Your Google Nest camera and doorbell lights let you know whether they work normally or if there’s a problem. It will also play audible tones for important things like when you reset or connect to Wi-Fi.
Nest camera and doorbell lights
What the lights mean
Google Nest Doorbell (battery)
Your doorbell has 2 different lights that indicate what state it’s in:
- A small status light above the camera
- A large light ring around the doorbell button
Everyday use
|
Light |
What it means |
|
Status light is solid green |
Everything is working normally Your Nest doorbell is turned on, connected to Wi-Fi network, and is processing images in its view. Your doorbell could be recording activity and saving it to the cloud, or it could be using local storage to record and save video if it’s offline. |
|
Status light is pulsing green |
A live doorbell interaction is being used Someone is watching your doorbell’s video live stream, is using Talk and Listen or quick actions. |
|
Status light is off |
This can be caused by one of the following reasons:
|
|
Light ring is pulsing white |
Doorbell sensed motion The light ring will pulse white when your doorbell detects motion, like a visitor coming into view of the camera. |
|
Light ring is spinning |
Waiting for a response The light ring on the doorbell will spin after a visitor presses the doorbell button and is waiting for a response. |
Setup
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light is pulsing white |
Starting up The status light will pulse white when it’s starting up. Your doorbell will also play a tone when this happens. |
|
Status light is pulsing blue |
Ready to connect The status light will pulse blue when the doorbell is ready to connect.
Trying to connect The status light will pulse slightly faster when it’s trying to connect to the app and Wi-Fi network. |
|
Status light is blinking white |
Successfully connected Your doorbell has successfully connected. Your doorbell will also play a confirmation tone when this happens. |
|
Status light is pulsing white |
Software update Your doorbell is downloading a software update. |
|
Status light is blinking yellow quickly |
Failed to connect Your doorbell wasn't able to connect successfully. Your doorbell will also play a warning tone when this happens. |
Charging
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light pulses white |
Charging The status light will pulse white when your doorbell is charging with the USB cable. |
|
Status light is solid white |
Fully charged When your doorbell is connected to the USB charging cable, the status light will appear solid white when your doorbell is completely charged. |
|
Status light is solid yellow |
Battery issue There’s an issue with the battery, and your doorbell might not be able to operate. |
Restart
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and release the restart or reset button, your doorbell’s status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few moments. Your doorbell will automatically restart. |
|
Status light is pulsing blue |
Ready to connect If your doorbell restarts and is not already connected to the app and Wi-Fi network, the status light will pulse blue when it's ready to connect. |
Factory reset
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and hold the restart or reset button at first, your doorbell will restart as normal. The status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few seconds. You’ll need to keep holding the restart or reset button to factory reset. |
|
Status light is blinking yellow quickly |
Countdown to factory reset As you continue to hold the restart or reset button, your doorbell will count down to its factory reset and the status light will blink yellow. Your doorbell will also play a countdown tone. |
|
Status light is solid yellow |
Factory reset has started The status light will appear solid yellow when the factory reset has begun. Your doorbell will also play a tone to confirm the factory reset. |
|
Status light turns off and then solid green |
Camera is recording This happens if someone presses and holds the restart or reset button while your doorbell is recording video. Here’s what to expect:
|
Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen)
Your doorbell has 2 different lights that indicate what state it’s in:
- A small status light below the camera
- A large light ring around the doorbell button
Everyday use
|
Light |
What it means |
|
Status light is solid green |
Everything is working normally Your Nest doorbell is turned on, connected to Wi-Fi network, and is processing images in its view. Your doorbell could be recording activity and saving it to the cloud, or it could be using local storage to record and save video if it’s offline. |
|
Status light is pulsing green |
A live doorbell interaction is being used Someone is watching your doorbell’s video live stream, is using Talk and Listen or quick actions. |
|
Status light is off |
This can be caused by one of the following reasons:
|
|
Light ring is pulsing white |
Doorbell sensed motion The light ring will pulse white when your doorbell detects motion, like a visitor coming into view of the camera. |
|
Light ring is spinning |
Waiting for a response The light ring on the doorbell will spin after a visitor presses the doorbell button and is waiting for a response. |
Setup
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light is pulsing white |
Starting up The status light will pulse white when it’s starting up. Your doorbell will also play a tone when this happens. |
|
Status light is pulsing blue (slow) |
Ready to connect The status light will pulse blue when the doorbell is ready to connect.
