Google Says Your Nest Doorbell Battery Won't Do Great In The Cold

Smart home lovers in cold environments may want to do their research before buying into the Google-made Nest Doorbell (Battery). That’s based on a freshly-added, newly reported support page for the product, detailing the limitations of the product.

Specifically, the new page clarifies when the device will and won’t charge. The device won’t work at all in temperatures lower than -4 Fahrenheit but it also won’t charge at below 32-degrees Fahrenheit. For clarity, that’s 0-degrees Celsius and the freezing point for water.

Google indicates that while the product will keep working at between those two temperatures, it won’t work well. In fact, the company says that at temperatures close to the lower limit, the battery may last less than half as long. During those times, the Google Home app associated with the smart home device will inform users about the potential issue too. More directly by displaying a “Charging paused” or “Charging slowly” message.

This cold weather advisory isn’t just for the Nest Doorbell from Google either

Now, it isn’t surprising that the battery-powered gadget doesn’t perform brilliantly in the cold. After all, batteries, in general, don’t work well in the cold anyway. And that’s due to the fact that they’re operating via an electrochemical reaction, which is decreases rapidly when temperatures dip.

The issues for the Nest Doorbell go deeper than simply not charging, however. And Google has stated as much on its new support page. In fact, the problem means that the device won’t just cease to charge but will also cease to be powered if the battery dies. Even when it’s wired up to the home’s power or another power source.

Moreover, the company indicates that while the cold weather doorbell problem doesn’t extend to other Nest Cams, it does impact the charging of the battery-powered Nest Cam. Although that gadget, when hardwired, will reportedly continue to work. With the exception of those powered by a solar panel.