What you need to know
- Amazon Alexa gains new skills for the Google Nest doorbell and cameras.
- The integration enables live view streaming from Google's home security devices to be displayed on the Echo Show, Fire TV, or Fire tablets.
- Soon, Alexa will also be able to announce when your Nest Cam or doorbell detects a visitor.
Amazon Alexa now works with the Google Nest doorbell and cameras, showing you a live view of what's going on outside your door via Alexa-enabled devices with a display.
The new support is compatible with many of the best Nest cameras announced last year, including the Nest Cam (outdoor or indoor, battery), Nest Cam (indoor, wired), Nest Cam with floodlight, and Nest Doorbell (battery).
Amazon's smart display, Fire TV, or Fire tablets will then provide a real-time view of what's happening outside your house as captured by Google's home security devices, Google said in a Nest Community post.
The Nest Doorbell (battery) now also lets you speak with visitors at your door through the Amazon Echo, Echo Show, Fire TV, and Fire tablets. All you need to do is say, "Alexa, talk to the front door."
Unfortunately, this new integration is not available on older Nest devices. That said, existing Alexa skills will still function with Nest devices, including older cameras. This means you can continue to ask Alexa to adjust the temperature on your Nest Learning Thermostat or show a livestream from your original Nest cameras on compatible Alexa devices.
To get started, you'll need to set up your Nest devices in the Google Home app. After that, turn on the Google Nest skill for Alexa in the Alexa app on iOS and Android. You can also configure the settings in the Home app in order to receive alerts when a motion is detected or when your doorbell is pressed.
The new support marks the first step in bridging the gap between Amazon and Google's smart home ecosystems. However, there is no indication that Amazon intends to add Google Assistant support to its family of home security devices.
In the near future, Amazon plans to enable Alexa to notify you when Google's Nest doorbells and cameras detect a visitor at your door.
The Nest Cam (2021) is the only option with a weather-resistant housing that can be used outside for outdoor security. However, it also has the advantage of battery operation, which you may find useful indoors. Having said that, it comes at a much higher cost.
