looks beautiful. But one of its best attributes is the ability to recognise packages. I have it set to alert based on this so I get a popup on my phone when a package is delivered and when it is no longer there. This also picks up family members carrying things but hey, pretty awesome. Without subscribing it keeps the video for 3 hrs I think. I also like the way a thin ... MoreConsidered this an expensive doorbell especially as there are lots of options available however went with it as we already have a Google nest hub and I am invested in the Google ecosystem. Its a great bit of technology. The battery has lasted 3 weeks so far and has plenty of charge left. This was one of the issues people complained about in reviews however it seems to be excellent for mine. It looks beautiful. But one of its best attributes is the ability to recognise packages. I have it set to alert based on this so I get a popup on my phone when a package is delivered and when it is no longer there. This also picks up family members carrying things but hey, pretty awesome. Without subscribing it keeps the video for 3 hrs I think. I also like the way a thin illuminated ring glows alerting the visitor to where to press fro the doorbell. Overall a fantastic bit of kit if you can manage the price