Skip to main content

Nest quietly announces Dropcam integration, support for older home automation platforms

Today’s announcement of two new iPhone models and the much-awaited Apple Watch will undoubtedly dominate the days headlines, but while Tim Cook and Jony Ive were busy waxing poetic about their new toys, Google’s Nest division had an announcement of its own to make.

To help kick off this year’s CEDIA expo in Colorado, the company announced that it will be adding for Dropcam (which was also recently acquired by Google) to it’s growing list of Works with Nest partners. This new interoperability will bring a number of new possibilities to the devices. For example, when your Nest Protect alarm goes off, Dropcam could be configured to record a clip of the smoke or carbon monoxide event and save it for you in the cloud, regardless of whether you pay for Cloud Recording. And when you set your Nest Thermostat to Away mode and walk out the door, Dropcam can automatically turn on motion alerts so you’ll know if anyone’s in the house.

Recommended Videos

Related: Nest to expand across Europe in bid to boost sales of its smart-home devices

In addition to the new Dropcam support, Nest announced that its products will now be compatible with legacy home automation platforms such as Universal Remote Control (URC), RTI, Crestron, and Control4. This means that if your home is already outfitted with an older whole-home automation system, you’ll finally be able to connect Nest products to it and control them through the same interface you already use.

And this is just the beginning. With partners like Whirlpool, Jawbone, LIFX, and dozens of others already on board, the Works with Nest program is growing at a feverish pace. Further additions are undoubtedly set to roll out in the not-so-distant future.

Drew Prindle
Former Senior Editor, Features
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
Google’s Nest Aware service is getting more expensive
Nest Aware settings on an iPhone.

Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus — the optional subscription services that allow for cloud-based recording on Google's Nest cameras — are getting more expensive in the U.S., U.K, and Australia.

Current subscribers are receiving emails alerting them to a 33% increase for Nest Aware, going from $6 a month or $60 a year to $8 a month or $80 a year. Nest Aware Plus — which doubles event video history from 30 to 60 days and adds 24/7 video history — is going from $12 a month or $120 a year to $15 a month or $150 a year. The new pricing already is in effect for new subscribers.

Read more
Google Home adds support for Nest Cam Indoor
A cartoon depiction of the Google Home app and Nest Cam Indoor.

Google Home is continuing to expand its roster, with Google today adding support for the Nest Cam Indoor (1st Gen). This allows you to manage all aspects of your camera, such as checking your notification history and accessing your camera feed.

There’s a bit of a catch, as support for Nest Cam Indoor is only available in Public Preview. To join Public Preview and gain early access to the feature, you’ll need to dive into the Settings on your Home app and select Join Public Preview. You’ll then get a prompt to update Public Preview -- accept this invitation, and you’ll see another prompt letting you know when you’re eligible to transfer your camera to Google Home.

Read more
The Nest Thermostat is the first smart thermostat with Matter support
A person controlling the Nest Thermostat.

The catalog of smart home products that support Matter has been steadily growing over the past few months, but the latest addition to its roster might be the most enticing yet. As of April 18, you can now use the Nest Thermostat with Matter.

Only the standard Nest Thermostat (2020) supports Matter -- with both the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Thermostat E left out of the fun. A Google spokesperson told Digital Trends the company is “still exploring the possibility of Matter compatibility with [the] Nest Learning Thermostat and [is] currently hoping to make it available in the coming year.”

Read more