It’s official — Nest Doorbells are allergic to the cold

Google has published a support page for Nest doorbells and outdoor cameras struggling this winter.

The page warns that neither the Nest Doorbell (battery) nor the Nest Cam (battery) can charge if the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (zero degrees Celsius).

Crucially, this will still impact those who have their device hooked up to the doorbell wiring, as the purpose is to “trickle charge” the device rather than to power it outright. As a result, users may find that their doorbell’s battery quickly drains, or even loses power completely if faced with hostile weather conditions.

Should your doorbell die in the cold weather, Google advises you bring it inside to warm up, which will then allow the battery to be charged again. “The battery can start to charge slowly once its temperature rises past 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius),” the page explains. “It will charge faster when it warms up.”

The Home app will update you of its progress, but don’t be put off if it doesn’t seem to be working at first. “While the battery is still cold, the Home app will show ‘Charging paused’ or ‘Charging slowly’ and a long estimated charge time,” the page continues. “The estimated charge time will get shorter as the battery warms up.”

While the Nest Cam’s battery has the same cold weather weakness, you shouldn’t need to follow these steps if it’s connected to the mains, as this powers the device directly rather than topping up the battery, Google says.

And while low temperatures will impact the battery’s ability to charge, both the Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell will continue to work despite the cold, Google says. You need to drop below the ridiculously cold level of -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) for the batteries to give up altogether.

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Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact.