Your home is a special place. It’s where you get to decide who you invite in. It‘s the place for sharing family recipes and watching babies take first steps. You want to trust the things you bring into your home. And we’re committed to earning that trust.
Our mission is to create a more helpful home, continuing to build devices and services that allow your home to take care of the people inside it and the world around it. And in doing so, we’ll continue to live by the same core privacy and security principles that guide all of Google’s work today.
For example:
We will be transparent about the data we collect and why
We will never sell your personal information to anyone
We will empower you to review, move, or delete your data
At the same time, we recognize that technology in the home presents special challenges. Evolving innovations like ambient sensors and voice assistants make the home more helpful, but they also raise fair and personal questions about privacy.
It’s why we wrote this guide: to explain as clearly and simply as we can both how our connected home devices and services work, and also how we’ll uphold our commitment to respect your privacy. This includes better describing the hardware features of our devices, and so we commit to you that:
• When our connected home devices include cameras, microphones, or environmental or activity sensors that detect information about your home environment, we’ll list these hardware features in the device’s technical specifications — whether or not they’re enabled.
• We’ll also more clearly explain what types of information these sensors send to Google, as well as examples of how we use that information, to help you better understand their purpose. Learn more about sensors in our devices.
This also includes answering clearly if your home sensor data sent to Google is used to show you ads. And so we commit to you that for all our connected home devices and services, we will keep your video footage, audio recordings, and home environment sensor readings separate from advertising, and we won’t use this data for ad personalization. When you interact with your Assistant, we may use those interactions to inform your interests for ad personalization. For example, if you ask, “Hey Google, what’s the weather today?” we may use the text of that voice interaction (but not the audio recording itself) to show you personalized ads. You can always review your Google settings to control the ads you see, including opting out of ad personalization completely. Learn more about the Google Assistant and the choices available to you here.
Our commitment to privacy in the home — outlined in this guide — applies to our connected home devices and services that use Google Accounts and carry the Google Nest, Google Home, Nest, Google Wifi, Chromecast, or Google TV Streamer brand. This means it will also apply to people who migrate from Nest Accounts to Google Accounts. In addition, Google’s Privacy Policy also applies to the devices and services listed above; for example, it describes how we use service providers, how we may share non-personally identifiable information, and how and when we may store and share your information for legal reasons — none of which are affected by the commitments below. Also, note that you can use many other Google services with your connected home devices, such as YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Duo. When you use these other Google services, what data those services collect and how that data is used are determined by the terms of those individual services and Google’s Privacy Policy.
We want you, your family, and your guests to feel comfortable using these devices and services, since their purpose is to help and to provide peace of mind. We also recognize that we’re a guest in your home, and we respect and appreciate that invitation. Technology in the home is dynamic and evolving, so we’ll approach our work with humility, a commitment to seeking out many points of view, and an eagerness to learn and adapt.
Cameras
Cameras serve a variety of purposes in the home, such as capturing memories, connecting with loved ones, and helping you feel secure. Devices like Nest Cam use video to help you keep an eye on your home and alert you when things happen, even when you’re not there.
For all our connected home devices with cameras, we commit to you:
• Your camera sends video footage to Google only if you or someone in your home has explicitly turned the camera on or enabled a feature that needs it (such as Nest Cam monitoring). You can always turn the camera off.
• When your camera is turned on and sending video footage to Google, we will provide a clear visual indicator (such as a green light on your device).
• When video footage is stored with your Google Account (for example, via a subscription to Nest Aware), you can access, review, and delete this footage at any time.
• We will only share video footage with third-party apps and services that work with our devices if you or a member of your home explicitly gives us permission, and we’ll only ask for this permission in order to provide a helpful experience from an approved partner (such as a home security service provider).
• Nest Hub Max offers on-device camera sensing features that help you personalize and control your experience based on what the camera sees, such as Face Match (which helps your device recognize you) and Quick Gestures (which helps you control your device). Once enabled, these on-device camera sensing features don’t send video or images from your Nest Hub Max to Google.
Additional Details
How can I review and delete my stored video footage?
To review and delete your Nest Cam video history or individual saved clips from your Nest Cam, follow the instructions here.
Do Nest Hub Max's camera sensing features ever send video or images from my home to Google?
Yes, but only as part of the Face Match setup process, and not after you've completed setup.
When you set up Face Match on your Nest Hub Max, you use your phone to capture several photos that are combined to create a unique model of your face. These photos are sent to Google, and you can review or delete them anytime by visiting My Activity. After this setup process, Face Match does not send any video or images to Google. And Quick Gestures does not require sending any video or images to Google at all. In addition, we keep the video and images that power these features separate from advertising and don’t use them for ad personalization.
What's an example of when my video footage might be shared with third-party apps and services?
One example of this is we may offer the option to share video clips from Nest Cam with your home security service, so they can help keep your home safe.
Also, remember you can use your device’s camera with other Google services (such as uploading a video to YouTube or making a video call with Google Duo) -- and when you do this, Google’s Privacy Policy will apply.
Microphones
Microphones serve a variety of purposes in the home, such as letting you control devices throughout your home using just your voice, detecting unexpected activity in your home when you’re not there, and making a voice call using a smart speaker or display.
For all our connected home devices with microphones, we commit to you:
• Your device will only send audio to Google if we detect that you or someone in your home is interacting with your Assistant (for example, by saying “Hey Google”), or if you use a feature that needs it (for example, sound alerts on Nest Cam, or Nest Cam video recording with audio enabled). You can always turn the microphone off.
