Article Summary:
While it is possible to stream Nest Cam video with a personal hotspot, it isn't recommended since it may not be reliable enough and may cause data overage fees.

Nest Cam can quickly reach your hotspot service plan’s data limit while recording HD video. Even plans that claim to be “unlimited” may have a cap. Check with your mobile service provider to learn more about your data plan and any fees that might apply.

Before connecting your Nest Cam to a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot like your phone or a Wi-Fi enabled device, please consider the bandwidth requirements and review your service provider’s pricing and usage policies. Nest Cam is designed to use as little data possible while streaming 720p HD video. It requires 200kb/s (0.2Mbps) of bandwidth on average, but can reach up to as much as 500kb/s (0.5Mbps) in order to stream to Nest servers. This isn’t much for a home internet connection, but it can quickly end up being expensive over cellular networks like LTE, which mobile hotspots use.

If you aren’t a Nest Aware with Video History subscriber, your camera only streams when you’re watching the live video. This limits the amount of bandwidth Nest Cam uses, but you should be aware that Nest Cams are always streaming small amounts of information to provide camera status and motion detection messages.

Adding Nest Aware with Video History to continuously record your video will increase the amount of bandwidth required in order to give you access to 10 or 30 days history. For instance, monitoring your home with Video History over 10 rolling days could use up to 60GB/month.

Can I connect Nest products to the Internet with a personal or mobile hotspot? >