Smart home company Nest, which was recently reunited with Google to better compete with rivals Amazon and Apple, released a Nest Cam IQ update that adds Google Assistant support to the indoor security camera.
Nest promised to integrate Google Assistant into the Nest Cam IQ back in September, supposedly alongside the launch of the security camera's outdoor version. Nest missed its own deadline for the update, but it is now rolling out for the indoor version of the Nest Cam IQ.
How Will Nest Cam IQ Use Google Assistant?
The top-of-the-line Nest Cam IQ indoor security camera features a 4K sensor and a six-core processor, which is very powerful for a camera. The device also comes with a speaker and microphone for remote communication, but it will now be using these components to work with Google Assistant.
The Nest Cam IQ update will allow the indoor security camera to understand the usual OK Google voice commands, with the blue ring around the device to light up to signal that it is listening to the user. Things that users can make the Nest Cam IQ do with voice commands for Google Assistant include controlling other smart home devices and adding Google Calendar appointments, among others.
However, the Nest Cam IQ will understandably have missing features compared to the Google Assistant-powered Google Home smart speaker. For example, it will not be able to play music or podcasts, and it will not be able to make phone calls.
It should be noted that, after the installation of the Nest Cam IQ update, the Google Assistant function will be off by default. To activate the feature, users will have to go into the settings of the Nest app and choose the "connect Google Assistant" option to activate it.
Other Nest Cam Updates
Google Assistant support is not the only thing that Nest added to its cameras. Nest also rolled out a $5 monthly plan for its Nest Aware subscription service, which allows users to store videos on the cloud in case the footage needs to be reviewed. The $5 plan will offer users with five days of history, and is now the cheapest option alongside the previous $10 plan for 10 days of history and $30 plan for 30 days of history.
Nest cameras will also now be able to distinguish between human beings and objects in Activity Zones, which are areas where users suspect motion may happen.
In the future though, there will be more Google Assistant integration in Nest devices, such as voice commands for arming the Nest Secure home alarm.