|
|
|
Trying to connect The status light will pulse slightly faster when it’s trying to connect to the app and Wi-Fi network. |
|
Status light is blinking white |
Successfully connected Your doorbell has successfully connected. Your doorbell will also play a confirmation tone when this happens. |
|
Status light is pulsing white |
Software update Your doorbell is downloading a software update. |
|
Status light is blinking yellow quickly |
Insufficient power Your doorbell isn’t getting enough power. You may need to upgrade your transformer to one that is rated for 16-24 V AC, 10-40 VA to provide enough power to your doorbell. |
Restart
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and release the restart or reset button, your doorbell’s status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few moments. Your doorbell will automatically restart. |
|
Status light is pulsing blue |
Ready to connect If your doorbell restarts and is not already connected to the app and Wi-Fi network, the status light will pulse blue when it's ready to connect. |
Factory reset
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and hold the restart or reset button at first, your doorbell will restart as normal. The status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few seconds. You’ll need to keep holding the restart or reset button to factory reset. |
|
Status light is blinking yellow quickly |
Countdown to factory reset As you continue to hold the restart or reset button, your doorbell will count down to its factory reset and the status light will blink yellow. Your doorbell will also play a countdown tone. |
|
Status light is solid yellow |
Factory reset has started The status light will appear solid yellow when the factory reset has begun. Your doorbell will also play a tone to confirm the factory reset. |
|
Status light turns off and then solid green |
Camera is recording This happens if someone presses and holds the restart or reset button while your doorbell is recording video. Here’s what to expect:
|
Google Nest Doorbell (wired)
Your doorbell has 2 different lights that indicate what state it’s in:
- A small status light above the camera
- A large light ring around the doorbell button
Power and connectivity
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light is solid green |
Everything is working normally Your Nest doorbell is turned on, connected to a Wi-Fi network, and can stream video. |
|
Status light is off Light ring is either dim or off |
The camera sensor is off Your doorbell’s’s status light is off if its camera sensor is off. This could mean that one of the following is true:
|
|
Light ring blinks yellow |
Insufficient power Your doorbell is connected to power, but doesn’t have enough electric current to operate normally. Check the voltage. |
Setup and connection to the app
| Light | What it means |
|
Light ring pulses blue |
Ready to be connected to the Nest app Your doorbell is ready and waiting for your input in the app. |
|
Light ring spins blue |
Currently connecting to the Nest app Nest is processing information and establishing a connection between the app and your doorbell. |
|
Light ring pulses green once |
Successfully connected to the Nest app Your doorbell has successfully connected to the app and is now ready for use. |
Light ring blinks yellow 5 times |
Trouble connecting As you set up your Nest doorbell for the first time, you might find this light if your video doorbell can't connect to the Nest service or complete setup. Go to the app and check if there’s an error message or something else you need to address. |
Lights during day-to-day use
| Light | What it means |
Light ring pulses white |
Person at your door Your doorbell has detected a person at your door. |
Light ring spins blue |
Doorbell button pressed and waiting for owner's response Someone has pressed the doorbell button and it’s waiting for someone to respond. |
|
Red lights above doorbell button |
Night Vision is on You may notice these lights are only on at night. It just means Night Vision is on. These infrared lights help your camera see so that you have a better view of what’s happening. You can always turn off Night Vision in your camera’s settings. |
Google Nest Cam (wired)
Everyday use
|
Light |
What it means |
|
Status light is solid green |
Everything is working normally Your camera is turned on, connected to Wi-Fi, and is processing images in its view. Your camera could be recording activity and saving it to the cloud, or it could be using local storage to record and save video if it's offline. |
|
Status light pulses green |
A live camera interaction is being used Someone is watching your camera's video live stream, is using Talk and Listen or quick actions. |
|
Status light is off |
This can be caused by one of the following reasons:
|
|
Status light slowly blinks yellow |
The power adapter plugged into your camera has incorrect wattage. Keep in mind that some third-party power adapters might not be compatible with your camera. Your camera needs a 7.5 W USB-A power cable to stay powered and work properly. |
Setup
|
Light |
What it means |
|
Status light pulses white |
Starting up The status light will pulse white when your camera is starting up. Your camera will also play a start tone when this happens. |
|
Status light pulses blue |
Ready to connect The status light will pulse blue when your camera is ready to connect.
