{"id":497,"date":"2022-04-20T15:11:10","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T14:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/?p=497"},"modified":"2022-08-22T16:49:28","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T15:49:28","slug":"nest-cam-turn-lights-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/nest-cam-turn-lights-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Nest Cams & Doorbells To Turn Lights On And Off"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The lights for smart homes will automatically turn off and off again whenever the cameras detect motion at the door. Smart home brands except Nest have their products designed to support the automatic turn on and off of lights whenever motion is detected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, they are easy to integrate with your device through Alexa such that you can set up an alarm system that triggers and smart lighting that turns on when motion is detected. It\u2019s a useful security feature that discourages burglars from breaking into your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Nest, however, it\u2019s very difficult for these actions to occur, all factors remaining constant. Why is that? Let\u2019s find out below and how to work around it if you have a smart home with a smart doorbell and camera system from Nest. But before that, let me share a brief introduction and history of Nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Nest<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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A Nest cam has just been installed in Elgin IL by a home owner wanting more security<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Google Nest<\/a> is a company that manufactures a range of smart home products such as smart doorbells, smart locks, cameras, streaming devices, smart speakers, and smoke detectors. Other products include smart displays, security systems, routers, thermostats<\/a>, and smart speakers. Just like the name suggests, this company is owned by Google, which acquired it in 2014 when it was known as \u201cNest Labs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Reading:<\/strong> Which Nest Devices Will (& Won\u2019t!) Work Without Subscription?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Nest Products Cannot Automatically React to Motion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s basically because Google ended Works with Nest in 2019<\/a>. For starters, this was a system that enabled smart home products from Nest to integrate seamlessly with third-party products of similar nature, of course with the help of third-party applications such as IFTTT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IFTTT <\/a>is an abbreviation for \u201cIf This, Then That.\u201d Simply put, it\u2019s a software tool by IFTTT Inc that allows users to integrate incompatible smart home devices. Smart homeowners with a range of smart home devices from different brands including Nest would use this application to harmoniously integrate and synchronize their devices that would have otherwise had compatibility issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Works with Nest system was available and worked with IFTTT, it was possible for automated actions such as lights automatically turning ON and OFF again (as well as alarm systems automatically going off) when motion was detected. Following the shut down of Works with Nest, however, that was no longer possible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It begs the question; why did Google have to shut down this wonderful technology? Well, the company clarified that they did so <\/strong>to offer smart homeowners greater control privacy than Works with Nest allowed, through Google Assistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does it sound convincing? I guess that\u2019s a story for another day. For now, let\u2019s get to learn how to work around this hurdle for smart homeowners with Nest devices:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Use Your Nest Account With IFTTT<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When Google shut down Works with Nest, it substituted that program with Google Assistant. Those who wished to continue enjoying the functionalities of ‘Works with Nest’ would do so after migrating their Nest accounts to Google and provided they used strictly Google smart home devices<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This created an uproar from smart homeowners who used Nest devices in integration with other third-party devices for smart homes. Due to public anger, the company backtracked a little bit from its decision that would have made it impossible to integrate Nest with third-party smart home devices in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up to date, this allows Nest customers who were there before August 2019 a limited use of Nest with those devices, of course, under certain terms and conditions as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n