What is Nest Aware, and do you need it to use your Nest camera?

You might not need it, but you’ll certainly want it

Google sells a number of indoor and outdoor security cams under the Nest banner: a wired, indoor-only model; a wireless indoor/outdoor model; both a wired doorbell and a wireless doorbell; and an outdoor camera with a floodlight. We’ve reviewed most of them, and a common thread among them is an annoying reliance on a service called Nest Aware to unlock their full potential. So what exactly is Nest Aware, and do you really need it to use a Nest camera?

What is Nest Aware and what features does it include?

Nest Aware is a suite of add-on features for Nest-branded home security cameras and speakers. A subscription comes with a number of benefits, including:

• Thirty-day event clip storage. With Nest Aware, recordings of events — such as people or animals seen in areas you’ve designated — are saved online and available to watch or download for 30 days. Without Nest Aware, these clips are only stored for three hours.
• Support for Google’s familiar faces feature. Modern Nest cameras are able to distinguish between different faces and learn over time who is typically around to better tailor notifications. Despite being a hardware-level feature, it’s only unlocked with a subscription.
• Alerts for the sound of a smoke detector or carbon monoxide alarm. Both your Nest cameras and your Google-branded smart speakers can let you know if they hear a smoke detector or carbon monoxide alarm go off—as long as you pay for Nest Aware.

There’s also Nest Aware Plus, which offers double the clip storage duration at 60 days, plus the ability to review everything your wired cameras (except the wireless Nest Doorbell, even when it’s hardwired to power) have seen and heard for the past 24 hours. Nest cameras can’t continuously record on battery power, so a wired connection is required for that feature.

How much do Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus cost?

Nest Aware costs $6 per month, or $60 per year if you pay for an annual subscription up front. Nest Aware Plus comes in at $12 a month or $120 annually. The pricing model used to be more complicated, but currently, on either tier, a single subscription covers all your cameras and speakers.

Do you really need Nest Aware?

No you don’t need a Nest Aware subscription, but you’ll probably want one. Nothing is stopping you from buying a Nest camera and never paying another cent to use it. Just be aware that the Nest security experience is extremely limited without a subscription. Paywalling features like facial recognition is irritating, but the three-hour window you have to review and download event clips without Nest Aware means that if you’re not awake and paying attention to your phone when your camera sees something, you may very well never know about it.

If all you expect from a security system is the ability to monitor your home remotely in real time, Nest Aware’s video storage features might not be particularly valuable to you. You can probably safely skip the subscription. Otherwise, you’ll want to pony up, or make sure you’re never away from your phone for more than three hours at a time.

Google Nest vs. Amazon Ring: Which one should you choose?

Google and Amazon both offer incredible smart home lineups, but there are some significant differences between Nest and Ring. Those differences are on full display when you compare each brand’s camera hardware. If you’re on the fence about the smart home cameras that will best fit your needs, you’ll want to check out the differences between the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery and Nest Cam Battery.