Google Revamps Nest Aware With Revised Pricing And New Features

Google’s Nest Aware subscription service is changing for the better. The service will see a big overhaul with simplified pricing and new features starting early next year, the company announced on Tuesday. Also, Nest Aware will now move out of the Nest app to the Google Home app. A new Home Feed in the Google Home app will deliver alerts, events, and notifications from all Nest devices throughout the day.

Nest Aware is an optional cloud service plan for Nest devices, including Nest Cams and Nest Hello doorbells. Launched in 2015, the service gives you 24/7 continuous recording, access to video history, and other additional alerts for a monthly subscription fee of $5, $10, or $30 for five days, ten days, and thirty days of continuous recording, respectively from one Nest Cam. You can add more cameras at a discounted monthly fee.

One home one price

Google is now introducing a simple whole-home pricing model for Nest Aware. Once the new Nest Aware arrives, one monthly fee will cover all of your Nest cameras, as well as Nest and Google-branded smart speakers and displays in the house, like the newly launched Nest Mini.

Google is offering two plan options as per your need. The cheaper $6 per month plan ($60 for an annual subscription) offers 30 days of event video history. Event-based recording is a new service that starts recording only when your camera detects motion or sounds. It is offered alongside the existing 24/7 continuous video recording.

There’s also a $12 per month ($120 for an annual subscription) Nest Aware Plus plan that comes with 60 days of event video history and 10 days of 24/7 video history. Existing Nest customers can continue using and renewing their existing Nest Aware subscriptions, though.

The new Nest Aware also leverages Nest devices’ audio-sensing capabilities for added security. All of the Nest devices in your home, including Nest Cams, smart speakers and displays, will now listen for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and send an alert to your phone. You can then review those alerts and if there seems to be an emergency, you call the 911 service directly from the Google Home app. The app will use location info to connect to emergency services closest to your home. A pretty handy feature for when you’re traveling. You can also ask a Google Nest or Home speaker to call 911 when you’re home in case of an emergency. This feature is limited to the U.S. only.

Google says the new Nest Aware will be available in all the markets where Nest Aware is currently available early next year.