Google confirms battery problems Nest doorbells, even with wired setup

Google confirms on a support page that the Nest doorbell and Nest Cam have problems functioning in sub-zero temperatures. When it freezes, the battery no longer wants to charge, which means that it eventually has to be brought inside to charge.

9to5Google, among others, reported in January the problems that users came out with. In some cases, if the Google devices had been left in the freezing cold, they would drain within 24 hours, would not charge in the cold despite a wired connection, and once brought in they would only charge very slowly. Certainly that emptying within 24 hours is extreme: Google estimates that the doorbell will last a month with warmer temperatures and a lot of use.

According to the same website, Google has now set up a new support page, where it explains which shortcomings the products have. From freezing, the batteries can no longer charge, which affects the Nest Doorbell, even when it’s plugged into the house’s wires. In this situation, it does receive energy from the house’s power grid, but it first goes into the battery and the doorbell gets its energy from there. This ensures that the doorbell runs empty in the freezing cold, even if it is wired.

Presumably, this issue affects all Nest doorbells. This means that it concerns the Nest Doorbell with battery and the Nest Doorbell on mains power. The latter was previously known as the Nest Hello and is the variant that can be connected to the existing doorbell wiring, but where the energy first goes through the battery. Despite the confusing ‘mains supply’ in the new name, this model really does have a battery on board.

Google also reports that the outdoor version of the Nest Cam, which runs on a battery, also has this shortcoming, but with a subtle difference. If the camera is hanging outside and wired, the energy does not go to the battery first, but can go directly to the camera. As a result, it does not drain and stop working, but it also cannot recharge its battery. So this is not a problem for users who have the camera permanently wired. Users who rely solely on the battery will find that it lasts very short in the freezing cold. Finally: if the accompanying solar panel is used, the energy will first go through the battery and the camera will therefore also fail in the frost.

The problem is inherent in lithium batteries and therefore cannot be solved just like that. In setups where mains power first goes through the battery, the problem is therefore permanent. Google already confirmed last year that it will come with a second-generation Nest Doorbell, without a battery.