Google Assistant is a voice-controlled personal assistant. With it, you can give voice commands to adjust your thermostat or show your camera on your smart display, and ask questions about the status of your products. If you have an Assistant-enabled speaker (like Nest Audio) or smart display (like Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max), it can also play certain notifications from your Nest products.
Learn more about Google Assistant.
For information about where you can use Google Nest products and Google Assistant, check Google Nest device availability.
Google Assistant works with the following Nest products besides speakers and displays:
- Nest thermostats
- Nest cameras
- Nest doorbells
- Nest × Yale Lock
1. Get Google Assistant and the Google Home app
- Download the Google Home app on a phone or tablet.
- (Optional) If you have an iPhone or iPad, download the Google Assistant app . You’ll have access to Google Assistant through the Home app, but the Assistant app allows you to access more features. Note: If you have an Android phone or tablet, Google Assistant is already built in.
- Set up your speaker or smart display if you have one.
2. Connect your Nest products to Google Assistant
To get started, set up Google devices in the Google Home or Nest app. Once your product has been linked in the Home app, you can use voice commands to control it.
Note: In order to set up Google Assistant on Nest Cam, your Nest account must be migrated to a Google Account. If you haven't yet migrated your account, you'll be asked to migrate during Google Assistant setup. To migrate, open the Nest app and go to Settings Migrate to a Google Account.
3. Things you can say and do
Once you’ve gone through the setup steps above, you can give voice commands to Google Assistant. Start by saying “Hey Google,” then tell Google Assistant what you want to know or what you want to do.
You can speak commands directly to Nest Cam IQ Indoor. For other Nest products, you have 2 options:
- Say your command to a speaker or display.
- Open Google Assistant on a phone or tablet and say your command.
Here are some examples:
Nest thermostats
- "Hey Google, what’s the temperature inside?"
- "Hey Google, make it warmer (or cooler)."
- "Hey Google, set the temperature to [#] degrees."
- "Hey Google, raise (or lower) the temperature [#] degrees."
- "Hey Google, set the thermostat to heating."
- "Hey Google, turn thermostat to heat-cool mode."
Note: You can use voice commands on your speaker or display to override a lock temperature.
Nest cameras
You can tell Google Assistant to play your Nest camera’s live video on a screen. To be compatible, the screen must be one of the following:
- A Google Nest display
- A display with a Chromecast or Google TV Streamer device attached to it
- A display that works with Google Cast
Note: Nest cams that you set up with the Home app can only stream to a Google Nest display.
Here’s what you can say:
-
Hey Google, play [camera's location name] camera on [display's name]. For example, “Hey Google, play the Porch camera on the Living Room Chromecast.”
Tip: If you're speaking to a Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, you can just say, "Hey Google, show the [camera's location name]" and it will play the video on the display.
- Hey Google, turn off [display's name]. This command will tell your display to stop showing video from your Nest camera, but it won’t turn your camera off.
- For more things you can say, visit Stream your security camera.
Note: Be sure to use the name and location as they appear in the app you set up the device in. To find this info:
- Nest app: Open the app, select your camera, and check the label at the top of your video feed.
- Home app: Open the Home app. Tap Favorites or Devices . You’ll find your camera’s tile in its assigned room with its name listed.
If you use the Nest app, in rare cases, you may have more than one camera with the same location name such as “Porch,” plus a unique label. When you open the Nest app and tap on your camera, check above the video feed: if your camera has a label, it will be in parentheses, such as “Porch (back)” or “Porch (front).” When talking to your Google Assistant, you’ll need to say both the location name and label, for example, “Hey Google, show the Porch (back) camera on the Living Room Chromecast.”
Nest doorbells
Get an alert when a visitor rings your doorbell
Your Google Assistant-enabled speaker or smart display can let you know when someone rings your doorbell.
Show video on a screen
Like all our other Nest cameras, you can tell Google Assistant to show video from your Nest doorbell on a compatible display. Check the Nest cameras section above for details and things you can say.
Include your doorbell in an Assistant Routine
You can set up Home and Away Routines that let Google Assistant turn the doorbell camera on or off automatically. For example, you can have your camera turn on when everyone’s away or turn off at a scheduled time in the morning.
Nest x Yale Lock
Voice commands
Here are some things you can say to Google Assistant:
- "Hey Google, is the [location name] door locked?"
- "Hey Google, lock the [location name] door."
- "Hey Google, make sure my [location name] door is locked."
Note: Be sure to say the name or location you gave your lock when you set it up. To find this info, open the Nest app and check the label beneath your Nest × Yale Lock.
When using voice commands, keep in mind:
- You can’t unlock your door using voice commands. This is a safety precaution to help prevent an unauthorized person from unlocking your door with their voice.
Learn how to lock and unlock the Nest × Yale Lock. - Make sure your door is closed when you tell Google Assistant to lock your door. The Nest × Yale Lock can only turn the deadbolt. It won’t close the door for you.
Google Assistant Routines
The Nest × Yale Lock works with Routines you’ve set up for Google Assistant. For example, you can say, “Hey Google, goodnight,” and have your lock automatically lock itself.
Troubleshoot Google Assistant
For help with Google Assistant issues on your speaker or display:
For help with Google Assistant issues on your phone or tablet: