Well, whether you’re using the Google Home app or the Nest app, turning off your cameras is actually incredibly easy. Although it may not be the most intuitive process if you’re not tech-savvy, to begin with. But that’s exactly what this guide was written to help with. So if you need to turn off your cameras, for whatever reason, this guide can help. Before getting started, however, it’s also worth pointing out that Nest cameras effectively become inoperable when turned off. They won’t detect motion or sound, for instance. And they certainly won’t save activity or record any footage, let alone allow live streaming. That could present a severe security risk if you only mean to temporarily disable them before turning them back on. And if you forget to turn them back on.
Here’s how to turn your Nest Cameras off
Now, because the Google Home app is effectively required for the Google smart home ecosystem to work, chances are you’ve got that app installed. And, like many of our how-to guides, there’s more than one way to accomplish this task. In fact, either the Google Home or Nest app can also be used to turn off cameras. However, there are actually more steps involved if you’re using the Nest app. So we’ll be using the Google Home app for this segment of the guide since it’s the easiest method. And, moreover, the latest Nest Doorbell (Battery) and Nest Cam (Battery) don’t support the Nest app at all. So if you’re using those newer gadgets or wondering how to use them once you update, the Google Home app is going to be the best method to learn. Additionally, you can find the “Turn off” option elsewhere in the Google Home UI. Following step three as listed above, you can also choose to select any individual camera feed. The “Turn off” button will be found under the “More” tab in the bottom bar UI. As shown in the final two images above. A similar UI is, conversely, also found in the cameras-specific UI on Nest Hub and smart display devices. Making it easy enough to find the UI on those devices as well.
You can also do this in the Nest app
If you do happen to be relying solely on the Nest app for your cameras, there’s also a way to turn off individual cameras there. Albeit, one that’s more involved, as noted above. Primarily because Nest doesn’t provide you with an easy access button right from the home page. You’ll need to dive deeper into settings instead.