Trying to connect The status light will pulse slightly faster when your camera is trying to connect to the app and Wi-Fi network. |
|
Status light blinks white |
Successfully connected Your camera has successfully connected. It will also play a confirmation tone when this happens. |
|
Status light pulses white |
Software update Your camera is downloading a software update. |
|
Status light quickly blinks yellow |
Failed to connect Your camera wasn't able to connect successfully. It will also play a warning tone when this happens. |
Restart
|
Light |
What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and release the restart or reset button, your camera's status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few moments. Your camera will automatically restart. |
|
Status light pulses blue |
Ready to connect If your camera is not yet connected to the app and Wi-Fi network, the status light will pulse blue when the camera is ready to connect. |
Factory reset
|
Light |
What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and hold the restart or reset button at first, your camera will restart as normal. The status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few seconds. You'll need to keep holding the restart or reset button to factory reset. |
|
Status light quickly blinks yellow |
Countdown to factory reset As you continue to hold the restart or reset button, your camera will count down to its factory reset and the status light will blink yellow. Your camera will also play a countdown tone. |
|
Status light is solid yellow |
Factory reset has started The status light will appear solid yellow when the factory reset has begun. Your camera will also play a tone to confirm the factory reset. |
|
Status light turns off and then solid green |
Camera is recording This happens if someone presses and holds the restart or reset button while your camera is recording video. Here's what to expect:
|
Nest Cam with floodlight
Everyday use
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light is solid green |
Everything is working normally Your camera is turned on, connected to Wi-Fi, and is processing images in its view. Your camera could be recording activity and saving it to the cloud, or it could be using local storage to record and save video if it's offline. |
|
Status light pulses green |
A live camera interaction is being used Someone is watching your camera's video live stream, is using Talk and Listen or quick actions. |
|
Status light is off |
This can be caused by one of the following reasons:
|
Setup
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light pulses white |
Starting up The status light will pulse white when your camera is starting up. Your camera will also play a start tone when this happens. |
|
Status light pulses blue |
Ready to connect The status light will pulse blue when your camera is ready to connect.
Trying to connect The status light will pulse slightly faster when your camera is trying to connect to the app and Wi-Fi network. |
|
Status light blinks white |
Successfully connected Your camera has successfully connected. It will also play a confirmation tone when this happens. |
|
Status light pulses white |
Software update Your camera is downloading a software update. |
|
Status light quickly blinks yellow |
Failed to connect Your camera wasn't able to connect successfully. It will also play a warning tone when this happens. |
Charging
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light pulses white |
Charging The status light will pulse white when your camera is charging with the USB cable. |
|
Status light is solid white |
Fully charged When your camera is connected to the USB charging cable, the status light will appear solid white when your camera is completely charged. |
|
Status light is solid yellow |
Battery issue There's an issue with the battery, and your camera might not be able to operate. |
Restart
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and release the restart or reset button, your camera's status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few moments. Your camera will automatically restart. |
|
Status light pulses blue |
Ready to connect If your camera is not yet connected to the app and Wi-Fi network, the status light will pulse blue when the camera is ready to connect. |
Factory reset
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and hold the restart or reset button at first, your camera will restart as normal. The status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few seconds. You'll need to keep holding the restart or reset button to factory reset. |
|
Status light quickly blinks yellow |
Countdown to factory reset As you continue to hold the restart or reset button, your camera will count down to its factory reset and the status light will blink yellow. Your camera will also play a countdown tone. |
|
Status light is solid yellow |
Factory reset has started The status light will appear solid yellow when the factory reset has begun. Your camera will also play a tone to confirm the factory reset. |
|
Status light turns off and then solid green |
Camera is recording This happens if someone presses and holds the restart or reset button while your camera is recording video. Here's what to expect:
|
Google Nest Cam (battery)
Everyday use
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light is solid green |
Everything is working normally Your camera is turned on, connected to Wi-Fi, and is processing images in its view. Your camera could be recording activity and saving it to the cloud, or it could be using local storage to record and save video if it’s offline. |
|
Status light is pulsing green |
A live camera interaction is being used Someone is watching your camera’s video live stream, is using Talk and Listen or quick actions. |
|
Status light is off |
This can be caused by one of the following reasons:
|
Setup
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light pulses white |
Starting up The status light will pulse white when your camera is starting up. Your camera will also play a start tone when this happens. |
|
Status light is pulsing blue |
Ready to connect The status light will pulse blue when your camera is ready to connect. Trying to connect The status light will pulse slightly faster when your camera is trying to connect to the app and Wi-Fi network. |
|
Status light is blinking white |
Successfully connected Your camera has successfully connected. It will also play a confirmation tone when this happens. |
|
Status light is pulsing white |
Software update Your camera is downloading a software update. |
|
Status light is blinking yellow quickly |
Failed to connect Your camera wasn't able to connect successfully. It will also play a warning tone when this happens. |
Charging
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light pulses white |
Charging The status light will pulse white when your camera is charging with the USB cable. |
|
Status light is solid white |
Fully charged When your camera is connected to the USB charging cable, the status light will appear solid white when your camera is completely charged. |
|
Status light is solid yellow |
Battery issue There’s an issue with the battery, and your camera might not be able to operate. |
Restart
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and release the restart or reset button, your camera’s status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few moments. Your camera will automatically restart. |
|
Status light is pulsing blue |
Ready to connect If your camera is not yet connected to the app and Wi-Fi network, the status light will pulse blue when the camera is ready to connect. |
Factory reset
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light turns off and then solid white |
Restarting When you press and hold the restart or reset button at first, your camera will restart as normal. The status light will turn off, and then turn solid white after a few seconds. You’ll need to keep holding the restart or reset button to factory reset. |
|
Status light is blinking yellow quickly |
Countdown to factory reset As you continue to hold the restart or reset button, your camera will count down to its factory reset and the status light will blink yellow. Your camera will also play a countdown tone. |
|
Status light is solid yellow |
Factory reset has started The status light will appear solid yellow when the factory reset has begun. Your camera will also play a tone to confirm the factory reset. |
|
Status light turns off and then solid green |
Camera is recording This happens if someone presses and holds the restart or reset button while your camera is recording video. Here’s what to expect:
|
Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Outdoor
Your camera has 2 different lights that can help you figure out what’s going on:
- A small status light
- A large light ring around the lens
They light up in different patterns and colors to tell you what your camera is doing.
