I bought the Google Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen) to complete my existing Google camera setup. I already run a Nest video doorbell and an older outdoor Nest camera, and this was the final piece to give me close to 360 coverage around the property. This one is mounted on the outside of my shed, overlooking the back garden gate and sunroom doors.Because it’s so small and understated, it doesn’t really stand out. That’s a big plus for me. It blends into the background and isn’t immediately noticeable, which makes it less likely to attract attention while still covering the area I want.Setup was extremely easy. Scanning the QR code in the Google Home app had it added and running in minutes, and it’s been completely stable after a few weeks of use with no dropouts.Video quality is a clear step up from my older Nest cameras. The 2K image is sharper, and low-light performance is noticeably better, especially in the evenings. Compared directly to my older outdoor Nest cam, it holds detail far better in dim conditions.Motion detection has been reliable, with quick notifications. I already pay for Google Home Premium, so having 24/7 video history makes a big difference to how useful the camera is. Without a subscription, the experience would feel much more limited, which is worth being aware of before buying.Build quality is solid and minimal. Being wired suits this setup well as there’s no battery to manage, though placement does depend on cable routing.Overall, this is a strong camera and a clear quality upgrade if you’re already invested in the Google ecosystem. As part of a wider Nest setup with a subscription, it works very well. If you want local storage or full functionality without ongoing costs, it’s probably not the right option.

While I’d previously tried and been impressed with other Google products including their phones and their smart home screens, currently we have more Arlo cameras than anything else at home. I checked this out from their new range to see how it would stack up.First impressions were good as the camera seems to be well made. It’s solid and I don’t have any concerns with the longevity of the hardware. It plugs into a provided USB-C socket with a standard plug provided. The cable is plenty long enough, with the ability to thread it through a small gap depending on where you want to put it.Set up was fine but weirdly worked better when trying it on iOS than Android. On iOS I was able to scan the QR code on the front of the camera, input my Wi-Fi details and then it connected directly. On Android it struggled to make that initial connection but the rest of the application is the same.In terms of picture quality in daylight it is very good. At night time you get a slightly worse picture but generally enough to be able to tell what is going on. Sound is present but not the greatest, though the camera is very wide angle so you can capture an entire room or wide area out the front of the house. I would say it is comparable with some of the Arlo ones I have tried.The software that comes with it is solid, though a number of things are locked behind a paywall so make sure you can get what you need or are willing to subscribe before you buy. The ability to detect specific people, objects and faces is neat, the notifications are timely and the previews are neat. There is also a feature that allows you to search the history describing what you want to see though given the camera is always likely in the same place this doesn’t seem to be all that useful. I would say this is probably better than the Arlo ones, though these have the advantage of being wired.Overall then this is a pretty solid camera and definitely up there with other products I’ve used in this space.

My camera won’t connect do I need to return it

I anticipated setting up this new Nest indoor camera would be a very straightforward matter, particularly as I have been a long time user of the Nest and google home apps. Everything seemed to go like clockwork initially and I was very quickly able to see live footage from the newly paired camera but, somewhere within the process, my existing subscription to save footage for 10 days was lost and all of my history on all of my existing cameras was lost.After several hours with the support team at Google, I was able to restore my subscription but all existing footage remains lost. Whilst my new camera now appears to be working as expected and saving footage for 10 days, I have lost everything else.I urge you to ensure that you save down any clips you need before you start trying to add a new camera to your system. In addition, ensure you save down any important cloud-based clips as a ‘just in case’ backup.I have added so many cameras to my accounts over the years that I really thought I knew what I was doing. Something went wrong and it has taken a long time to get it sorted out as far as this is possible to do (lost history will remain lost).I do like the diminutive nature of the new style camera which is discreet as well as stylish. It will take me a while to like it properly though, given the hassle I have gone through attaching it to my account. But the picture quality is good using the best option within the settings and it should prove to be a useful asset once I get over the initial issues I have experienced.