Do Nest Cameras Record Audio? [ANSWERED]
Google Nest cameras allowed me to create a home security perimeter at an affordable price.
This gives me some peace of mind because I can now record anyone coming to my door and stepping foot on my property.
Do Google Nest cameras record audio?
I’ll give you the answer and much more info about your Nest cameras.
Do Nest Cameras Record Audio? [ANSWERED]
Nest Cameras do record audio, usually as the default setting. The Nest Camera audio system records sound from all directions and you can change the audio settings directly from the Nest app, allowing you to enable or disable sound with ease.
Knowing that Nest cameras record audio is only half the battle.
Sometimes the audio recording doesn’t work as expected, or you might want to disable the audio intentionally.
I will give you more information about this so you’re ready to record with your Nest camera.
Audio Recording and Nest Cameras
Do Nest outdoor cameras record audio? Yes, they do.
Google Nest cameras are relatively affordable and surprisingly versatile.
These are some of the best security cameras you can buy and they can record both video and audio.
This section will give you more information about the audio recording aspect of these cameras.
Audio From all Angles
Do Nest cameras detect sound from all angles? Just like most other security cameras, Nest cameras record from a head-on perspective.
This means that you can only record video from wherever the camera is pointing.
Unlike video, Nest cameras are able to pick up audio from all angles.
This means that you might pick up talking and other sounds even if the camera can’t see where the audio is coming from.
This can be useful as it allows you to hear intruders or other disturbances even if the camera isn’t pointed towards them.
Audio Notifications
Another great thing about Nest is that you will receive notifications if anything is captured by the camera.
This will normally be from the motion sensor being triggered. You will then be able to see whatever triggered the camera.
This also goes for audio disturbances. If a sound triggered the camera, then you will receive a notification.
While you might be able to see what caused the audio disturbance, keep in mind that the sound might come from off-camera.
Some people disable audio recording because of this. For example, let’s say that you have a dog that loves barking at everything.
Your dog is going to constantly trigger the camera, which means lots of false alarms for you.
This can also help from loud wind, wind chimes, or anything else that frequently causes sound.
Adjust Microphone Sensitivity
You can adjust the Nest microphone sensitivity through the Nest icon. You can do this if the camera is being triggered too easily, or if you’re having a hard time picking up sound.
Start by opening the Nest app on your device and selecting your camera. If you have multiple cameras, then you must adjust each one separately.
Tap the Settings icon.
Select the Microphone setting. The microphone must be active for this setting to appear.
I will tell you more about disabling and enabling the microphone in the next section.
Tap on Microphone Sensitivity and a slider will appear. Change this slider to make it more or less sensitive.
I suggest having someone outside during this part.
You can then check the sensitivity by having that other person talk. Keep adjusting until the sensitivity is just right.
Enabling and Disabling Audio Recording
You are able to enable and disable audio recording easily through the app.
What you may not know is that this can be done through either the Home or Nest app.
The instructions are slightly different for both, so I will explain how each of them work.
The camera’s audio recording should be active by default.
At the same time, sometimes this will turn off for some reason or you might want to disable the recording intentionally.
In either case, this should only take you a few seconds regardless of which app you’re using.
Nest App and Audio Recording
Most people will use the Nest app for controlling their cameras.
Start by opening the Nest app and then selecting your camera.
If you have multiple cameras, then you must repeat these steps for each camera.
Select the Settings icon and choose Microphone. From here you can toggle the switch to turn the microphone on or off.
If it’s off, then the microphone won’t record any sound.
If it’s on, then you can go a little further into the settings.
Tap Audio Recording. You can then choose to activate or disable sound recording.
It’s possible to turn off recording while still having the microphone active.
In this case, you will only hear the microphone as you are using the app, but it won’t record the sound.
Home App and Audio Recording
While the Home app isn’t used as frequently to control cameras, it’s just as simple as using the Nest app.
Open the Home app and then select the camera you want to work on.
Just like with the Nest app, each camera will be worked on independently.
You must repeat these steps for each camera that you have.
Tap the Settings icon and then select Audio. You can then choose to have the audio on or off.
This setting must be active for you to go further into the recording settings.
Select Audio Recording and you can activate or disable this setting.
Troubleshooting Audio Recording
If your Nest camera isn’t recording audio, then there are a few steps that you can take to fix this issue.
Most of these troubleshooting steps are simple and should only take a few minutes of your time.
No Live or Recorded Audio
If your camera isn’t recording any audio, then it’s best to go into the settings and make sure that the microphone is active.
This will often fix the problem.
If this doesn’t fix the problem, then the microphone sensitivity might be too low.
Having very low sensitivity can make it difficult to hear people unless they are talking loudly.
Turn up the sensitivity and this should make it easier to hear people.
Long Delays
There is often a short delay in recording, so this is normal. Long delays are a problem.
Check your bandwidth first by doing a speed test. A slow internet connection will create long delays.
You can fix this by getting a faster internet connection, deactivating some unnecessary devices or using a WiFi extender so the signal better reaches the camera.
You may also have too many apps open on your device. This will also create long delays.
Close unnecessary apps and consider restarting your phone to improve audio recording.
This most often affects live audio, but it can also delay recordings.
Restart Audio Recording
You may also want to restart the microphone. Open the Nest app and then click the microphone icon twice.
This will stop audio recording for a few seconds as the microphone restarts.
This should also correct the problem.