• When your microphone is turned on and sending audio to Google, we will provide a clear visual indicator (such as flashing dots on top of your device or an on-screen indicator).
• When audio recordings are stored with your Google Account (for example, the audio from your Nest Cam footage when you’ve subscribed to Nest Aware), you can access, review, and delete your recordings at any time.
• We will only share audio recordings from your devices with third-party apps and services that work with our devices if you or a member of your home explicitly gives us permission, and we’ll only ask for this permission in order to provide a helpful experience from an approved partner (such as a home security service provider).
Additional Details
How can I review and delete my stored audio recordings?
You can review and delete stored audio recordings either through the Nest app (in the case of Nest Cam recordings) or My Activity (for interactions with the Google Assistant).
Are my Assistant voice queries used to inform ad personalization?
We keep your audio recordings separate from advertising and don’t use them for ad personalization — but when you interact with your Assistant by voice, we may use the text of those interactions to inform your interests for ad personalization. You can always review your Google settings to control the ads you see, including opting out of ad personalization completely. Learn more about the Google Assistant and the choices available to you here.
What’s an example of when my audio recordings might be shared with third-party apps and services?
One example of this is we may offer the option to share audio clips from Nest Cam with your home security service, so they can help keep your home safe.
Home sensors
Some of our devices include sensors that detect information about your home’s environment and what’s happening in it, such as motion, whether or not someone is home, ambient light, temperature, and humidity. These sensors serve a variety of purposes, such as helping your home take better care of you — like when your Nest Learning Thermostat turns itself down when you’re away — and helping us make your devices and services better.
For all our connected home devices with these environmental and activity sensors, we commit to you:
• We’ll help you understand how the sensor readings collected from your home environment are used in our devices and services. That’s why we’ve published this guide to sensors in our devices.
• We will only share your device sensor data with third-party apps and services that work with our devices if you or a member of your home explicitly gives us permission, and we’ll only ask for this permission in order to provide a helpful experience from an approved partner (such as an energy utility).
Additional Details
Why does Google collect environmental and activity sensor data from my home, and how is it used?
Our devices include environmental and activity sensors that detect information about your home’s environment and what’s happening in it, such as motion, whether or not someone is home, ambient light, temperature, and humidity. Data from these sensors, which is regularly sent to Google, serves a variety of purposes, such as helping your home take better care of you, helping us make your devices and services better, and keeping you informed.
For example:
• The temperature and humidity sensors in your Nest Learning Thermostat help keep your home comfortable while saving energy
• Home/Away Assist uses activity sensors across multiple Nest devices in your home to automatically switch the behavior of Nest devices in your home when you leave and when you come back
• We used ambient light and temperature sensor data aggregated from thermostats across our customers to determine that direct sunlight can cause thermostats to think it’s warmer than it actually is, so we introduced Sunblock, a new feature, to help your thermostat adjust for this so it sets the correct temperature
• We use sensor data to help us troubleshoot and improve the performance, safety, and reliability of our devices and services — for example, we use temperature and humidity data from our devices to measure the impact of environmental conditions on battery life
• We may also use sensor data to keep you informed of updates on Google services, including connected home services we think may interest you, such as energy and home safety programs — but we’ll always respect your choice about whether or not you want to receive promotional emails from Google
We do not use environmental and activity sensor data for ad personalization. (Remember that to fulfill some requests related to your connected home devices -- for example, “Hey Google, what’s the temperature inside?”— your Assistant can retrieve a sensor reading. Learn more about the Google Assistant and the choices available to you here ).
When you delete your account, this sensor data is deleted from our servers as explained in our retention policy.
What’s an example of when my sensor data might be shared with third-party apps and services?
One example of this is you can choose to share data with utility companies in order to benefit from energy savings programs and services like Rush Hour Rewards.
Wifi data
Google Wifi is a router system that works with your modem and ISP to create a whole-home Wi-Fi mesh network. Google Wifi uses data about your network performance (for example, network speed and bandwidth usage) to help provide and improve your Wi-Fi coverage and experience. It also allows you to see which devices are connected and how much bandwidth they use.
For Google Wifi, we commit to you:
• Google Wifi does not track the websites you visit, nor does it monitor the content of traffic on your Wi-Fi network.
• We keep your Wi-Fi network performance data separate from advertising and don’t use it for ad personalization.
• We will only share Wi-Fi network performance data from your Google Wifi with third-party apps and services that work with our connected home devices if you or a manager of your Wifi network gives us permission, and we’ll only ask for this permission in order to provide a helpful experience from an approved partner (such as an internet service provider).
Additional Details
Why is data from my Google Wifi router sent to Google, and how is it used?
Google Wifi collects and uses data as explained here, including information about the types of connected devices you have and their network usage. The cloud services, Wifi point stats and app stats data described here (which we refer to as Wi-Fi network performance data) is not used for ad personalization. We may use this data to keep you informed about updates on Google services, including connected home devices and services we think may help you -- such as an additional Wifi point to improve your internet connectivity. You can opt out from certain portions of this data collection as explained here.
Google Wifi does not track the websites you visit, nor does it monitor the content of traffic on your Wi-Fi network. Google Wifi sets your default DNS provider to Google Public DNS; more info on what Google Public DNS collects can be found here. You can change your DNS provider in the Advanced Networking settings of the Google Home app at any time.
What’s an example of when my Wifi network performance data might be shared with third-party apps and services?
One example of this is you may be able to share your Wi-Fi network performance data with your internet service provider so they can help you troubleshoot your Wi-Fi or internet connectivity issues.