Article Summary:
Nest Cam lets you keep an eye on things with your phone or tablet. If you’re having issues watching your camera’s live stream in the Nest app, here are some helpful troubleshooting tips.
There are a number of reasons you may not be able to see your Nest Cam's live stream with your phone or tablet. Most of these issues can be quickly resolved by following some of the tips below.
Check the Nest app
Make sure you are using the most current version of the Nest app on your phone or tablet. Visit the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store on your device to see if there is an available update.
Check the Nest service
Check Nest's support page. In the upper right-hand corner, you'll see the Service Status, which will let you know if we're experiencing any temporary service interruptions. If the System Status is normal and you still can't view your camera's video, follow the steps below.
The video is stuck loading with a spinning icon
If you see a spinning icon when your video should play, this means the video is "buffering." This is usually a symptom of the following:
- Limited bandwidth: Your camera requires a bigger share of your Internet upload connection for video playback.
How much of my Internet connection's bandwidth does Nest Cam video streaming use? >
- Wireless interference: Various things in your home (and your neighbors' homes), can affect your Wi-Fi network's range and stability. Moving your camera closer to the route, or making some simple changes to your Wi-Fi settings can help.
What is wireless interference and how do I troubleshoot it? >
The app says "This camera is not connected."
If you see a message that says "This camera is not connected." your camera may be unplugged, there may be a power outage, or the camera isn't connected to Wi-Fi. Check the power cable to make sure that it's plugged into the camera and the power adapter. Also check that the adapter is firmly plugged into wall outlet. If there's a power outage in your home or a blackout in your neighborhood you will also see the "not connected" message, and you'll have to wait until power is restored.
Do I need to keep my Nest Cam plugged into a power outlet? >
If you've confirmed that the camera is receiving power, but you're still seeing a message saying that the camera is not connected, it may have lost its Wi-Fi connection. Check the color of the light on the front of the camera. If it's solid yellow, it isn't connected to your Wi-Fi network.
What do the lights on Nest Cam mean? >
To reconnect it to your Wi-Fi network, please try the following:
1. Unplug your camera's USB cable. Wait a few moments and plug it back in.
2. Your camera will restart and automatically try to reconnect to the same Wi-Fi network it was connected to before.
3. If your camera still can't connect, try unplugging your Wi-Fi router for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in. Give the router two minutes to reboot.
If you still can't connect your camera to Wi-Fi, see the article below for more troubleshooting tips.
The app says, "This camera is off. Turn on to see video."
If you see a message in the Nest app that says: "This camera is off. Turn on to see video." then your camera is turned off. Near the upper right-hand corner of the Nest app screen, you'll see an on/off switch. Tap the switch to turn the video on.