Google Nest Cams just got a big upgrade that will make your life easier

Google Nest Cam in someone's home
(Image credit: Nest)

Google just announced that it's bringing all of its Nest Cam features including recorded event history and clip downloads to the Google Home for web interface. 

This cloud-based alternative to the Google Home smartphone app lets you manage one of the best security cameras we've tested from even more places. However, until now this website only let you access your Nest Camera livestreams. If you wanted to see recordings of what triggered prior events you'd need to use the app.

Now you can manage your feeds and scroll through event history on much bigger screens like your laptop or TV through the Google Home for web portal. This can help you monitor your property while you work.

In the future, the site will also provide picture-in-picture viewing so you can keep an eye on different cameras to multitask. But keep in mind that this is a feature that requires a Nest Aware subscription.

You'll need to pony up the fees which start from $8 a month. Google's Nest Cam's advanced features include Familiar Faces (identifies who set off the camera in notifications), 24/7 video history, and even Garage Door detection. This subscription makes one of the best smart home devices even better.

In the coming weeks, you'll be able to create custom clips from recorded footage both on the web and in the Google Home app. This lets you pick a start and end time from any recording and turn it into a clip.

That way you can cut the fluff and share what's important from an event without having to share the length of the entire video. This support expands all the way back to first-generation Nest Cams like the Nest Cam Indoor and Nest Cam Outdoor which can be transferred to the Google Home app.

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Hunter Fenollol
Senior Editor, Smart Home

Hunter Fenollol is a Senior Editor for Tom’s Guide. He specializes in smart home gadgets and appliances. Prior to joining the team, Hunter reviewed computers, wearables, and mixed reality gear for publications that include CNN Underscored, Popular Mechanics, and Laptop Magazine. When he’s not testing out the latest cooking gadgets, you can likely find him playing a round of golf or out with friends feeding his paycheck to a QuickHit slot machine.

Hunter started his career as an intern at Tom’s Guide back in 2019 while in college. He graduated from Long Island University Post with a degree in Communications and minor in Advertising. He has been vlogging ever since the iPhone 4 took front-facing cameras mainstream.