| Light | What it means |
|
Status light is solid green |
Everything is working normally Your Nest camera is turned on, connected to Wi-Fi, and is streaming video. The light ring won’t light up. |
|
Status light slowly pulses green |
Watching live video Someone is watching your camera’s live video stream with the app, a device like the Nest Hub, or a 3rd party connection like Alexa Show. The light ring won’t light up. Note: There's an exception. The camera’s light won’t pulse green if you use an Android phone’s cellular data connection (not Wi-Fi) to stream video in the Nest app’s Spaces view. |
Light ring pulses blue |
Ready to be connected to the app Your camera is ready and waiting for your input in the Nest app. |
|
Light ring blinks yellow 5 times |
Trouble connecting When you set up your camera for the first time, this light will appear if the camera can't connect to the Nest service or can't complete setup. Go the the app and check if there’s an error message or something else you need to address. Troubleshoot Nest camera and doorbell error messages |
Light ring blinks red |
Insufficient power Your camera is plugged in but there’s not enough power for it to work correctly. Try an outlet with more power. Don’t plug your camera into an external battery pack. |
|
No status light and no |
There are 2 possible reasons your camera’s lights are off: The camera is turned off When your camera isn’t streaming video, its status light is off. The camera can be turned off manually, with a schedule, or when your home automatically switches to Home. The camera isn't receiving power The power cable is disconnected or the outlet it's plugged into isn't receiving power. |
Google Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor
| Light | What it means |
|
Solid green |
Everything is working normally Your Nest camera is turned on, connected to a Wi-Fi network, and is streaming video. |
Solid blue |
Starting up or restarting This happens when you first plug your camera into a power outlet, when your camera restarts itself after a power outage or firmware update, or is waiting to be added to an account. |
Solid red |
LED isn’t working properly If there's a solid red status light, it means the LED isn’t working properly. Contact Nest Support for help. |
|
Pulsing green |
Watching live video Someone is watching your camera’s live video stream with the Nest app, a device like the Nest Hub, or a 3rd party connection like Alexa Show. The light ring won’t light up. Note: There's an exception. The camera’s light won’t blink green if you use an Android phone’s cellular data connection (not Wi-Fi) to stream video in the app’s Spaces view. |
|
No light |
There are 2 possible reasons your camera’s lights are off: The camera is turned off When your camera isn’t streaming video, its status light will be off. The camera can be turned off manually, with a schedule, or when your home automatically switches to Home. It isn't receiving power The power cable is disconnected or the outlet it's plugged into isn't receiving power. |
Change light settings
Change the status light brightness
Use the app you use to control your camera or doorbell to change the brightness of its status light.
Note: This feature isn’t available on Dropcams.
The Home app
- Open the Home app
.
- Tap and hold your device's tile.
- Tap Settings
.
- Select Video.
- Under “Status light brightness,” choose High, Auto, or Low.
The Nest app
- Open the Nest app
.
- On the home screen, tap your camera.
- Tap Settings
.
- Select Status light. Then choose Low, High or Auto.
Nest camera and doorbell sounds
All Nest cameras and doorbells have sounds that help you know what’s happening (for example, when it restarts). Most of these sounds cannot be changed in settings.
Depending on which Nest camera or doorbell you have, you can turn off the tone it plays when you use Talk and Listen, and turn it back on whenever you like.
In addition, depending on which Nest doorbell you have, you can change different indoor chime settings.